Living with HIV/AIDS

Living with an HIV or AIDS diagnosis can be a difficult and stressful reality for many people.

If you need someone to talk to, or are looking to meet other positive people from a similar cultural background, give the NPL Client Support Service (CSS) team a call. We will be happy to talk to you. We have a team of professionally trained staff who are linguistically and culturally specific.

The NPL Client Support Team works on the principle of working in partnership with agencies such as hospitals, social workers, benefit agencies, solicitors, housing officers, counsellors who all share a responsibility for providing key services to people living with HIV.

The NPL Client Support Team complements these existing services by providing an extra dimension of advocacy and support which is culturally, religiously and linguistically appropriate.

For clients from NPL target communities, a positive diagnosis can raise other issues which may include

• Late presentation issues
• Treatment options and support
• Uncertainty of immigration status
• No recourse to public funds
• Dispersal
• Homelessness
• Language and cultural barriers
• Anxiety regarding disclosure of HIV status
• Maintaining the secrecy of one's own status

The CSS team can assist you in a range of situations. We can advocate on your behalf with your doctor or clinical nurse specialist, social worker, solicitor, housing worker or any number of organisations that you may need to communicate with. We can arrange home visits and put you in touch with other helpful organisations that might be able to assist you in other areas of your life. We can also accompany you to important meetings wherever possible, such as to key hospital appointments.

If English is not your first language, we can provider interpreters and make sure you are getting access to the right information wherever possible.

We have 5 teams offering support and providing a range of services including:

• Advice, referral and advocacy
• Casework and Home visits
• One to one support
• User led support groups for people affected by HIV and AIDS
• Cultural and linguistic support
• Trained interpreters
• Specialised information service on care and support issues for NPL target communities

If you are caring for someone affected by HIV and AIDS and need to talk to someone, please ring the main CSS contact number

For more information about making referrals, contact the Client Support Services Manager, Parminder Sekhon on 020 8741 1879.

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