My Experience With ASO'S (AIDS Service Organization)

January 3, 2012

I realize that each person may have his own experience with an AIDS Service

Organization. From my personal experiences, I have found that most of them, if

not all, that I have ever had to deal with are almost useless. It seems to me

that each caseworker spent so much time explaining to me over and over again

what they could not do. I even told my partner that if they spent a fraction of

the time doing something instead of taking so much time telling us what they

can't do, they might actually get something done. Second of all, they take

every day, hour, sometimes down to the minute off that they can. They will take

every day off and close any chance they get. Alianza of New Mexico in Roswell

was the absolute worse for this!!!! Project Response in Fort Pierce, Florida

simply could have cared less about their clients. I feel that allowing an ASO

to facilitate a White Grant or any HOPWA funds is ludicrous. Alianza even

had their HOPWA grant taken away and managed by Southwest Cares out of Santa Fe.

The State of Wyoming is a whole different creation with HIV care in itself.

They don't even have an ASO in the entire state. Wyoming uses the health

department of each county. Let me clarify to be fair first. There is one very

small ASO in Laramie, WY run through the Univeristy of Wyoming branch and a

woman by the name of Charlotte is there. She is very nice and will do what she

can with what she has to work with in Wyoming. We lived in Cody, WY. Let me

tell you back their HIV care in three letters-LOL!!!!!! That's it. I saw a

physician at the Billings Clinic in Cody who was an internal medicine doctor and

his nurse said to me that YES, he can treat HIV. The doctor proudly told me,

" he was treating me for hypertension, not the other. " I never even discussed

anything else with this person. In Wyoming, you might find an ID doctor through

the yellow pages or calling one of the local hospitals.

New York State seems to do their ADAP management a little different. There

really isn't an ASO around that I know of, at least. The signing up for the

program can be initiated through any one of the care clinics, and the necessary

paperwork is sent through Albany. NO ASO involved, and it is so much easier.

The state then sends each client a list covering the entire state of where they

can receive medical, dental, and vision care.

So many of these ASO's operate in such a negative way and take their client down

with them. I strongly believe that each one of them should have their grant

pulled and the care should all be facilitated through the state.

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