History

Early History:


The Hudson County HIV/AIDS Services Planning Council began in 1989 as the Hudson County AIDS Consortium Advisory Council under the leadership of Carol Ann Wilson, Director of the Hudson County Department of Health and Human Services.  It was a response to the tragic toll of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on Hudson County.

The purpose of the Consortium was to identify and compete for funds to support the county wide service network -- the AIDS Network of Care -- to assist area residents infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

The consortium was successful in its efforts to obtain funds:  Through the Hudson County Department of Human Services, it was awarded a model grant, the AIDS Service Demonstration Project, by the U.S. Public Health Service/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The Demonstration Project supported the development of a County wide continuum of care for persons with HIV/AIDS.  The services included:  outreach and education, early identification and treatment, case management, support groups, home health services, substance abuse counseling and referrals, supportive services, special services targeting the homeless, and volunteer recruitment and placement. 

Ryan White CARE Act of 1990

The Current Planning Council:

In 1990, the Consortium successfully lobbied Congress to be included among the original 16 metropolitan areas across the country to receive emergency assistance under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act - Title I.

These funds provide direct financial assistance to area that have been the most severely affected by the HIV Pandemic.

The purpose of these funds is to deliver or enhance HIV-related outpatient and ambulatory health and support services, including management and comprehensive treatment service for individuals and families with HIV disease; and inpatient case management services that prevent unnecessary hospitalization or that expedite discharge, when medically appropriate, from inpatient facilities.

The goal is to provide support to, and to augment, the urban health care systems currently bearing the overwhelming burden of providing HIV-related care, by assisting cities to operate programs that provide and appropriate continuum of outpatient and ambulatory health care and support services.

The Ryan White funds have guaranteed the continuation of the existing Hudson County AIDS Network of Care as well as the expansion of the Network into a wider array of needed services.

The services of the Network include:  increased medical care, medicine for those who are in need, mental health services, mental health counseling and services, outreach to high risk populations, nutritional and food services for the homebound and the homeless, entitlement services, advocacy, and bereavement counseling. 

In 1992, the Consortium renamed itself -- the Hudson County HIV/AIDS Services Planning Council.  This name still applies today.

The Council is governed by the vote of its 24 voting members, with input from its Associate Members.

    The Voting Members are comprised of one third providers, one third persons infected/affected by HIV/AIDS, and one third community representatives.  Currently 33% of the voting members of the Planning Council are infected with HIV.  We take great pride at making sure that our voting membership closely reflects the epidemic in our TGA (Transitional Grant Area).  We attempt to follow the demographics of our area and encourage those who are infected and/or affected by the disease to become active in the Planning Council and, most importantly, its various committees.

     To comply with the Modernization Act, the Voting Membership must include representatives from each of the following categories: