Causes: AIDS, Family Services, Health, Human Services, Philanthropy, Private Independent Foundations

Mission: The Women’s Collective is a leading community health and human service agency in Washington, DC that provides culturally competent, girl and woman-focused, family-centered HIV/STD testing, education, care, and support services and advocates for the health and human rights of girls and women. Our mission is to empower women, girls and their families with the skills and linkages to meet their self-defined needs, increase their access to care and support, and engage them ‘where they are’ to own their health outcomes, quality of life, and protect their rights.

Results: Among its many successes, The Women’s Collective results include in 2011:Peer Community Health Workers enrolled 67 women in care and treatment, while retaining 93% of women in the program over 12 months. Provided medical case management for 208 women, focusing on removing barriers to retention in care for women who are underserved and at high risk of dropping out of care – as well as tracking and improving overall health outcomes for women. The care team facilitated 11 monthly support groups for 75 women living with HIV/AIDS. Our woman- and girl-focused HIV Counseling, Testing, and Referral program provided services to 687 individuals. As a community partner in the Female Condom (FC2) initiative, we trained 214 peer educators and provided 9,576 individuals with education sessions and outreach, while distributing 20,858 female condoms directly to individuals. The Prevention with Positives program provided both individual- and group-level interventions targeted to women living with HIV/AIDS utilizing evidence-based CDC and SAMHSA interventions. Our Youth Prevention Program implemented behavioral interventions, including one from the CDC aimed at reducing HIV sexual risk among African-American girls ages 14-18 and another TWC-designed intervention using peer leaders in a service learning framework to promote community engagement and education targeted to girls/women ages 14-25.The Positive Leaders Uplifting Sisters Network – a diverse group of women living with HIV/AIDS – advocated successfully at many policy tables where typically women most affected are not represented and participated fully in the 19th International AIDS Conference held in Washington D. C.

Target demographics: low income women and girls ages 12+ living with and at risk for HIV in Washington, D. C.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 1,500

Geographic areas served: Washington, D. C.

Programs: Founded in 1992, TWC grew out of the life experience of the Founder/Executive Director, Patricia Nalls, a woman living with HIV who used her personal story to create this unique organization and model of care. TWC has historically engaged low income women and girls of color in innovative and responsive programs and services that integrate medical case management and HIV counseling and testing services; community health worker-driven care navigation, linkage services, and prevention with positives programming; peer-based support groups; HIV education and outreach; youth-focused prevention skills building; and are rounded out with the meaningful engagement of women and girls in policy and advocacy at local, regional, and national levels.