Since I began my service as a Care Coordinator with National Health Corps Florida AmeriCorps in September, something that I learned quite quickly is that there’s no such thing as a “normal” week here. That being said, the following is what I would consider a “usual” week for me:
Monday
Mondays I spend checking in with the clients that I work directly with. Currently, I fill my role of Care Coordinator by providing PrEP (a daily pill taken for HIV prevention) navigation. I use my time on this day to contact my clients who need to pick up prescriptions this week or who need to come to clinic to do PrEP labs this upcoming Thursday. I also contact pharmacies and Gilead (the drug company that makes Truvada) to ensure that all of my clients continue to have coverage through Gilead’s Advancing Access Prescription Assistance Program.
Tuesday
On Tuesdays, I meet with my host site supervisor, Sabrina. While I love providing PrEP navigation, it takes a lot of skills! My Tuesday involves organizing and assessing my caseload so that I can communicate any support that I need. After our meeting, I forge ahead into the rest of my day with an action plan, be that investigating alternative copay assistance programs, navigating the tricky process of using private insurance, or even getting ahold of a client who is difficult to contact. Sometimes, I have to get creative- but I love a good challenge!
Wednesday
Wednesday is the day that Clinic Team is staffed during ACCESS hours, which stands for Accessing Client-Centered Essential Support Services. During this time, we help people to access JASMYN’s many services and meet with case managers. Interacting with the young people that access JASMYN’s services allows me to build relationships and rapport with members of the community. Today, two of my clients came by unexpectedly. It always warms my heart when I meet with a client and they share good news, and I can see that everyone’s hard work at JASMYN is paying off, even if just for one person.
Thursday
I’d say that Thursdays are the busiest days for the Clinic Team by far, as 4pm-8pm is JASMYN’s weekly sexual health clinic. During the afternoon to evening, clinic staff provides rapid HIV testing and counseling as well as sexual health education and PrEP education and referrals, and one of our two providers who come to the clinic provides STI testing and counseling. I serve as a tester while also navigating my own PrEP clients and meeting with them to check in on their needs.
Friday
This Friday we hosted an HIV testing drive. At this event, I have more time to give personalized care to each client who gets tested. I discuss sexual health education with each person I test, do personalized risk assessments, and talk about PrEP. This is a great opportunity, because many people in the Jacksonville area received little to no sexual health education growing up. Having grown into adulthood still not knowing all the best ways to stay healthy, I can help to make a small, or, even a significant difference in helping them live a healthy life.
That was a busy but great week! After the hustle and bustle of the last two days, I’m grateful for the weekend as a time to wind down and prepare to do it all again next week!
This blog post was written by NHC FL AmeriCorps member, Savannah Harris.
