Transportation Services
Program Description
Lack of transportation imposes a significant barrier to service access for people living with HIV and AIDS. Taking multiple buses and subways to access care can negatively impact the overall health of an individual. For individuals living in rural areas, lack of public transportation often reduces options for health care and social services. Many HIV positive individuals do not have the financial means to cover the cost of transportation to access critically needed services.
In response to these needs, the AIDS Institute Transportation Initiative provides resources to support the arrangement and provision of transportation services to assist individuals:
- living with HIV and AIDS in accessing necessary and appropriate health and supportive services; and
- whose behavior places them at high risk for HIV infection, to receive HIV counseling and testing.
Transportation services include car, taxi, or bus service; subway token disbursement; ticket reimbursement; van or ambulette transport; and car mileage reimbursement.
In addition to the Transportation Initiative, many community-based agencies have included a transportation component in their overall service delivery plan to provide access to services on- or off site. These services include conveyance to sites that offer HIV-related services. They do not provide emergency (ambulance) transportation nor replace Medicaid transport. All transportation services maintain client confidentiality and enable clients to be transported safely, in comfort and with reasonable waiting and travel times.
Funding
This initiative includes six contractors supported by approximately $650,000 in combined State and federal funds.
Contact:
Bureau of Community Based Services
Division of HIV Prevention
(518) 486-1412