HIV/AIDS Programs
Family Service was the first agency in Bucks County to offer case management services to people who were HIV positive or living with AIDS during the height of the epidemic in the 1980s. Since then our program has grown and changed along with the needs of people living with HIV.
The HIV/AIDS Program (HAP) is made up of several inter-related programs. We serve men, women, seniors, young adults, and people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds regardless of income.
Two basic premises guide what we do: everyone should know their status; and, if HIV positive, the sooner you are connected to medical care, the better your chances of living a longer and healthier life.
HAP strives to offer a continuum of care by connecting people to medical care, mental health services, supportive services and groups.
Clients in the HAP Program may be eligible for:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Emergency financial assistance
- Food & nutrition assistance
Programs in the HIV/AIDS Program include:
There is no fee for services. Anyone in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware Counties in PA, and Southern NJ is eligible for services.
For more information contact:
Mary Beth Swan
HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator
215-757-6916 ext. 231
mswan@fsabc.org
Medical Case Management
Family Service is the only agency which offers HIV/AIDS medical case management services in Bucks County.
Medical Case Managers provide a continuum of care by connecting people to medical care, prevention education, mental health treatment and psychiatric care, transportation, nutrition information, and emergency financial assistance. Connection to care, especially to Infectious Disease Specialists, is critical in improving the quality of life for a person who is positive. Medical Case Managers work closely with clients to make sure they are adhering to treatment and seeing doctors for medical care. Medical Case Managers assist clients with transportation in getting to doctor’s appointments.
Medical Case Management services are free.
For more information contact:
Mary Beth Swan
HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator
215-757-6916 ext. 231
mswan@fsabc.org
Bucks CARES
Bucks CARES provides HIV/AIDS education, early intervention and testing services at substance abuse treatment facilities and Bucks County’s correctional facilities. The primary goal is to give high risk individuals a chance to learn their status and, if positive, to access services.
Family Service and our major partner, the Bucks County Department of Health, provide testing and counseling. Other consortium members include: Aldie Counseling Center, Bucks County Correctional Facility, Good Friends, Inc., Libertae, Inc., Livengrin Foundation, Inc., Penn Foundation Recovery Center, Pyramid Healthcare, and Today, Inc.
Clients admitted to treatment at substance abuse treatment programs receive HIV Early Intervention services during one-on-one client centered HIV prevention counseling. Clients who choose to receive HIV antibody testing receive their test results. FSA staff are immediately available for medical case management to connect them to care.
There is free to clients of the consortium members.
For more information contact:
Mary Beth Swan
HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator
215-757-6916 ext. 231
mswan@fsabc.org
Care Outreach
Advances in medicine have prolonged the lives of those diagnosed HIV positive. Regularly scheduled medical appointments, including lab work, with an HIV medical provider allows for more accurate monitoring of your health, prevents minor health issues from growing into bigger ones, and helps you better understand what to expect when living with HIV.
The Care Outreach program helps anyone who is HIV positive to get connected with medical care, mental health services and other support services he or she may need. Care Outreach is for those who are newly diagnosed as well as for those who have not been to an infectious disease doctor in over three months.
If you are HIV positive and are not connected to medical care, our Care Outreach Specialist will get you connected with the care you need to live with this disease. We will help you understand the disease, your medications and your lab results. We will accompany you to your first three visits to an Infectious Disease Specialist and work with your doctor and case manager to help improve the quality of your life.
We work one-on-one to connect you to:
- Infectious diseases specialists
- Primary care physicians
- Mental health services
- Prescription benefits
- Dental care
For more information contact:
Nathan Townsend
HIV/AIDS Care Outreach Specialist
215-757-6916 ext. 229
ntownsend@fsabc.org
Healthy Relationships
Living with HIV/AIDS is hard. Telling people you are HIV positive and living a healthier lifestyle can be harder. Our Healthy Relationships support group helps HIV positive people handle both of those difficult situations.
Small groups consisting of members who are of the same sex and sexual orientation meet for six sessions. Each interactive session is facilitated by a counselor and a peer, who may be HIV-positive. As a group member, you will learn problem-solving and decision-making skills to address safer sexual behaviors and how to cope with the stress of disclosing your status to family, friends, and sex partners. Participants encourage each other to strive for self-efficacy, self-evaluation, and behavior change.
Healthy Relationships is a nationally recognized Center for Disease Control prevention program.
There is no cost to join a Healthy Relationships group.
View the latest Healthy Relationships group schedule.
For more information contact:
Kim Dalkara
Senior Case Manager
215-757-6916 ext. 234
kdalkara@fsabc.org
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