GMHC Mission GMHC fights to end the AIDS epidemic and uplift the

GMHC Mission
GMHC fights to end the AIDS epidemic
and uplift the lives of all affected.
GMHC is a not-for-profit, data-driven, volunteersupported and community-based organization
committed to national leadership in the fight against
AIDS. We provide HIV prevention and coordinated
care services to men, women and families living with,
or affected by, HIV/AIDS in New York City.
We advocate for scientific, evidence-based public
health solutions for hundreds of thousands of
people worldwide.
For more information, call the Hotline or visit gmhc.org.
Gay Men’s Health Crisis
446 West 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001-2601
GMHC Center for HIV Prevention
224 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001-5204
HIV/AIDS Hotline
1-800-243-7692
[email protected]
gmhc.org
© 2013 Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Inc.
Comprehensive
HIV services
GMHC provides a full complement of services to pe
HIV and STI testing, coordinating medical car
housing, mental health and substance use
and workforce train
HIV and STI Testing
Knowing one’s status is an integral step in HIV prevention.
At the David Geffen Center for HIV Prevention and
Health Education, GMHC provides free and confidential
HIV testing in a sex-positive, supportive, and non-judgmental
manner. We also provide free, confidential syphilis, chlamydia
and gonorrhea testing to at-risk populations. In addition to
HIV and STI (sexually transmitted infections) counseling
and testing, GMHC provides immediate connection to care,
medical support and prevention services for individuals testing
HIV positive and HIV negative. Our HIV Testing Center is
centrally located at the GMHC Center for HIV Prevention,
at 224 West 29th Street.
New Client Intake
Client intake is often the starting point for many of our
clients and provides a comprehensive, holistic, intake and
assessment. This enables us to work with the client to identify
unmet needs and make appropriate referrals. Clients are
seen on a first-come first-served basis on Monday (11 am to
3:30 pm), Tuesday (10 am to 1 pm), Wednesday (4 pm to 5:30 pm)
and Thursday (10 am to 12 pm). We also provide appointments
during these times.
eople living with, or affected by, HIV and AIDS —
re, assistance in navigating benefits, linkages to
counseling, a meals program, food pantry,
ning and placement.
Meals Program and Food Pantry
The Meals Program provides 300 to 400 hot, nutritious meals
fresh each day in the Peter Krueger Dining Room to enrolled
HIV-positive clients. In 2012, more than 92,000 meals were
served. The menu is prepared by a chef in consultation with
HIV nutrition specialists. GMHC serves lunch Monday
through Thursday, and dinner on Friday. The Keith Haring
Food Pantry Program provides a “client choice” model
of pantry-bag service to HIV-positive clients and their
dependents, with food that is healthful, inexpensive and
available in most neighborhood grocery stores, making the
service easy to replicate for people living on a fixed income.
Nutrition Education
Certified registered dieticians offer one-on-one counseling
for clients who are interested in improving their health and
quality of life through proper diet and nutrition. In addition,
the dieticians provide group nutrition education and cooking
workshops to teach participants how to prepare healthful,
inexpensive meals for themselves and family, using the tools
and cooking facilities that may be available in their homes.
Wellness Services
Utilizing a holistic approach to client wellness, The Wellness
Center offers a wide variety of volunteer-led free therapies and
services, which give HIV-positive clients access to activities
that may be otherwise unobtainable for those with financial
limitations. Services offered include various styles of yoga,
massage therapy, exercise classes, ear-point acupuncture, painting
and sculpture classes, scholarships for non-credited adult
education courses at area colleges, free theater, movie and sports
activity tickets, a lending library, free haircuts, and special events.
Coordinated Care / Health Homes
Health Homes, in partnership with our Targeted Case
Management services, provides assistance for clients who may
need help in an array of areas: housing, medical care, health
insurance, entitlements, food, substance use, dental services,
mental health, job training, support groups and treatment
education. We help people living with HIV, AIDS and other
chronic illnesses become stable and self-sufficient. These
interventions are critical steps for many of our HIV-positive
clients and require extensive involvement and care.
Mental Health and Substance Use Counseling
GMHC has a variety of credentialed practitioners who
specialize in working with people living with HIV and highrisk populations. We offer mental health and substance use
counseling services for individuals, couples, and families.
We also offer support groups focused on bereavement,
dating/mating/relating, being young and HIV positive, and
developing/maintaining healthy relationships, and groups for
those who are newly diagnosed and long-term survivors.
Men’s HIV Prevention
GMHC offers an array of HIV prevention services for men,
including Outstanding Beautiful Brothers (OBB), modeled
on fraternities and focused on reducing the risk of HIV
transmission and improving the overall health of those
who are HIV positive. We also offer art therapy groups,
mental health and substance abuse counseling focused on
risk reduction, and a six-week intervention called Brothers
Keeping Brothers Safe. Many Men Many Voices is a shortterm intervention with “real talk” about how to create a
healthier sex life.
