Windy City Times
March 7, 2012
by Joe Franco
From Windy City Times:
The mission of Heartland Alliance for the last 125 years has been to advance human rights and respond “to the human needs of endangered populations—particularly the poor, the isolated, and the displaced—through the provision of comprehensive and respectful services and the promotion of permanent solutions leading to a more just global society.”
Heartland was also one of Chicago’s first responders during the beginning of the AIDS Crisis. Rev. Sid Mohn, president of Heartland, began a program for those diagnosed and living with AIDS that seemed revolutionary at the time.
“We saw AIDS as not just a public health issue but also one of social justice,” said Mohn. “We wanted to treat this new ‘gay disease’ with both non-discrimination and a recognition that we needed organized systems of care not normally available to those with HIV before.”
Heartland partnered with Cook County Hospital to provide one of the nation’s first specialty clinics for those with AIDS/HIV. Heartland also became a fierce advocate of equal protection for those who were being treated. “We had to be sure that those people, the most vulnerable, who are normally ‘cut out’ of the table were not cut out at that table,” said Karen Batia, the executive director of Heartland Alliance Health.
Since Heartland intervened, the face of AIDS has changed as have the funds made available to sustain their innovative programs. “We offered a holistic approach to those living with HIV. We offered not only the basic health needs but acupuncture, recreational outings and a community nurse,” said John Dinauer, a case manager with the behavioral health unit for Heartland. “But things change. Funding changes. HIV changes. The money for our approach went away though we did try as long as we could to keep it going, We just ended our art therapy sessions but we think within time, that program will return.”
Currently, Heartland operates more than 140 scattered-site housing units for those with HIV and AIDS. “We understand that providing housing, real, viable housing for those most marginalized who are living with AIDS is an important part of their actual treatment,” said Dinauer. “My job as a case manager is comprehensive. Housing is a part but so is making sure our participants have healthcare and some sort of income. We also operate the Rafael Center to make sure our participants have some place to come to during the day.”
HIV prevention has also been a recent objective for Heartland with the establishment of “Promise.” “This is community-based intervention. We are reaching out to the unidentified community. These are predominantly African-American men who have sex with men. First, we identify advocates in the community then take those advocates’ stories and disseminate them through those men who may be at risk. This is more than just distributing condoms. This is peer-to-peer intervention with counseling on safer-sex and testing,” said Dinauer.
Batia, with Heartland Alliance Health, stressed the importance of medical care that went beyond the basics. “We recently merged with Vital Bridges so that folks would have access to quality, fresh foods. This is not a food bank with canned and non-perishables but actual grocery centers where people can come and ‘shop’. We offer nutritional counselors to make sure that the nutritional needs of folks are met,” said Batia.
