A Brief History
In late 2004, a group of concerned citizens conducted a focus group of six homeless individuals living with HIV. The response was clear; housing was the main barrier to medical appointment and medication adherence. The results from the focus group were presented to other key staff members from the region’s leading AIDS Service organizations in January 2005, who later became our founding board members. By April 2006, the founding members purchased a 15-unit apartment building. Since our inception, The Open Door, Inc. has provided housing to over 75 people living with HIV. We have never had a vacant apartment, demonstrating the need for this type of program. We currently house 14 individuals and provide representative payee services to over 50 clients, including residents, and hope to continue expanding. We work every day to empower our clients to live independently, improve their health and quality of life, and ultimately improve their roles in the community. Our program builds on three key strategies:
Housing First: The “housing first” model prioritizes housing before all other goals so that once people are stably housed they can feel comfortable about taking charge of their health and lives. Harm Reduction: Meaning we do not require abstinence to be in our program. We meet clients "where they are at" and utilize a client centered approach. Peers: These paid staff members are themselves living with HIV and/or in recovery, and are directly aligned with the health care and social service systems that clients need. In addition to these three strategies, The Open Door, Inc. provides a multitude of services to ensure our clients have a successful transition into stable housing and continue to maintain stable housing. The services offered are:
• Permanent and transitional housing
• On site staff 7 days a week
• Representative Payee Services
• Medication Monitoring
• Case Management referrals
• Substance abuse treatment referrals
• Educational classes
• Support groups
• Mental health referrals
• Homemaker & home health aide services
• Transportation
• Congregate meals
• Quality of life events provided both inside the house and outside in the community
