The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is proud to announce the 12 organizations selected to receive non-medical case management funding to serve people living with HIV throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Organizations will be receiving funding through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, which distributes $2.3 billion nationwide to fund services specifically for people living with HIV. This funding will allow case managers to further assist clients who are self-sufficient and do not need intensive services, but need occasional support such as insurance enrollment, medication assistance application help, short-term medical or housing payment assistance and much more.
“This funding expands the reach to vulnerable clients who have traditionally not been the priority of case management funds, but have a great need,” said Bashirat Osunmakinde, AFC’s senior director of Care.
This year, AFC received 19 applications from organizations, and the selection process was no small feat. Applications were reviewed by multiple entities, including a first round of reviews by members of the Chicago Area HIV Integrated Services Council (CAHISC), individuals unaffiliated with AFC (but who have HIV/AIDS work experience) and non-Care team staff at AFC. After the applications were ranked by each of these groups, AFC’s Care, senior leadership and program development teams reviewed applications and took into account the rankings of the review panelists before making their final decisions.
“Organizations selected for this year’s awards were ones that already had an established client base, have a strong fiscal and administrative support staff and clearly documented the need for funding,” said Osunmakinde.
It was also noted how important it was to award organizations that represent the breadth of communities served by AFC partner organizations throughout the entire Chicago metropolitan area. In order to make the biggest impact, it was crucial to application reviewers that work would be funded to organizations not only in downtown Chicago but also in places where services may be scarce.
“Over the course of the HIV epidemic, the face of people living with HIV and the communities most impacted by it has shifted,” said Román Buenrostro, AFC’s director of special projects and planning. “We feel very proud that the organizations selected to provide this new level of care reflect the diversity of the communities currently impacted by HIV in Chicago.”
Ultimately, AFC is dedicated to continue growing and building relationships with partner organizations throughout the Chicagoland area and beyond. These RFP awards allow for those partnerships to stay intact and for organizations to continue providing services for people living with HIV.
