IRSA’s Medical Case Management program provides technical assistance to local, national resettlement agencies providing services for refugees with HIV/AIDS. Several resettlement agencies across the United States provide Medical Case Management services that support refugees who need specialized assistance as they begin the resettlement process in the U.S. This program helps these refugees to secure appropriate medical care and treatment in their new communities and facilitates communication and collaboration between refugee resettlement caseworkers and health care providers. The goal of the Medical Case Management Technical Assistance program is to build and strengthen the capacity of refugee service providers that are engaged in activities to resettle refugees who have HIV/AIDS. IRSA staff provides technical assistance and training services to all ‘designated HIV sites’ and to all local voluntary agencies that resettle HIV+ family reunion cases.  AIDS community-based organizations, state refugee coordinators, and local/state health departments and other social services agency may also access the technical assistance services. The technical assistance program focuses on three areas

ü       Agency specific training and capacity building activities for specific localities where HIV+ cases are resettled ;

ü       Case management and program guidance and resources to refugee resettlement staff through telephone consultations, electronic mail, and written materials; and

ü       Information resources

Capacity Building Assistance

Training and Information Sharing Meetings

IRSA works with national and community based resettlement agencies to enhance organizational capacity to provide care for HIV-positive clients and to create partnerships with AIDS service providers. Agency specific training is available upon request. State and local resettlement related coalitions participate in several regional trainings sponsored by IRSA throughout the project period. Training topics are based on the needs of the local agency participants and may include the following topics: Basic HIV/AIDS education; Collaborating with AIDS service providers; Confidentiality and reporting of HIV & AIDS cases; Medical Translation & Interpretation; Cross-cultural counseling; Nutrition for HIV+ clients; reporting requirements; Understanding state- and county-level sources for medical coverage

IRSA also convenes an annual skills-building meeting for case managers who are handling Special Medical cases. The objective of the meeting is to build capacity and skills to develop effective programs and share lessons learned in the arena of MCM service delivery for refugees.

Information Resources

IRSA produces, and facilitates access to, accurate and up-to date information on issues related to HIV/AIDS including programs, policies, and models of care. IRSA also produces language-appropriate materials for specific populations. Below are some of the resource materials available to agencies

HIV and Viral Hepatitis: An Expanding Co-Epidemic
Basic Facts About AIDS (Burmese/English)
Basic Facts About AIDS (Oromo/English)
Basic Facts About AIDS (Somali/English)
State Laws on HIV Transmission
MCM Newsletter, Information service for professionals working with refugees with special health needs.
A Guidebook for Resettlement Agencies Serving Refugees with HIV/AIDS 

IRSA also maintains an HIV Listserv, which disseminates project related information to subscribers

Contact
Belinda Rochelle
1717 Massachusetts Avenue
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
T 202-797-2105
F 202-347-2576
brochelle@irsa-uscr.org
www.refugeesusa.org/who