Statement of Mission, Vision and Values

Mission

Achieve health equity, prevent new infections, address the social determinants of health to improve the health and well-being of persons living and aging with, and those placed at risk for, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and hepatitis C, while improving the health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) persons and persons who use drugs health.”

The mission can be concisely stated as follows: “End preventable syndemics, achieve equity, fight stigma, promote health.

Vision

Vision articulates the long-term outcome to which the organization will make a definitive contribution. The vision of the AIDS Institute for 2024-2026 follows. All New Yorkers enjoy health, well-being, and equitable access to prevention, care, treatment, and services free of stigma and disease.

Values

  • Mutual Respect: We treat all individuals with dignity, respect, and compassion.
  • Partnership: We value and promote input and collaboration with federal, state, local, and community partners, including persons with lived experience.
  • Leadership: We embrace, empower and drive change.
  • Innovation:  We foster creative approaches to carrying out our mission, based on changing dynamics of syndemics and data.
  • Stewardship:We strive to be intentional, creative, and resourceful in planning, developing, and delivering high-quality services to impacted communities.
  • Transparency and Accountability: We operate transparently and are accountable for all actions and decisions.
  • Equality and Non-Discrimination: We believe in the elimination of discrimination and that every individual is entitled to fairness, opportunity, and full and equitable access regardless of their race, nation of origin, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other dimension of identity.

Guiding Strategies

Meet the unique needs of populations placed at risk for acquiring HIV, hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections, and/or experiencing drug overdose in underserved communities.

  • Enhance surveillance and data systems ability to access, integrate, monitor, and track racial justice and health equity indicators.
  • Address the social determinants of health and promote health equity and racial justice, through data, policy, and program.
  • Improve the use of data to ensure funding resources target communities experiencing inequitable health outcomes.
  • Ensure community input, including those with lived experiences, is used to identify the unique needs of priority and emerging populations.

Expand and strengthen HIV, Hepatitis C, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Drug Overdose prevention and treatment efforts.

  • Promote comprehensive and integrated services using trauma-informed care and person-centered approaches.
  • Increase comprehensive harm/risk reduction and sexual health promotion education, strategies, outreach and interventions to increase equitable access to services and improve health outcomes for populations that are most impacted.
  • Increase access to training and education for medical and non-medical audiences to improve health outcomes.

Strengthen AIDS Institute organizational effectiveness to address health and racial equity.

  • Promote evidence-based and promising practices in planning and funding. Implement data-driven decision-making and continuous quality improvement in programming and the procurement process.
  • Improve communication and coordination for program planning and resource allocation and streamline regional and statewide collaboration to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Prioritize and expand the systemic integration of Racial and Health Equity principles.
  • Support and uphold principles of anti-racism in all aspects of interaction with colleagues and the community.
  • Implement intentional recruitment strategies that ensure the AIDS Institute’s workforce represents the diversity of communities and populations served at all levels.
  • Increase capacity to identify and respond to emerging threats/issues, while continuing to meet the needs of the people we serve.