Larkin Street Youth Services: Assisted Care / After Care

“Larkin Street is the closest thing I have to a family. Assisted Care has helped me stay alive and recognize my potential.”

Jarod, Assisted Care resident

Assisted Care / After Care

Young people on the street are extremely susceptible to HIV infection, and those who are HIV-positive require specialized care so they can leave the streets and regain hope for the future. To meet the unique needs of these young people, Larkin Street offers comprehensive housing and medical care, in addition to our agency-wide HIV prevention outreach and education services.

For HIV-positive youth who need extra attention and medical treatment, Larkin Street operates the Assisted Care Program. The program houses up to twelve HIV-positive youth at a time, providing those who require special assistance in their everyday lives with safe, stable housing supplemented with a spectrum of health care and social services. The treatment philosophy promotes strong peer support, structured activities, on-site supervision, counseling and medical services in a relaxed setting.

On the first floor of the three-story facility, an HIV Specialty Clinic provides primary health care. In addition to medical care, residents have access to trained case managers and counselors who assess for mental health or substance abuse treatment issues and link them with psychiatric care as needed.

Resodents take an active role in the Assisted Care Program. Weekly meetings build community and give those living in the program a voice in how their home is run. Ongoing life skills workshops help them build practical and interpersonal skills to support independent living. They share a large communal area, kitchen, dining facilities, and a living and recreation room.

The services offered at the Assisted Care Program allow youth to reclaim the control they often feel was lost when they became HIV-positive. More importantly, the community they form at Larkin Street gives them back the hope that faltered when they lived on the streets.

The Assisted Care facility was the first residential facility for HIV positive youth in the nation.

Assisted Care residents visit farmer’s markets to learn about nutrition, express themselves through art activities, and learn ways to take care of their whole being.

24-hour care and medical support is available for all Assisted Care clients.

Assisted Care houses approximately 40 – 45 HIV-positive youth annually.

For HIV-positive youth who lack stable housing but possess the health and life skills to live independently in the community, Larkin Street offers the Aftercare Program. Aftercare complements medical services provided at the Clinic with rental subsidies for housing in the community. Aftercare participants also access case management and the full array Larkin Street’s other support services, including education and employment. The Aftercare program promotes self-sufficiency and self-esteem by enabling young people to maintain privacy and independence, while ensuring a consistent link to Larkin Street’s HIV services.

Each year, Aftercare provides rental subsidies to house 40 – 50 HIV-positive youth in the community

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