Mission

The purposes of this peer project are to promote effective recovery from substance use disorders and prevent relapse among HIV-positive persons throughout 27 counties of western Kentucky and 17 counties of southern Illinois. The facilitating organization provides primary care and outreach, prevention, and social support services for persons living with HIV infection.

Buddy System Peer Mentoring

Peers needing services are paired with peer mentors in a “buddy system.” Because service recipients are dispersed sparsely throughout a 250-square-mile rural area and many do not have cars, much of the mentoring takes place in telephone conversations. The project gives peers prepaid cell phones programmed for up to 300 minutes a month, enabling them to be in frequent contact with the peer leader who is mentoring them.

Life Skills Support Groups

Peer leaders are paired with staff to lead support groups aimed at helping peers develop life skills in areas such as relationships, anger management, and healthy living. Peers lead the sessions, but a staff member also is available to handle the complex emotional and medical issues that may come up in people dealing with both HIV infection and substance use disorder.

Peer Outreach

Peer leaders perform critical, life-saving tasks by engaging and supporting new peer service recipients in various locations in the Kentucky-Illinois service area. Peer leaders are supported with travel vouchers, training, and the availability of project staff.

Education-Socialization Events

Because of what project leaders term “extreme isolation” and a “desperate need” for socialization activities among recovering people in rural western Kentucky and southern Illinois, an important peer service offered by Heartland CARES combines education and socialization opportunities. Classes are led by peers on topics related to wellness, and are followed by outdoor social activities such as picnics in the summer and indoor activities such as games during the winter. Peer supportive educational and social activities have recently been increased and extended to three new locations: Marion, Illinois and Hopkinsville and Paducah, Kentucky.