Alliance Health Project

UCSF Alliance Health Project (AHP) PLEASE NOTE: AHP IS NOT AVAILABLE 2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR

AHP was founded in 1984 as AIDS Health Project. The mission was to provide culturally sensitive counseling and education to stop the spread of HIV infection, and to help people face the emotional, psychological and social challenges of living with HIV disease. We serve more than 10,000 clients per year, employ approximately 100 full- and part-time employees, and have an annual budget of about $6 million. AHP is a program of the Department of Psychiatry of the University of California San Francisco and is administratively organized under the Department of Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital.

The services that have evolved over the decades included HIV testing as well as test counselor training for people throughout the state. Our Groups Program provide peer and staff led support groups, some of which have been operating for decades. Individual therapy and case coordination is provided by our staff as well as our clinical trainees. Clients are seen in a brief model with some option for less intensive long term engagement. The psychiatry group provides psychiatric medication and management and is closely linked to our HIV Mobile Crisis Team. The AIDS and Substance Abuse team provides assertive case management and supports to people whose lives are affected by substances. That team also provides individual substance counseling in a harm reduction model utilizing motivational interviewing techniques. Other parts of the agency conduct research, publish literature on HIV Mental Health and provide a range of trainings statewide.

 In 2010 AHP expanded its mission to provide services to the related but distinct LGBTQ community. Using the clinical structures we had developed, we expanded our services for HIV negative individuals and have begun a process of designing programs to meet the specific needs of the population. The Transgender group and Women with Disabilities group are two such efforts. To acknowledge the broadening of the agency’s mission, this spring we took a new name, UCSF Alliance Health Project.