CARE
Some history: Since 1985, HIV has disproportionately impacted Black Angelenos. In 2002, APLA Health’s board of directors made the decision to decentralize APLA Health and work with community leaders to provide a system of unequal support, including providing HIV prevention and support programs in South Los Angeles.
But because of systemic racism both nationwide and in Los Angeles County, healthcare disparities are unfairly exacerbated in these communities. Today, thanks our longstanding partnerships with Charles R. Drew University and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, we’re investing even more resources into BIPOC communities and we are building a new health center in South Los Angeles. APLA Health – Willowbrook will be APLA Health’s largest investment in our community.
The new health center is a concrete example of our commitment to South Los Angeles and local community partners to ensure that the needs of South Los Angeles are addressed with humility and understanding. Show your support for our new health center by sharing this information with your next donor!
SUPPORT
We care about your mind as well as your body. At APLA Health, we offer a multitude of behavioral health care services to meet your needs. Our services are provided by licensed clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, and highly trained therapists.
During these unforeseen and distressing times caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s important to let yourself feel your feelings and then manage them. APLA Health has created new support groups to help support our community, including a group focusing on practical and mindfulness tools we can use to relieve overwhelming anxiety and help minimize feelings of depression. We also have created an online group for individuals trying to manage their recovery while also coping with our current ever-changing world and the COVID-19 pandemic.
EDUCATION
Our goal to end the epidemic remains the same. We were the first AIDS service organization to receive a highly competitive New Access Point grant and now we provide primary medical, dental, behavioral health, and HIV care from 6 health centers in Los Angeles – with a new health center opening in 2021 across from Martin Luther King Jr Community Hospital on the campus of Charles R. Drew University.
Our Education Center continues to expand beyond its walls and our HIV prevention programs provide services for those individuals who share a disportionate burden of new HIV diagnosis – particularly Black and Latinx gay and bisexual men and transgender women.
Our support programs for people living with HIV continue to grow and we have the nation’s largest food bank for people living with HIV and the nation’s oldest home health program. We have also rapidly expanded our program for older adults living with HIV – HIVE – which now boasts more than 500 members throughout LA County!