Peer Navigator Program

For Peer Support and Education, call 352-334-7969.

The ACHD PEER program is in place to support HIV-positive individuals as they enter and stay in care, adhere to treatment protocols, and improve their quality of life. Peer Navigator’s can help close the gap between health care providers and people who need help adapting to a treatment plan.

No one understands the reality of learning to cope with the daily challenges of living with HIV, better than someone who lives with it every day. Peers are members of the community who are living with HIV/AIDS. As members of the ACHD health care team, Peers promote treatment adherence and foster trust in the health care system. Peers help clients navigate HIV treatment and services by providing a range of support.

For people living with HIV/AIDS, the realities of treatment and self-care can be overwhelming. Peers can relate to clients through shared background, culture, language, and knowledge of the community.

Peers offer encouragement and emotional support by:

• Listening to clients’ concerns and sharing similar experiences
• Explaining the basics of HIV/AIDS and self-care to the newly diagnosed
• Offering strategies for incorporating medications into a client’s daily routine
• Serving as a “voice of experience” by proactively addressing obstacles to care and adherence
• Connecting people with needed services
• Assisting with appointment reminders
• Acting as a liaison between clients and their care providers
• Assist in healthy behavior modeling