About

Our mission is to improve the health of youth and young adults in Maryland by being a leader in

Building comprehensive healthcare and community services

Providing youth-friendly healthcare, health education, and prevention to adolescents and young adults

Conducting research, and training and educating professionals to improve health and reduce HIV transmission

Advocating on behalf of youth living with and youth at-risk of acquiring HIV and their families.

Our vision is to become Maryland’s Center for Excellence in Adolescent HIV Care by

Charting new territory

Advocate for adolescents and their families

Fostering public and private partnerships

Shape and influence public policy

Developing effective strategies

Meet the needs of communities at local, state and regional levels

Our guiding frameworks are

Sex Positive

We prioritize and center conversations around choice, consent, pleasure, desire, decision making, sexual health, and healthy relationships.

Youth Centered

We tell youth what they want to know, instead of what health care professionals think they need to know.

Strengths Based

We view young people as resilient, creative, and resourceful with tangible strengths, motivation, and self-determination.

Harm Reductionist

We focus on strategies and goals that youth are already seeking out, without pushing for additional behavior change before youth are willing and prepared to take next steps.

Community Driven

We hire staff with identities and experiences affected by the HIV epidemic. We listen to, learn from, and value community needs, input, and direction for how to most effectively address your sexual health needs.

Social and Racial Justice

We understand that HIV is a racial justice issue, proven through the social determinants of health. We address, from a historical point of view, the complex and unique needs of low-income POC.

Staff

Many of us are: Native Baltimorean or Baltimore City residents, people of color, and/or LGBTQ. We have various educational backgrounds and many different life experiences. We reflect the young people, community, and clients we work with.