Research Foundation of SUNY/HEAT Program

HEAT provides services in Central Brooklyn, one of the highest HIV prevalence areas in NYC and the nation. For over 2 decades, HEAT has been a leader at the city and state levels around issues affecting HIV+ youth, especially young men who have sex with men and transgender youth (YMSM/T), and for its cutting-edge work with the House Ball Community (HBC), a high-risk, underserved community of sexual minority youth of color. HEAT has cared for over 500 HIV+ youth and hundreds of high-risk YMSM/T. HEAT’s comprehensive services include: HIV testing at HEAT and in the community, peer navigation, primary adolescent health care, HIV treatment, STI screening/treatment, treatment adherence support, health education, PrEP/PEP services and access to clinical research. Case management, mental health care, group interventions and peer support enhance linkage/retention in care and address barriers such as housing instability, homelessness, lack of family/social support, stigma, homophobia, history of trauma, mental illness, addiction etc. Active referral linkages with offsite services and adult HIV treatment programs ensure that patients receive a continuum of care.