APAIT

Established in 1987, the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT) is respected among HIV/AIDS service providers as a unique organization meeting the needs of APIs living with or at-risk for HIV/AIDS, a hidden and underserved population in Southern California. APAIT was the first API AIDS Service Organization (ASO) in Los Angeles and has since become the largest, comprehensive API ASO in Southern California, recognized as an innovative leader in the fight against AIDS. For 24 years, APAIT has worked actively towards its mission of positively affecting the quality of life for APIs living with or at-risk for HIV/AIDS by providing a continuum of prevention, health, and social services, community leadership and advocacy to the Southern California region. APAIT offers HIV/AIDS prevention and early intervention services, HIV testing, HIV-positive case management, mental health services, substance abuse services, and capacity building on both local and national levels. APAIT is a division of Special Service for Groups (SSG), a non-profit human service agency that was incorporated in 1952. SSG functions as an “umbrella” agency that operates over 20 multi-ethnic, multi-service programs (including APAIT) in the Los Angeles area. The agency’s mission is dedicated to providing community-based solutions to the social and economic issues facing those in greatest need. Although part of SSG, APAIT largely functions independently, maintaining internal operations and responsibility for organizational strategic planning and development. Programmatically, APAIT handles and manages all service contracts and participates in the administrative oversight together with other SSG key staff.