What do we do?
Le Cercle Orange supports people living with HIV who do not have access to health care and who reside in the greater Montreal area, or in the cities of Quebec or Gatineau.
Le Cercle Orange connects participants with medical, legal and community resources, and provides access to free medication and immigration support.
Le Cercle Orange takes the time necessary to refer participants to resources adapted to their situation.
Le Cercle Orange is free of charge.
How do we work?
Outreach
First, contact our team here.
Initial assessment
We will contact you for a short interview to chat about your situation, assess your needs, and determine which resources you require.
Referral & follow ups
We will refer you to medical, legal, and community resources as needed, all free of charge. We will then get in touch with you every 2-3 months to ensure you are able to access these resources and to ensure ongoing care.
Medical
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We work with several clinics and hospitals to ensure participants have access to a primary healthcare provider
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Participants are given access to free ongoing HIV treatment through pharmaceutical companies’ patient access programs
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In certain cases, participants have access to free blood work and routine tests
Community
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Le Cercle Orange refers participants to AIDS Service Organizations
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We also work with community organizations supporting various populations such as drug users, street-involved people, trans folks, and sex workers
Legal
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Legal information related to HIV non-disclosure, immigration, and advocacy is available
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Participants can also be referred to specialized, cost-free legal support services to assist with immigration or health related concerns
How do our partnerships work?
Outreach & initial assessment
First, participants contact our team, which assesses their situation, needs, and determines which resources are required.
Referral & follow ups
We then refer each participant to medical, legal, and community resources that are most suited to their needs and situation.
We follow up with participants to ensure they are able to access services on an ongoing basis, and assess each participant’s access to treatment, other resources, and overall well-being as they move through the project.
Medical Partnership
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We work with family doctors specialized in HIV, and more generally with clinics and hospitals to ensure participants have access to a primary healthcare provider
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We also facilitate access to free ongoing HIV treatment through pharmaceutical companies’ patient access programs
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In certain cases, our partnerships allow us to provide participants with access to free blood work and routine tests
Legal Partnership
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We partner with legal organizations to provide access to specialized, cost-free legal support services. These organizations assist our participants with immigration or health related concerns
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We also refer participants to organizations that can provide information and guidance related to HIV non-disclosure in Quebec and Canada
Community Partnership
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Le Cercle Orange partners with many AIDS Service Organizations which provide community resources, food security programs, social activities, peer support, and many other services
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We also work with community organizations which support specific populations such as drug users, street-involved people, trans folks, and sex workers
We are currently in the process of formalizing partnerships with several more community organizations, medical clinics, hospitals, and legal services.
Please contact us here if you would like to contribute to le Cercle Orange.
Why create Le Cercle Orange?
Hundreds of people living with HIV do not have access to a RAMQ card. This group can include immigrants without status, transient folks without documentation, international students, and temporary workers.
It is often impossible for individuals in these groups to enter the healthcare system or pay for essential services. Resources for this population exist but have been limited, disconnected, and difficult to navigate.
Le Cercle Orange responds to the needs of this population by assembling existing resources to create a sustainable network of care and support, and by guiding participants towards appropriate services within the network.
How it works
Le Cercle Orange supports participants in three ways:
1
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by creating and streamlining one network of support comprised
of existing services;
by referring individuals to services through the network; and,
by providing regular follow-up for long-term care.
The project was officially launched in early 2020, in Montreal, thanks to support from ViiV Healthcare. The project is under the aegis of COCQ-SIDA. Services are offered in Quebec City by MIELS-Québec, in Gatineau by BRAS Outaouais and in Montreal by COCQ-SIDA. The three of them proudly support many people living with HIV.
Le Cercle Orange promotes “95-95-95” UNAIDS targets.
COLLABORATORS
Our valued partnerships enable us to continue referring people to receive ongoing care.
Please contact us if you or someone you know could benefit from our support, or if you would like to contribute to Le Cercle Orange.
Our team
Ken Monteith - Executive Director, COCQ-SIDA
Ken oversees the Cercle Orange as Executive Director of the Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA). He manages the budget, human resources and deployment of the Cercle Orange across Quebec.
Trained in law, Ken has been working in the field of HIV since 1999. He was Executive Director of À deux mains / Head & Hands from 1994 to 1999, of AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM) from 1999 to 2008, and has been Executive Director of COCQ-SIDA since 2008.
As an HIV-positive person, Ken remains committed to fighting for the rights and access to care of all people living with HIV.
Contact Us
Montréal: info@cercleorange.ca
Québec : quebec@cercleorange.ca
Service provided by MIELS-Québec
Gatineau : gatineau@cercleorange.ca
Service provided by BRAS Outaouais
