The UCSF Alliance Health Project (AHP), formerly the AIDS Health Project, is a 501(c)(3)

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that provides

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

and wellness services for the

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

and

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

communities in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. It is part of the

University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It co ...

Department of Psychiatry. In addition to direct service to individuals, it also undertakes HIV prevention and LGBTQ mental health research and educates mental health and health care providers about best practices. AHP describes its mission as, "to support the mental health and wellness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities in constructing healthy and meaningful lives." It has 100 part and full-time staff and serves more than 6500 clients each year. Its budget is approximately $7 million per year. As a program of the University of California, AHP's governing board is the Regents, but for 22 years, AHP has constituted a Community Advisory Board, which meets monthly to advise the AHP Executive Committee on community needs and program development.

History

In 1984, a group of mental health providers, including current Executive Director James Dilley, founded the AIDS Health Project at San Francisco General Hospital. At that time, AHP focused on mental health support for people living with AIDS and prevention counseling for gay men. In 1985, after the HIV antibody test became available, AHP developed and implemented a pre- and post-test counseling protocol, which became a model for HIV testing in the United States and internationally. AHP's was the world's first high volume HIV counseling and testing program. It also pioneered mobile HIV testing and in June 2013 expanded its reach with a dedicated mobile testing van. Since then, AHP's work has grown to include a large range of mental health crisis services, support groups, therapeutic programs, and substance abuse counseling. After New Leaf, San Francisco's LGBT mental health clinic, closed, AHP expanded its mission to provide non-HIV, as well as HIV-related, mental health and wellness services for the entire LGBTQ community. In September 2010, the organization changed its name to Alliance Health Project to reflect this broadening of the organization's focus. In 2012, Dilley was awarded the Levi Strauss & Co. Pioneer Award for his work with AHP. He also received the UCSF Chancellor's Award for Public Service in 2013 and was named as the 2016 recipient of the

American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 37,000 members are invol ...

's Adolf Meyer Award.

Programs

The Alliance Health Project currently offers these programs: HIV counseling and testing; crisis and triage services; substance abuse counseling and case management services; psychosocial support and prevention services; and psychiatry and medication management. AHP is the primary trainer of HIV test counselors in programs funded by the California Department of Public Health. AHP also conducts original research, offers trainings for HIV providers, and publishes a national newsletter for HIV test counselors, Perspectives. AHP's Research Program developed one of the most widely implemented evidence-based interventions, designated a high-impact prevention (HIP) intervention by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The intervention, Personalized Cognitive Counseling, is one of only two CDC-approved single-session HIV prevention counseling intervention.

Publications

AHP has produced more than 20 books and newsletters on psychosocial and counseling issues relevant to the LGBTQ and HIV communities. The following are some of AHP's publications: * ''PERSPECTIVES – the first national newsletter for HIV test counselors'' (1991 – present) * ''FOCUS: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling'' – the longest running HIV-related mental health publication (1985 – 2010) * Five-volume ''UCSF AIDS Health Project Monograph Series'' * ''The UCSF AIDS Health Project Guide to Counseling'' (1998) * ''Risk and Recovery: AIDS, HIV and Alcohol'' (1992) * ''Face to Face: A Guide to AIDS Counseling'' (1989) * ''Working with AIDS: A Resource Guide for Mental Health Professionals'' (1987) * ''AIDS and Substance Abuse: A Training Manual for Health Care Professionals'' (1987)

Art for AIDS

Art for AIDS is AHP's annual fundraiser. The first Art for AIDS took place in 1996, when a group of artists decided to sell their art to benefit their friends living with HIV/AIDS. The event has grown since, and now features a live auction and silent auctions of both art and gift certificates. In 2013, the event raised $275,000 from more than 800 attendees.Nicholas Cimarusti
"Over a Quarter Million Dollars Raised by Art for AIDS"
''HIV Plus Magazine'', November 4, 2013 It included notable artists such as

Hung Liu Hung Liu (劉虹) (17 February 1948 – 7 August 2021) was a Chinese-born American contemporary artist. She was predominantly a painter, but also worked with mixed-media and site-specific installation and was also one of the first artists from C ...

, Jock Sturges, Squeak Carnwath, David Smith Harrison, Leonard Baskin, Sue Averall,

Rex Ray Rex Ray (September 11, 1956 – February 9, 2015) was an American graphic designer and collage artist, based in San Francisco. Biography Born as Michael Patterson on September 11, 1956, on a United States Army base in Germany, and he was raised ...

, Martine Jardel, Michal Venera, and Kristine Mays.

References

{{Authority control LGBT health organizations in the United States HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States Organizations based in San Francisco LGBT history in San Francisco University of California, San Francisco Medical and health organizations based in California 1984 in LGBT history 1984 establishments in California Organizations established in 1984