Picture 1: Painting of Belle Reve by resident, James Mission: The mission of Belle Reve New Orleans is to provide permanent and transitional housing along with full support services to adults and families living with AIDS or HIV-related infections. Concern for quality of life and equal availability of services are the founding principles of the agency. Therefore, service delivery will not be influenced by race, gender, religion, age, or sexual orientation. History: Serving the population of the Greater New Orleans area, Belle Reve is the first facility of its type to be licensed in the State of Louisiana, and remains one of only a handful of licensed assisted living facilities for persons with AIDS in the State. Belle Reve has consistently received superior ratings from its monitoring agencies, and has been honored with a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Service from the City of New Orleans and a special commendation from the United States Department of State for serving as a model for visiting Russian and African HIV/AIDS research groups. Additionally, in the summer of 2003, the Forum for Equality honored our Executive Director, Vicki Weeks, with an Acclaim Award for her work in the HIV/AIDS community. Belle Reve has won corporate sponsorships from M·A·C Cosmetics, Harrah’s New Orleans, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, BellSouth, Wal-Mart, the Almar Foundation, and other corporations and foundations. Chartered in September of 1992, Belle Reve is a private, nonprofit corporation with a 501(c)3 status, and is located in the Bywater area of New Orleans. Since Belle Reve opened its doors in April of 1993, it has provided a home and full support services for low-income adults and families whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS. As community service needs increased, Belle Reve responded by opening a second adjacent house, Belle Esprit. Besides additional housing units, we now offer transitional housing for individuals who are able to return to independent living; a Community Outreach program for those awaiting admittance or needing community support; and an empowering, individual-based substance abuse program, Recovery Readiness. Without Belle Reve, our residents and clients would not receive the vital care needed during the various stages of HIV/AIDS. Most would live with declining health in substandard housing; others would be left homeless.

Picture 2: Front of Belle Reve Purpose: The number of HIV/AIDS-positive individuals and families with substandard housing is on the rise in the Greater New Orleans area. According to the CDC, as of 2002, New Orleans ranked seventh out of 104 metropolitan areas in the nation for AIDS case rates, a dramatic rise from the ranking of nineteenth in 2001. Additionally, Louisiana, as a state that is not very populated, had the tenth highest number of AIDS cases in the nation, as reported in 2002. As an assisted living facility for indigent persons who are living with HIV/AIDS, Belle Reve strives to provide total care to individuals and families who are at varying stages of mental and physical health. For some of our residents, Belle Reve is a temporary shelter, helping them to transition from an extended hospital stay to a return to independent living. For others, Belle Reve will serve as permanent housing and continued assistance. Other individuals live at Belle Reve while receiving outside hospice care in the most comfortable environment possible. We provide our residents with Twenty-four-hour personal care, provided by Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) Three meals per day Medication monitoring, including ordering medications and medication adherence counseling On-site Case Management and Mental Health Counseling by licensed social workers Transportation to necessary appointments Connection to healthcare and related services Outpatient substance abuse counseling (Recovery Readiness Program) Assistance in all Activities of Daily Living Other individually catered services offered to residents as needed We are dedicated to the principles of self-respect and dignity for all, and are committed to providing the most independent lifestyle possible to each of our residents, based on his or her abilities. Belle Reve provides a necessary housing and assistance service, removing as many as possible AIDS-infected, socially isolated persons and families from substandard situations, and providing these individuals with a suitable living situation and a professional standard of care. As Belle Reve strives to give each individual privacy, dignity, and independence to the greatest extent possible, each room is equipped with its own in-room direct dial telephone line and hook up to cable television. (In-room cable access requires resident to pay a small fee.) Residents appreciate being able to take and make personal calls in their own rooms in privacy.

Future Plans: As one of the few licensed facilities for persons and families living with AIDS in the area, Belle Reve strives to stay current with all programs, standards, and trends followed by other local and national assisted living facilities. Recently year, Belle Reve received Federal Funding to add four more bedroom units and two additional apartments for families. This expansion of our facilities will allow us to offer rooms and services to additional clients who remain on our waiting list. (See the Advocacy section to find out more about the problems that Belle Reve must overcome prior to implementation of construction plans.) Belle Reve is also attempting to find new ways to help capable residents return to the job market. Some residents, while living at Belle Reve, experience a period of recovery, during which they are able to seek out part-time employment. Belle Reve has been searching for a way to implement a partially resident-run business to provide job training for residents and to generate income for Belle Reve.

