People with HIV and Community

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) is dedicated to providing the best care to people with HIV. This website has resources to help health care professionals deliver high quality care. For you, the RWHAP relies on your involvement in planning councils, advisory boards, and peer programs. The community perspective helps to keep this program on the right track.

But the most important role for you is to take care of your health. This means keeping appointments, taking medications, and asking for help and support from friends, family, and professionals like physicians, nurses, case managers and counselors.

Getting in Care, Staying in Care

• Clients should work with their trusted HIV/AIDS care team to learn about health insurance coverage options under the Affordable Care Act. Learn more about health care reform and health care plan enrollment resources for consumers.
• Need help with HIV services, like finding a clinic or getting a problem fixed? Contact your case manager, your doctor, your nurse. Or look on our Program Locator to find services near you.

Having problems finding help? Go to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B website for your state. Often, they list hotlines, lists of agencies, and grievance/complaint forms.

Topics for People with HIV

See the Top Picks below as well as our People with HIV & Community Involvement resources for information on varied topics, like:

• Community Advisory Boards - how to set up and improve a community advisory board.
• Peer Programs - train patients and community members to support other patients.
• Quality Management - HRSA's standards and tools and resources to measure and improve performance.

See also our Planning resources and the vital role of consumers in Ryan White decision-making. Start with the Planning Body Operations resources, particularly the Planning Council Primer and Training Guide for RWHAP Part A Planning Councils/Planning Bodies: A Member’s First Planning Cycle.