Ten years ago, “Chris” came to the Adler Health Center in Harrisburg for assistance. She was HIV-positive, addicted to illegal drugs, and knew that she needed help.
She chose the right place. Alder Heath Services operates under a mission of improving the health and wellbeing of individuals living with HIV/AIDS and members of the LGBTQ community.
“When Chris first came to the agency, she struggled with financial, emotional and physical issues,” remembered Kimberly Snyder, Alder Health’s director of case management and support services. “She often lashed out in anger when someone opposed her expectations. Her defensives were high, and she didn’t know how to manage her emotions from a lifetime of hurt and anguish.”
Alder Health offers primary care and behavioral health options, case management and support, education and wellness, and trans health care. It does so by “providing a culturally competent and affirming environment that empowers the people we serve,” according to the facility’s website. The general public also is welcome to use its services, staff members said.
With the help of Alder Health staff, Chris worked to clean up her financial debts and obtain stable housing. She recently entered HUD’s Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program that assists people living with HIV. Her newfound financial independence allowed her to “look at other barriers that refrained her from health independence,” Snyder recalled.
Chris has worked closely with Alder Health case managers to address her issues with codependency, self-worth and personal wellbeing. “While adapting a new appreciation of herself, she has learned how important it is to take her medications and attend doctors’ appointments,” Snyder said.
Chris is one of 300 clients from 10 central Pennsylvania counties currently assisted by Alder Health’s six case managers. Snyder refrained from using her client’s real name for this story because, “Our clients are very sensitive about their stories and who they tell. They’re proud of their stories but many often believe that anonymity is just as important.”
Elizabeth Leen, Alder Health’s director of clinical operations, oversees the facility’s primary care and behavioral health care, which together serve a combined total of 500 patients. She noted that, while HIV patients are “anxious about disclosure,” transsexual clients deal with another set of difficult issues.
“Trans are dealing with transition and coming out to family and friends,” Leen said. “Although it’s illegal to discriminate in Pennsylvania, they’re worried about the threat of job loss or housing.”
Alder Health President/CEO Rosemary Browne’s job includes LGBTQ advocacy, such as supporting individuals, attending rallies for relevant legislation, and “promoting cultural competent care,” she said.
“We want to make this a safe environment for everyone,” she said. “We try to cast a very broad net.”
Alder Health’s first incarnation was the Lancaster AIDS project, initiated in 1985. In 1987, it became the Southcentral AIDS Network, followed by the AIDS Community Alliance in 1997. The facility adopted its current name in October 2010 to reflect its expanded services and programs.
The Alder name was inspired by the alder tree, which Celtic tradition notes as giving and nurturing. Adler Health’s driving philosophy is “treating the whole person” by offering patients primary care and behavioral health options, as well as case management and support, education and wellness.
Behavioral services comprise individual and couples behavioral health therapy, psychiatric evaluations and medication management. Case management services are available to persons living with HIV in Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York counties.
Community outreach is another facet of Alder Health Services. The facility offers screening and treatment programs for sexually transmitted diseases every Wednesday at its Harrisburg location. Mobile testing is available at large community events like July’s Pride Festival of Central PA and Equality Fest York.
“HIV is 100-percent preventable,” Snyder said. “To reduce the risk, we talk to people at bars, nightclubs, colleges, high schools and health fairs. We go to places wherever people will accommodate us.”
Trans care includes hormone replacement therapy with comprehensive primary care and behavioral health care. Alder Health hosts a trans support group, as well as a support group for HIV patients. The facility does not perform gender reassignment surgery, however.
Snyder said that her work at Alder Health makes her feel like she’s “part of history.”
“Every day may not be a good day, but I feel that I’m always making a difference with what I do here,” she noted.
In Harrisburg, Alder Health Services is located at 100 N. Cameron St. For more information, call 717-233-7196 or visit www.alderhealth.org.
Author: Phyllis Zimmerman
