In 2018, End Hep C SF called for local community-based organizations (CBOs) to apply for funds to pilot a Community Navigator program where people with “lived experience” act as advocates for individuals living with or at risk for hepatitis C (HCV), receiving continued training and community building check-ins. Three agencies – St. James Infirmary, Glide, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation – were each granted $20K for an initial 6-month cohort. Grantees use funds to support programming, including providing financial incentives to navigators for their work. Now, in 2022, the program is in its fifth cohort, with a fourth grantee – San Francisco Community Health Center – after a hiatus of programming in 2020 and early 2022 due to COVID-19.
Many participants are able to testify to their experiences with receiving treatment to cure HCV, current or past substance use–particularly injection drug use, and/or facing housing instability or homelessness. This program keeps participants engaged and inspired, and affords a way to tap into their networks of people who still need support.