Community Served: Belle Reve serves the low-income/indigent/homeless HIV/AIDS community of the Greater New Orleans area, including Orleans and the seven surrounding parishes. At any given time, we have up to seventeen residents in our two houses, and with our expansion, we would be able to accommodate twenty-eight residents—including permanent and transitional individuals, couples, and families with children. Belle Reve’s residents are representative of all races, ethnicities, genders, and ages, as the disease does not discriminate according to these factors. Due to the nature of HIV/AIDS, the extensive medications involved, and the circumstances from which our residents come, Belle Reve accommodates those with varying physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. When choosing a client to fill an opening at Belle Reve, only those demonstrating the greatest need can be accommodated. Need is determined by deteriorating physical condition, mental disorders, homelessness, lack of financial resources, and lack of support systems. Therefore, by definition, Belle Reve accepts those with low income, physical and mental handicaps, and often substance abuse issues. To accommodate the varying needs of our residents, Belle Reve provides on-site group and individual substance abuse counseling (Recovery Readiness Program), one-on-one and group Mental Health Counseling with Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Master’s Level social workers, medication monitoring, handicap accessibility, and all needed assistance with Activities of Daily Living conducted by Personal Care Attendants (PCAs).

Picture 3: Belle Esprit Organizational Structure: Belle Reve has a Board of Directors with thirteen members ( one is a member in emeritus and two are board interns), including a president, a secretary, and a treasurer. Our Executive Director, Vicki Weeks, implements plans approved by the Board and is responsible for direction and vision. Our Development Director, Kay Butler, recruits volunteers, creates volunteer programs, organizes fundraising efforts, seeks out community funding, and oversees all aspects of resident job training. Our Program Director, Pam Smith L.S.C.W., oversees all resident operations and programming, Case Management issues, and Social Work Interns. Recovery Readiness Coordinator, Kim Marshall, M.S.W., oversees substance abuse (Recovery Readiness Program). Additionally, our Resource Liaison, Dara Fox, seeks out funding from governmental, business, corporate, and individual sources. Program Coordinator, Jared Lusher, oversees all administrative aspects of Belle Reve’s operations. Our Property Manager manages the property in regards to the maintenance and repair of all building systems. Our Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Supervisor, Sofia Hyde, oversees all aspects of direct care assistance and all full-time and part-time PCAs. Our Volunteers, come from the community and from visiting college and religion-based groups from around the country. These individuals and groups perform varying tasks from maintenance to office work to serving as resident companions. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, dedicated to serving the low-income, needy HIV/AIDS community.

Collaborations: Belle Reve has formalized letters of agreement with several related local agencies. Belle Reve is part of a network of interrelated services in the New Orleans area that work together and through referrals to meet the needs of the low-income HIV/AIDS population at various stages of ill-health, economic instability, homelessness, joblessness, etc. Agencies in collaboration with Belle Reve through Statements of Collaboration/Letters of Support include the following. NO/AIDS Task Force —providing case management, counseling, and outreach; Unity for the Homeless —providing referrals to our substance abuse program and housing case management; Great Expectations—providing services for women and families with HIV/AIDS; Odyssey House—providing residential substance abuse treatment for women and their children; Brotherhood, Inc.—providing psycho-educational groups and substance abuse counseling, as well as housing for males and females; United Services for AIDS Foundation—providing funding for transitional and emergency assistance to persons and families with HIV/AIDS; Senior Companion Program—providing senior volunteers to work as companions to persons with disabilities; Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority (JPHSA) —providing emergency assistance, transitional housing for persons with substance abuse disorders and/or mental illness, mental health counseling, and transportation services; AIDSLaw of Louisiana —providing legal advice to people in the HIV/AIDS community; Project Lazarus—providing housing services, intensive nursing assistance, and respite care; N’R Peace—providing a comprehensive program of quality healthcare through prevention and a holistic approach to care; Children’s Hospital FACES —providing pediatric case management and support groups and case management for women; Mumfrey’s Pharmacy—providing pharmaceutical services and free delivery of meals; EXCELth, Inc.—providing primary medical care; and Volunteers of America —providing job training and placement, case management, and housing assistance; Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA), providing substance abuse treatment; Women in Community Services—providing life skills training and substance alcohol abuse treatment; and Project New Hope —providing substance abuse treatment.

The above institutions work in collaboration to provide smooth transitions and complete services to low-income persons with HIV/AIDS. Belle Reve functions as an integral part of the treatment and care of this community by providing transitional and permanent housing in an assisted living facility; accepting men, women, and women with children; providing an in-house substance abuse program; and providing an environment that is committed to personal dignity and freedom. The above institutions refer clients who are in need of long-term or transitional housing in an assisted living situation to Belle Reve. Belle Reve, in turn, refers clients to the above institutions as needed. Belle Reve New Orleans is a part of the continuum of quality care administered to this population.

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