AIDS Service Organizations

Organizations are goal-oriented social systems that have the capacity to acquire resources and use them for a variety of purposes and are the chief way of getting things done that are beyond the reach of individuals. AIDS service organizations are designed to provide their clients or patients with needed medical and other services throughout the course of this illness. Not surprisingly, the availability of services is much greater in developed than in the less-developed countries. The range of services that these organizations provide the more than 33 million persons currently living with HIV worldwide is numerous in many highly developed nations (particularly in large urban high prevalence communities) and include medical resources such as clinics, substance use/drug assistance and treatment, home health, skilled nursing, mental health, peer support, case management, dental services, educational, food and nutrition, HIV/AIDS testing, hotlines/crisis lines, housing, language services, legal services, prevention, public benefits, infants’ and children’s services, spiritual services, support groups, thrift stores, transportation, treatment adherence, utility discounts, women’s services, work-related including disability services, youth assistance, advocacy, and planning groups. Some organizations provide only a single service while others provide many services. The mix of services provided by a variety of organizations such as hospital-based clinics, local health departments, and many community-based service agencies, can confuse patients and providers and produce fragmentation and service duplication.