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Center on Halsted provides comprehensive services for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). From rapid HIV testing to on-going support and education, our fully trained staff is available daily to provide free and confidential services and the most current and medically accurate information. All services are available in English and Spanish.
Se habla Español.
Questions about HIV / AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases? Looking for a place to get tested in your area?
Call our free and anonymous hotline to get the most up-to-date, medically-accurate information on AIDS/HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), emotional support, and state-wide referrals for healthcare, free or low cost testing and social services related to HIV / AIDS and STDs.
The State of Illinois AIDS/HIV & STD Hotline operates between 8am-10pm every day. English and Spanish speaking counselors are available. A program of Center on Halsted, the hotline is funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health and is run entirely by trained professionals who have undergone comprehensive instructional programs.
If you have a question, think you might have been exposed to HIV or an STD or are looking for a testing location near you, give us a call. It's completely anonymous. 1-800-243-2437.
Get Tested. Know your status in just 15 minutes.
We offer free and confidential rapid HIV testing every day from 8am-9pm. Rapid testing is a finger stick test that generates results in just 15 minutes. Additionally, our testing team provides clients with the most up-to-date, medically-accurate information, emotional support and referrals for healthcare and social services.
To schedule an appointment, call (773)661-0910. Appointments are preferred, but walk-in clients are welcome if open appointments are still available. If you are a walk-in client, you can check-in at the reception desk in the first-floor lobby for that day's availability.
For more information about our testing programs, please call (773)661-0910.
Are you looking to connect with others living with HIV or AIDS? Do you want to share your story in a safe and friendly environment? Center on Halsted offers three age-specific 10-week support groups. Registration is required ahead of time.
Pre-registration is required.
Email Gregory Gross or call 773-472-6469, ext. 478 to register or for more information.
OVAH! is a program designed to address significant gaps in substance abuse and HIV prevention services in Chicago. The word OVAH! is a common term used by Young Men who have sex with Men (YMSM) of Color (mostly black and Latino youth) and was developed within the "Ball Scene" to mean: wonderful, amazing, fabulous, fierce, something great. The Ball scene has, since the 1930's, been a gay subculture in many U.S. cities in the form of "families" that mobilize around competitive "balls" between house families. House mothers and fathers also offer mentorship and support to many youth ostracized by blood families on the basis of their sexual orientation. Because the population of focus uses this word frequently, OVAH! was chosen as the name of the project.
The intervention, which is a collaboration with Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), addresses the needs of young African-American MSM ages 18-24 including, though not limited to, members of the "ball scene". Most national interventions deal with either HIV prevention or substance use, not both at the same time. The OVAH! intervention addresses both of these issues and their relationship to each other. OVAH! also encourages reflective dialogue on other life issues like employment, education, and mental and spiritual wellness, in order to promote holistic support. OVAH! is a dynamic program, the first of its kind, that helps young men in our community develop skills needed to live healthier lives.
We are working to reduce the rate of HIV transmission and infection in the Chicago African-American and Latino communities with a focus on individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 years. This mission is in line with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. To accomplish this mission, Youth Empowerment partners with other established HIV service and community based organizations in outreach, HIV status awareness and prevention to create a community of friendship and empowerment. Our efforts are made possible with new funding from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The project employs social action programs endorsed by the CDC including Mpowerment, a national youth group centered program; CLEAR, which is an individualized life enhancing program; and, both Counseling Testing and Referral (CTR) and Personalized Positive Counseling (PPC) for awareness testing and prevention education.
Partnership with other Chicago service organizations is principal to Youth Empowerment Project success. Center on Halsted will partner with three local organizations: Chicago House Social Services Agency, which provides housing and supportive services for HIV-affected and at-risk individuals and families; Affinity Community Services, which is a social justice organization that works with and on behalf of Black LGBTQ communities; and, the Chicago Gay Black Men's Caucus, which works to reduce new HIV infections and bridge gaps across the Black MSM community via outreach, programs and more.
If you have any questions regarding the Youth Empowerment project and our mission, please send a message to Youthempowerment@centeronhalsted.org.
Research shows that HIV status awareness and high quality counseling services provided as a part of a HIV testing program are effective in reducing HIV infection rates. All Youth Empowerment health educators and testing staff receive Illinois Department of Public Health and CDC endorsed training in the areas of Counseling Testing and Referral and Personalized Positive Counseling. This combination of counseling approaches helps identify risk behaviors and circumstances, identify safer goal behaviors to reduce risks, and provide necessary linkage to care and other resources.
The Mpowerment program is a nationally-recognized, youth based program shown to reduce the rate of HIV infection and transmission by directly addressing the needs of young men ages 18-24. Studies show that most young African-American and Latino men do not actively seek out AIDs education on their own. In order to overcome this challenge, Mpowerment focuses on building a corps of young community leaders called "The Core Group" who then mobilize other young men to support, educate and foster an environment of safety, health and life within the community. Mpowerment is an uplifting, interactive social outreach program shaped by young men to support their peers.
CLEAR: Choose Life, Empowerment, Action, and Results is administered in partnership with Chicago House as program for individuals 18 and above living with HIV/AIDS or at high-risk for HIV infection. Through the core elements, participants develop skills that promote a sense of control over emotions, thoughts and actions in order to create behavior change in everyday life. Participants receive help in establishing and realizing risk reduction goals and other aspirations important to a healthy and ideal life. Attendance in regularly scheduled counseling sessions is required. These include 5 "Core Skill" sessions and additional sessions based on the action plan of each individual client occurring on site or at the participant's home.
To get the most up-to-date information and referrals, we suggest calling our free and confidential hotline at 1-800-AID-AIDS / 1-800-243-2437. Click here to access our
referral database to find service organizations in your area. (This page currently located on our old website. Please be aware that links no longer work on this site. We appreciate your understanding in our transitional period. This is a useful tool for individuals who aren't comfortable or able to speak over the phone or for other service providers looking for additional resources in the community.
Additional Resources
For the State of Illinois AIDS/HIV & STD Hotline call 1.800.AID.AIDS (1.800.243.2437).
For the HIV Testing & Prevention Program or to set an appointment, call (773)661-0910.
(TTY/TDD) 773.472.1277.
NEXT: MENTAL HEALTH
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| Copyright © Center on Halsted | 3656 N. Halsted Street | Chicago, IL 60613 | 773.472.6469 |
