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Project ReConnect Tool Kit

How to Get Started

Why Project ReConnect Is Important to Your Community

People living with HIV/AIDS are living longer as HIV/AIDS transitions to a chronic, but serious health condition. The needs of those living with HIV/AIDS are changing and the service system that supports them needs to change too. Implementing Project ReConnect can benefit your community in a number of ways.

Project ReConnect fosters:

• Connection with community. Assists HIV+ individuals in forging strong, sustaining relationships in the community.
• Consumer independence. Increases the independence of those living with HIV/AIDS through opportunities for employment, education, volunteering and other community involvement.
• Access to services. Leverages all existing resources and community services to support those with HIV/AIDS. Improves the use of non-HIV-specific services (such as mental health and substance abuse services) by HIV+ individuals.
• Consumer self-care. Improves the capacity for self-care and self-monitoring of HIV+ individuals.

The first component of a successful program is good leadership. For your Project ReConnect program, pull together a team of people who are passionate, organized and committed to the project. It is critical to include team members who have expertise in PR/marketing, evaluation, fund development, and someone connected with the service delivery system, such as the Department of Health Services. It is best to keep the size of the team limited to 7 to 10 people.

Getting Started

Allow yourself plenty of time (at least three months) to plan and prepare for the kickoff of your Project ReConnect. It is helpful to develop a task list, timeline and budget so the planning team has a clear understanding of their responsibilities and deadlines.

It is always good to start with the end in mind. Decide early on what your program goals are and then develop your objectives. Try to be as realistic as possible as you begin your goal setting. If you have a very limited PR/marketing budget and you are mostly relying on word-of-mouth and posters to advertise the program, this should be reflected in your plans.

Once the community and County or agency staff have done the preparation to launch Project ReConnect, the funding shifts can occur in stages. In Sonoma County, funding did not change for the first few years but all services were viewed through a reconnect lens. The Commission on AIDS Funding Allocation Working Group (FAWG) allocated a small amount of funding for Project ReConnect (for stipends for Project ReConnect Advocates) and then DHS staff began to seek private and government funding to expand the program and evaluate its efficacy.