University Of California San Francisco

Programs: The AIDS Health Project assists people with significant needs -- and few financial resources. Most AHP clients have very limited incomes: 75% are unemployed, 15% are homeless, and 28% earn no income or less than $600 a month.Each week, AHP offers at least 35 support groups ranging from general groups for people with HIV to groups expressly for younger people, or for African-American men. AHP implements HIV prevention and risk reduction strategies through its Risk Evaluation and Counseling for Health Program (REACH). AHP's AIDS and Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) provide services to HIV positive injection drug users. ASAP services include substance abuse counseling, harm reduction strategies, support groups, linkage to substance abuse treatment, and assistance in negotiating safer sex issues.AHP's HIV Counseling and Testing Program, (HCAT) has been providing free anonymous and confidential HIV testing and counseling since 1985. AHP developed San Francisco's first counseling and testing protocol and has been on the cutting edge since then, introducing new approaches and tests to improve the quality of information and support for people who test both positive and negative. AHP conducts nearly all of San Francisco's anonymous HIV testing and Rapid Testing.AHP also offers extensive mental health services. Since the beginning of the epidemic, AHP has pioneered efforts to address the myriad issues surrounding HIV and mental health, including neuropsychiatric and psychiatric conditions. These disorders create significant challenges not only for individuals dealing directly with a challenging mental health condition, but also for caregivers, staff at HIV residential facilities, home-based care providers, primary medical providers, and friends or family members. To respond to the increasing numbers of people with pre-existing mental health or substance abuse problems, AHP has strengthened its programs for psychiatric evaluation, consultation, treatment, and medication monitoring.Through our extensive publications and training programs AHP ensures that the lessons learned are shared. AHP trains more than 1,000 healthcare providers statewide each year on psychosocial issues relating to HIV education, counseling, and care.The effect of our training program is that people in rural and urban areas affected by HIV/AIDS throughout the state receive the most up-to-date information about current topics in HIV care, including: HIV drug treatments, substance use, counseling techniques, and drug adherence issues.