About
The mission of the PLWHA Advisory Group (AG) to the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council of New York is to advocate for the interest and needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in the planning and evaluation of Title I services, and to ensure the empowerment and participation of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Title I planning process. The Advisory Group may, in addition, advocate for Non-Title I HIV/AIDS issues.
PLWHA Advisory Group Values Statement
Core values in all actions should include: accountability, communication, confidentiality, cooperation, diversity, honesty, mutual respect, and responsibility.
The Advisory Group strives for commitment, empowerment, integrity, and involvement.
Participation in the group
The AG meets on the second Saturday of every month. The agendas set by AG Co-chairs. All persons living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA), or the parents/guardians of minors living with HIV or AIDS, who reside in the five boroughs of New York or in the Tri-County region (Westchester, Rockland and Putnam), may participate in the Advisory Group and its meeting and committees. Non-PLWHA may attend AG meetings upon formal invitation of the Co-chairs.
AG meeting agendas include: member updates, committee and workgroup reports, review of minutes, new business (identifying future issues), presentations pertinent to HIV- related issues, and community announcements. AG meetings typically last two and a half hours to three hours. Decisions are made by a simple majority vote (50% + 1). To be eligible to vote a member must have attended at least three full AG meetings in the previous six months.
Group Leadership
The Advisory Group structure has two Co-chairs; at least one of the chairs must be a full voting member of the HIV Planning Council. The AG also has a Member at Large appointed by the AG chairs that in addition to a co-chair who is a council member, represents the AG on the Planning and Evaluation Committee and the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee of the AG is composed of the AG Co-chairs, Internal and External Committee Co-chairs, the Member at Large. This committee meets a minimum of four times a year. Decisions are made by a majority vote with quorum. Quorum is greater than 50 percent.
The Citywide Coordinator appoints a staff liaison to the AG from the Office of AIDS Policy Coordination. The staff liaison manages administrative needs of the AG, assists co-chairs, committees and participants in accomplishing the group's goals. The staff liaison is permitted to vote at all meetings only if s/he is a PLWHA or is parent or guardian of a minor living with HIV/AIDS.
AG Committees
These two committees are open to all individuals who are eligible to participate in the full AG. They both report to the full Advisory Group at its regular meeting. Please contact the staff liaison for meeting schedules for these committees, as they do not meet on a regular basis.
Internal
This committee considers all Title I related issues and matters that come before the HIV Planning Council and its workgroups. The core membership of the committee is composed of one AG participant who is a voting member from each workgroup called "Standing Seats." The "Standing Seats" bring AG-related concerns from workgroups to the committee through the committee chairs.
The Internal Committee is chaired by two of the Standing Seats. When in session the committee will meet at least one week before full AG meeting.
External
All non Title I HIV related matters are the purview of this committee. It meets as needed. Two co-chairs are appointed by the AG Co-chairs, and participation is open to all individuals who are eligible to participate in the full AG. Members are eligible to vote if they have attended a minimum of three of the previous six AG meetings.
Conflicts of Interest
Whenever any matter arises with respect to which an AG participant either has a conflict of interest or has any question about the existence of a conflict he or she shall make full disclosure of such conflict when the matter in question is discussed.
Conflict of interest may be defined as direct financial gain from a vote on a matter under discussion.
Additional Information
For more information or to check on a meeting, call the Office AIDS Policy Coordination at (212) 788-2579 or (212) 788-2752 and ask the PLWHA Initiatives Director. For PLWHAs who live in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties (known as the Tri-county region), a separate PLWHA Advisory Group exists called Living Together. PLWHAs and parents and guardians minors with HIV may attend either meeting. For more information about the Tri-county PWLH Advisory Group, call (914) 289-0980.
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