Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation

HIV Care: The Care Services Department ensures that people living with HIV/AIDS have access to the services they need to maintain optimal health and live as independently and safely as possible. SAAF continues to provide case management, medical case management, housing, psychosocial support, and other support services. Care Services programs are grouped into three primary areas: case management, support services, and housing services.Of all the people served last year, 95% were low, very low, or extremely low income, with 62% living below the federal poverty level. Due to the ongoing economic conditions and the stress of living with limited incomes, the demand remained high for services.SAAF provided services to 1,555 people living with HIV/AIDS and their household members throughout Southern Arizona including Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham, and Greenlee counties. Of these, 181 were new clients to SAAF.Case Management Services: Case management provided needs assessments, the development of care and action plans, and the provision of or referral to necessary services. Case managers supported clients by linking them to medical care, behavioral health, substance abuse services, and other necessary social service programs.Support Services: Complementary therapies, dental services (provided statewide except for Maricopa and Pinal counties), food and nutrition services, including the Food for Life program and the food pantry, Ensure nutritional drink distribution, Harvest Days, emergency meals, and a annual holiday giving project are some of the support services provided to clients. Additionally, medication benefits management is provided for those clients enrolled through the Affordable Care Act federally facilitated marketplace (provided statewide) as well as medical benefits cost sharing assistance for those enrolled in statewide ADAP program. SAAF also provides support groups, transportation services, hygiene/cleaning supplies, and other personal support services.Housing Services: SAAF provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing to people living with HIV. SAAF provided over 857 people (including households) with housing services to prevent homelessness. Additionally, SAAF assists our clients with rent/mortgage/utility assistance, with a goal of sustained housing by using the nationally recognized Housing First model approach. Housing case management services are provided to support clients in being successful in their housing, referring to other social services, and linking to HIV medical care.Adult Programs: SAAF's Anti-Violence Program (AVP) offers comprehensive support services for LGBTQ+ survivors of violence throughout Southern Arizona. Last year we assisted 85 clients with case management and emergency shelter. The program provides essential resources such as safety and goal planning, basic needs assistance, emergency and transitional housing, advocacy, and guidance navigating the legal system. SAAF's Anti-Violence Project actively works to respond to all forms of violence-including domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and hate violence-targeted at or within the LGBTQ+ community. The program emphasizes a client-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally competent approach to ensure survivors receive respectful, effective support tailored to their unique needs.

Prevention and Clinic: SAAF's Prevention Department uses empowering harm reduction approaches to cultivate healthier communities. With passion, compassion, humility, and creativity we make a difference. We create sex-positive, safer spaces, and provide culturally responsive services that are client-centered. We embrace and respect our communities through a flexible, non-judgmental approach. Never forgetting we are the communities we serve; we use our energy and expertise to foster social equity. We cultivate collaborative relationships to achieve comprehensive services. We are a team. We are supportive of each other-fiercely advocating for and with our communities. We are not afraid to push buttons. We don't wait for change. We initiate it! Prevent! Promote! Protect!Program Service Accomplishments: The Prevention Department provides HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV), and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, as well as health education, service navigation, and harm reduction support for individuals at increased risk for HIV and related health concerns. In calendar year 2024, the department conducted 1,445 HIV and of those 1,341 also got, in some combine dependent on their needs, Hep C and/or STI tests.Navigation services were provided to a total of 272 individuals across multiple areas of care, including:- 156 individuals navigated to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services,- 4 individuals to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP),- 25 individuals to Hepatitis C treatment,- 20 newly diagnosed and 70 previously diagnosed individuals to HIV care, and- 1 individual to substance use treatment services.The department participated in 64 community outreach events to provide health education, promote prevention services, and distribute harm reduction materials. Approximately 72,635 safer sex items were distributed through these and other outreach efforts.In 2024, 680 new individuals enrolled in the harm reduction program, bringing total participants to 1,945. Through this program, the department distributed approximately 302,534 sterile syringes in exchange for used ones to help reduce the spread of bloodborne infections and support safer injection practices. The program also distributed 4,087 doses of naloxone (Narcan), a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication. Participants reported an estimated 573 overdose reversals because of having access to these supplies.These services directly support the organization's mission to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS, prevent overdose deaths, and address related health disparities in Southern Arizona.Testing: Testing services are provided in Pima, Pinal, Maricopa counties. This includes screening, testing, and referrals as needed. The type of testing currently available are: Alere Determine Combo Test (20 minutes), INSTI Test (1 minute), OraQuick HCV Test (20 minutes), Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis (labs, 5 days). SAAF testing services are available Monday-Friday.Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)/Hep C/Substance Use Navigation Services: These services are available primarily in Pima County for people at-risk of HIV transmission. Additionally these services are provided for people who are living with Hep C and want to get into treatment as well as people who have substance use issues and want to get into treatment. Education and support in provided to all participants, including readiness assessments, benefits coordination, and referrals to medical providers. PrEP lab support is available in Maricopa County only.Syringe Access Program (SAP): SAP is available in Pima County on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Participants also have access to HIV and Hep C testing, harm reduction supplies, and hygiene items. Over time SAP participants build relationships with staff, often leading to their accessing health related information, including options for substance use treatment options. SAAF provides harm reduction supplies throughout the state of Arizona to other Syringe Services Programs (SSPs).SAAF Health Clinic: SAAF Health is currently licensed for in-person visits and sees close to 200 patients monthly. We are coming up in our third full year of being licensed and patient growth is going well. We have been doing telehealth visits since April 2022 and have had over 1300 visits a year. The clinic has approximately 125 PrEP patients that use our providers and we consistently provide refills for 300+ other patients through our contract telehealth providers. In June 23, we launched an initiative to increase testing for HCV and we have cured 24 individuals and currently have 2 additional individuals starting their treatment journey. The 340B program is growing and has doubled our gross revenue from years two to three. This coming year we will focus on clinic growth for in-person visits and have added another fulltime Nurse Practitioner due to the increased growth. We have seen our therapy patients increase as well and the implementation of medication assisted treatment (MAT) program for substance use recovery is a driving factor of that increase. The pharmacy opened in February 2025. Our mobile unit is nearly completion and should be out in the community providing full service primary care services, testing and MAT services in the summer of 2025.