Women’s HIV Prevention
GMHC provides specialized prevention services for women
of color with an aim of reducing the transmission of HIV and
improving the overall health of those infected. We offer oneon-one counseling for substance use issues and risk reduction;
eight- and ten-week workshops on HIV prevention and
safer sex, parenting, holistic health, and other issues
faced by women; and HIV prevention, educational and
empowerment groups.
Youth Services
GMHC’s drop-in center for youths ages 13 to 19 offers
workshops on health, HIV prevention, managing finances,
and job interview skills. We offer an on-site computer lab,
HIV and STI testing, and opportunities to help develop social
marketing campaigns. The space can be used for social events
and unstructured activities with the support of program staff.
Legal Services
The Legal Department offers advice and representation for
clients, and helps with HIV-related discrimination in the
workplace and elsewhere, bankruptcy and debtor-creditor
issues; landlord-tenant issues, social security applications
and appeals, family law, breaches of HIV confidentiality,
permanency planning, health care proxies and other advance
directives, wills, as well as immigration matters.
Advocacy and Benefits
Our trained advocates help clients with Social Security
applications and appeals, accessing entitlements, disability
benefits and health insurance.
Workforce Development
The MATCH (Moving Ahead Toward Career Horizons)
Program provides a diverse range of job readiness,
job placement and support services to registered
HIV-positive participants interested in obtaining
employment. Workforce Development services include
vocational counseling, job training, skills-based training,
job placement and retention services. Also available are
pre- and post-placement support services, career counseling,
life coaching, and job retention and growth strategies. In
addition, the MATCH program provides GED and college
preparation classes for both HIV-positive and high-risk
HIV-negative participants.
Client Financial Services
The Client Financial Services Unit is composed of two parts:
The Representative Payee Program manages the monthly
income of individuals who have been determined to be unable
to manage their funds. As an example, the Representative
Payee Program ensures that the monthly rent is paid for
the participant. The Sustainable Living Fund (SLF) helps
clients who do not qualify for HASA (HIV/AIDS Services
Administration) secure and maintain stable housing by
providing them with monthly rental assistance.
Public Policy
The Public Policy team advocates for fair and effective
HIV/AIDS policies at all levels of government — city, state
and federal. It organizes and empowers GMHC clients and
allies to advocate for expanded HIV prevention and care
services. It leads efforts to implement the National HIV/AIDS
Strategy and the Affordable Care Act. The Public Policy team
produces two quarterly publications, Achieve and Treatment
Issues, as well as comprehensive reports on key issues affecting
people living with HIV, including HIV and aging, and prison
health reform.
Action Center
GMHC’s advocacy model includes a client-led empowerment
program, the Action Center, where clients meet to identify
priority policy issues and then are trained to advocate for
those issues. Key activities include meetings with political
leaders, press conferences, demonstrations, and rallies.
Latex Ball
Starting with the creation of the House of Latex in 1990,
GMHC has annually produced the Latex Ball, the leading
house and ballroom HIV/AIDS community intervention in
the nation. The ball reaches thousands of primarily LGBT
youth and adults of color, and features competitions in dance,
vogueing, fashion, and modeling. HIV testing, prevention,
and sexual health materials are also provided by GMHC and
other community-based organizations.
HIV/AIDS Hotline
The Hotline provides a safe space to discuss a wide range of
concerns. Our trained volunteers provide emotional support
with compassion and without judgment. The Hotline also
provides information about our services, links callers to
assistance, and provides information on and resources for HIV
and STI testing, health, benefits, HIV, STIs, hepatitis, and
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). The telephone number is
1-800-243-7692 and is open Monday and Friday 2 pm to 6 pm
and Wednesday 10 am to 2 pm.
Social Marketing
GMHC is well known, nationally and internationally, for our
social marketing campaigns. From “I Love My Boo” to “First
Ladies Care,” from “Kiss & Tell” to “My Son Is My Life,”
staff, working in partnership with clients and members of our
target communities, develops social marketing campaigns that
increase HIV awareness and prevention and reduce stigma.
Volunteer Center
The Volunteer Center provides volunteer services for all
departments at GMHC. The Center recruits and interviews
potential volunteers, offers trainings and provides ongoing
support. The Center coordinates group volunteer activities
with high schools, colleges and corporations from around
the country through Alternative Student Break, Corporate
and Community Days of Service. New volunteers, both
individuals and groups, are always needed and welcome.
Consumer Advisory Board (CAB)
The Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) advocates for the
clients of GMHC. The CAB is made up of GMHC clients,
staff, volunteers and community partners providing input
to GMHC on the agency’s programs and services.
For more information on GMHC and our programs, please
visit gmhc.org. You can also “like” us on Facebook and
follow us on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. For more
information, call (212) 367-1000 or email [email protected].
*GMHC clients, July 2011 to June 2012