The Minority AIDS Initiative is part of the greater Ryan White CARE Act, which is the largest source of federal funding for people living with HIV/AIDS. While anyone with HIV is eligible for care and services under the Ryan White CARE Act, the Minority AIDS Initiative offers extra support for those who are at greater risk of contracting the disease. 

While many communities have Ryan White programs – and the city of Pittsburgh and southwest Pennsylvania have many organizations that fall under the Ryan White umbrella – the MAI program at Allies and a smaller program at Community Care Management in Johnstown are the only ones of their kind in our area.

Michael Latady, Client Services Manager - Retention in Care Specialist at Allies for Health + Wellbeing, runs the MAI program at Allies. 

“People of color have a disproportionate HIV burden – access to care, lack of access to sex education, homophobia, racism, medical mistrust,” they said. “That is why it exists, because that was identified as a big concern, and they wanted to provide separate funding just to get those individuals into care.” 

Though Allies is the hub for MAI in Pittsburgh, those eligible for the program do not need to receive care or services at Allies.  

“It's very much a community collaborative, and the idea is to get people connected to care no matter where they receive case management, where they receive medical care,' Latady said.  

What Latady and his team do is to remove barriers that may prevent someone from accessing or keeping up with care – including driving people to their medical appointments if needed.  

“We're trying to focus on people who are really isolated and who really have issues in engaging in care by themselves and need that support,” they said. “It's making sure people get medications, get engaged and stay engaged.”  

Typically, this includes getting connected with case management services and a healthcare provider that they are comfortable with in order to work toward viral suppression. Viral suppression means that HIV is undetectable by standard lab testing and a person who is virally suppressed cannot transmit HIV to another person through sexual activity. 

People usually enter the MAI program at Allies through community referrals. These referrals come from other HIV service organizations, medical clinics, the Allegheny County Health Department, jails and prisons, among other sources.  

Latady said their goal is to get more organizations familiar with the MAI program and how it works.  

“That's been our focus - making sure other agencies are aware that we exist, and they're like, ‘Oh, I know who to call,’” they said. “It's supplemental, and it's not a substitute for anything else. It's an extra layer, and we work with anyone regardless of insurance, demographics, even income. 

“People need to know how easy it is,” they said. “Just call me. We'll figure it out.” 

For more information about the Minority AIDS Initiative at Allies for Health + Wellbeing, or to participate, call 412-345-7456.