Women at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis

Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), New York City’s oldest not-for-profit AIDS advocacy and service organization, engaged the Capstone team to analyze current program policies and procedures. The team designed a three-pronged project comprised of diverse areas of involvement throughout GMHC by women who are HIV-positive. Specifically, the team examined and addressed women’s experiences in GMHC’s Intake, Assessment and Program Enrollment processes; the participation and experience of participants in the Women in Action (WIA) program; and the use of a client assessment tool for the WIA program. The research was conducted through on-site observation, chart reviews, focus groups, statistical analysis, and pilot tests. The result of the three-pronged analysis is a partial but revealing picture of women at GMHC and included suggestions for improving services offered to them at 24th Street. While the focus of the project was to address women-specific concerns, many of the findings and recommendations are applicable to all GMHC clients.