JRI also supports a mental-health clinic and educational outreach programs.
"We target the infected, the affected and those highly at risk of becoming infected," Chatlos says. "It's really all about getting informed and planning ahead."
Serving the Social Needs
Avoiding isolation--whether self-imposed or a result of familial and societal prejudice--is key for HIV-positive individuals, says Mariel Gonzalez, director of development for The Living Center, the only drop-in organization in New England devoted specifically to servicing the social needs of those with HIV.
"We are the primary care provider for the greater Boston area," says Gonzalez. "We've had many groups from around the U.S. and even the world--from Florida to Ireland--come to visit and research programs of their own."
At The Living Center, about 450 volunteers coordinate programs and activities designed to help HIV-positive individuals build social and working lives in the larger community.
According to Gonzalez, the center--the only of its kind in the region--provided 2,000 hours of service to HIV-positive people last year.
In order to become a member of the center and obtain access to all of its services free of charge--from legal assistance to holistic medicine--individuals are required to submit documentation of their medical status, meet