PRC endorses U=U

Posted on June 24, 2019September 23, 2020 by [email protected]

SAN FRANCISCO (June 20, 2019) – PRC, whose nonprofit mission is to provide a variety of legal, social and health services to San Francisco residents affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use or mental health issues, has announced its official endorsement of the Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) campaign. Whether one is affected by HIV or is HIV negative, it is important to know and understand U=U. The U=U campaign was born in New York City and has quickly spread across North America and the global community. The stigma associated with HIV remains one of the greatest barriers for people in accessing HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and support. PRC’s endorsement of U=U sends a clear message that sharing the knowledge regarding U=U with our San Francisco community is an urgent priority to save lives and fight stigma, as well as is a call to take action to help spread the message. U=U (Undectable equals Untransmittable) has unequivocally been supported by scientific evidence. It shows that, when an individual is in HIV Treatment and maintains a suppressed viral load, there is effectively no risk of transmission to their partner during sex. Through its partnership with Getting to Zero San Francisco, PRC is committed to preventing new HIV diagnoses and supporting people living with HIV to stay in treatment so they can live their best lives. Continued support of campaigns like U=U is critical to ending HIV-related stigma. This will help us achieve the goals of preventing new diagnoses, reaching undiagnosed individuals, and ensuring that people living with HIV receive the care, treatment and support they need. About PRC PRC (formerly Positive Resource Center) is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that helps people affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use or mental health issues better realize the opportunities available to them. PRC provides integrated legal, social, and health services to address the broad range of social risk factors that impact wellness and limit potential. In 2017, the organization merged with AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF), an emergency financial assistance provider for low-income residents living with HIV/AIDS, and Baker Places, an agency that provides a comprehensive array of residential treatment services to people with mental health, substance use, and HIV/AIDS-related issues. Combined, the three organizations represent a 115-year history of service and serve approximately 5,000 clients annually. For more information, please visit www.prcsf.org

It’s a Wrap!

Posted on May 31, 2019September 23, 2020 by Patricia Piper Bennett

Our hearts are full, and our doors are open! With your generosity, PRC’s Chair the Love campaign raised $36,310.

We are grateful. Time and again you show up for PRC and our clients.

Through Chair the Love, you helped furnish our clients’ experience during their journey toward better health, stable housing, and income growth within PRC’s new Integrated Service Center. Every step of the way, from their inital Client Services meeting through planning their next steps with an Employment Specialist, your support helps the over 5,000 adults living with HIV/AIDS, mental health, and substance use issues on their path to wellness each year.

But that’s not the end.

PRC has always been about community. Stay tuned for neighborhood and training events hosted at our community hub at 170 9th Street. Get updates: sign up for our newsletter and blogs, and follow us on social media for updates.

Together, we are changing lives and building community.

Covered California: Tax Filing Requirement for Consumers Receiving Premium Assistance

Posted on April 23, 2019September 23, 2020 by [email protected]

Some Californians, individuals, and families enrolled in Covered California (Covered CA) plans are eligible for financial assistance to lower the cost of their health insurance. Anyone who receives financial assistance with Covered CA is required to file a federal tax return as a condition of eligibility.

Covered CA offers two main ways to get assistance with health care coverage costs:

Premium Assistance (formally called the Advanced Premium Tax Credit or APTC) is a tax credit to reduce an individual’s monthly premium.
Cost-Sharing Reductions is a subsidy to reduce an individual’s out-of-pocket costs (their copay’s, coinsurance, deductible and out-of-pocket maximum).

Important Information Regarding Premium Assistance and Tax Filing

All Covered CA consumers who receive Premium Assistance/APTC, must file federal taxes for each calendar year they receive the assistance. If they fail to file their taxes, they will lose their eligibility for Premium Assistance/APTC. The consumer will then be responsible for paying the full premium amount and will have a higher cost-sharing for health care services.

Warning Notices

Covered CA has mailed warning notices to those who are at risk of losing their Premium Assistance/APTC. These notices were sent to consumers who in 2017:

Received Premium Assistance/APTC in the calendar year but did not file a federal tax return for that year;
Filed a federal tax return but did not include IRS Form 8962; or
Requested an extension to file a federal tax return but did not end up filing the return.

Covered CA consumers who fall within any of these categories will have until May 15, 2019, to preserve their Premium Assistance/APTC by reconciling their premium assistance and contacting Covered California to attest to having done so.

If consumers fail to take these steps, they will receive another notice, in a pink envelope, that tells them when their financial assistance will end if no action is taken. Covered CA consumers who fail to take corrective action will lose their current financial help starting July 1, 2019.

I am an avid supporter of PRC. Here’s why.

Posted on March 29, 2019September 23, 2020 by Patricia Piper Bennett

As much as I can define myself as a happily married man, an engaged member of the San Francisco design community and an endlessly curious student of the human condition, I also would like to think that I am a responsible citizen of The City where I have lived for over 40 years.

Like many of us, I am seriously concerned about the problems that are facing our town right now. I believe that our city government is sincere in wrestling with these challenges but government can’t do it alone. Nor should they be expected to. That’s why I support PRC.

Starting with the AIDS crisis in the 1980’s, PRC learned that action is more important than words in making a difference in a person’s life. And in many cases, saving a person’s life. These were hard learned lessons but they did it with a no-nonsense approach tempered with compassion.

I love that they have now expanded that commitment to the issues of people who are also struggling with homelessness, addiction, mental illness, and having a healthy sense of their own self-worth. Regardless of how they define themselves. And PRC is doing this every day. They are not waiting for anyone’s permission or approval to do what they know has to be done. That is what makes real heroes and heroines.

I am thrilled that from their new Integrated Service Center, they will now serve our community with greater impact. I support PRC, and was happy to support them financially to underwrite the furnishings in this unique facility through their Chair the Love campaign. I invite everyone reading this to do the same. As responsible citizens we owe it to our City, ourselves and all those folks who need our help.

Tom DiRenzo

A&D Director, CRI

Latinx LGBTQ+ Mental Health

Posted on March 16, 2018September 23, 2020 by [email protected]

Each Mind Matters¹(EMM) recently collaborated with a group of LGBTQ+ community leaders and stakeholders to come together and create informational materials on mental health issues faced by Latinx LGBTQ+. The materials focus on three key segments: young adults, older adults, and providers working with Latinx youth.

Latinx LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health Provider Fact Sheet²

This fact sheet helps providers working with Latinx LGBTQ+ youth address the complex connections that can have an impact on a young person’s life, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, and immigration status. The fact sheet provides relevant resources and best practices within a culturally responsive framework.

EMM also created a fully bilingual in Spanish and English resource online, which covers key terms for providers working with Latinx LGBTQ+ youth, things to consider as mental health professionals serving Latinx LGBTQ+ immigrant youth, and seeking benefits. At this time there are no printed copies available; however, the pamphlet is available free to download³.

EMM website is a resource for mental health and LGBTQ+ topics:

Latinx LGBTQ+ Youth Handbook⁴
Be True and Be You: A Basic Mental Health Guide for LGBTQ+ Youth⁵ Discusses caring for mental health as an LGBTQ+ young adult including topics such as sexual orientation, gender identity, coming out, healthy relationships, common mental health challenges, and symptoms.
LGBT Mental Health and Aging Support Guide⁶ Provides information on mental health for older LGBTQ+ adults on topics such as considerations around caregiving, legal affairs, rejection, and discrimination.