Volunteers serve in various roles throughout the clinic and in the community. Our volunteer roles/tasks generally fall within two categories: In-Clinic and Outreach. When completing your volunteer application, please use this page as a reference and indicate which types of opportunities you are interested in.

In-Clinic Opportunities

In-Clinic Volunteers serve in specific areas within the clinic (waiting room, resource center) to assist staff and clients with a variety of projects and tasks. In-Clinic Volunteers typically serve for 4 hours at a time, anywhere from once per week to once per month. For example, a volunteer may serve every Wednesday afternoon from 1pm to 5pm.

In-Clinic Volunteer options may change as volunteers rotate or new projects are identified. Some of the volunteer roles include:

• Clinic Host – volunteers in this role will welcome clients in the waiting room, help new clients with computer-based surveys, and visit with clients and their guests (family members, partners, friends, etc.)
• Resource Center Host – volunteers in this role will be responsible for creating and maintaining a safe and educational environment for clients to learn new skills and complete projects.
• Birthday Callers – volunteers in this role will call patients to acknowledge their birthday on behalf of the 1917 Clinic. We Celebrate Birthdays!

Outreach Opportunities

Outreach volunteers represent the 1917 Clinic out in the community, whether that’s on the UAB Campus, at a church health fair, or at a substance use treatment facility. Outreach volunteers typically serve during scheduled outreach events, and may not have a set weekly or monthly schedule. You may staff a table to provide the community with general information about the 1917 Clinic and what we do. You may assist in delivering a presentation about HIV, or in staffing an HIV testing event. Whatever you do, it’s always a new and fun experience.

We will provide training on the basics of the 1917 Clinic, as well as the basics of HIV, to all volunteers interested in joining us during Outreach events. You’ll be accompanied by a staff member or intern your first few times in the field. As volunteers learn and display competency in speaking with the public on these topics, you may have the opportunity to serve without the guidance of a staff member/intern. Also, we may provide additional training on topics related to HIV, like sexual health, gender and sexuality, harm reduction, and stigma.

HIV Testing Opportunities

The 1917 Clinic conducts rapid HIV testing both in the clinic, and in the community. Sometimes, we set up inside another organizations facility to provide this service. Sometimes, we drive our own Mobile Testing vehicle and invite folks aboard for a free test. Wherever we are, we need trained test counselors to administer these tests and help people learn their status.

HIV Test Counselors are trained to provide HIV testing and counseling at community events using the INSTI HIV-1/HIV-2 Antibody Test and the OraQuick Advance Rapid Antibody Test under the supervision of 1917 Clinic staff. The training provides a comprehensive overview of administering the test, providing non-judgmental risk assessment and relevant counseling, HIV education, and practice skills. Following training, interested volunteers will be able to shadow experiences HIV Test Counselors during community events and will be individually assessed for competency.

HIV Test Counseling and Administration training can be completed individually or in a group setting, depending on the need. Please indicate your interest in HIV testing in your volunteer application and during your interview.

Research Opportunities

The 1917 Clinic maintains a close partnership with the Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic. The AVRC conducts research related to preventive and therapeutic vaccines and other prevention/treatment options. Their main focus is on HIV vaccines, but they participated in trials for the prevention and treatment of other infectious diseases as well, like the flu and most recently COVID-19.

There are two ways to get involved with the AVRC – as a Community Advisory Board member, or as a research participant.

The Community Advisory Board serves as a voice for the community, ensuring that HIV prevention and treatment studies are responsive to, and respectful of, the needs and concerns of the communities they recruit from. You can learn more about the CAB on their webpage: https://sites.uab.edu/avrc/community-advisory-board/

Interested in learning more about being a Research Participant? Check out their webpage: https://sites.uab.edu/avrc/get-involved/