A Change for CHAP
When the Community Health Apprenticeship Program (CHAP) was launched in 2017, the need was clear: expand access to HIV testing to reduce new infections. Since then, medical advancements in prevention and treatment have helped drive infection rates down in Chicago. At the same time, the number of people living (and aging) with HIV has increased. By 2030, over 70% of people living with HIV will be over the age of 50. Many will experience chronic conditions earlier and more intensely than their peers, requiring coordinated care to avoid premature admission to nursing facilities.
Thankfully, the CHAP model is flexible, as evidenced through the pandemic with the shift to remote then hybrid learning. The apprenticeship has always centered lived experiences of participants, and now, by expanding the scope of the curriculum, we will better prepare participants for roles that support older adults living with HIV and other health challenges. This includes training in chronic disease management, aging-related support, and health system navigation.
To complement this shift, Chicago House is partnering with Malcolm X College, whose Community Health Worker (CHW) certification program offers a formal pathway into the healthcare workforce. Rather than duplicating efforts, CHAP will serve as an “on-ramp,” offering foundational training and wraparound support. Our participants often face structural barriers to employment and education, such as financial insecurity, past survival work, or limited exposure to professional environments. CHAP is designed to meet these evolving realities by offering a responsive learning experience that prepares participants to support aging populations with complex care needs.
In support of these efforts, we recently received funding from the Michael Reese Health Trust to evolve our CHAP model. With this critical investment, we are partnering with Sinai Urban Health Institute and Malcolm X to align our curriculum with Illinois’ CHW certification framework. This collaboration ensures CHAP participants gain industry-relevant competencies while also developing the confidence and professional readiness to succeed in a wide range of community-based health roles.
Chicago House is also investing internally by offering CHW certification opportunities to current case managers to deepen their skills and eventually support Medicaid billing. This step will strengthen our long-term sustainability and build capacity across the organization.
Today, the individuals we serve are the trailblazers who took experimental treatments without knowing the outlook, laying the foundation for us to change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic altogether. Their heroic resilience must be recognized and supported, so Chicago House is preparing a citywide workforce equipped to care for those aging with HIV. We owe that to the generation who made our survival possible.