Health & Human services

The HIV Syndemic Policy Program was developed in response to the continued fight against HIV, STI, and opioid epidemics occurring both nationally and locally. In response to the continued effect these epidemics have had on the City of Long Beach, this program is taking a syndemic approach: ensuring that all services are integrated so that the social determinants of health that impact someone's risk for HIV, STIs, Hep C, and substance use are addressed and supported for all Long Beach residents.  

The HIV Syndemic Strategy is the second strategy put forth to end the HIV Epidemic. It was started from ideas put forward in the Long Beach HIV/STD Strategy 2019-2022, which was created by the Long Beach Comprehensive HIV Planning Group in partnership with the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. It established a foundation for what our local response to the HIV and STI epidemics would be.  In order to be successful in achieving the goals/objectives of the strategy, various workgroups were created that focused on specific areas of the HIV epidemic (trans wellness, PrEP/PEP access, People Who Inject Drugs and access to syringe services programs and Hep C testing/treatment).  This identified the need to take a syndemic approach to ending the HIV epidemic in Long Beach.  By intentionally including the impact that substance use and other social determinants of health have on someone’s risk for and access to testing/treatment for HIV, the HIV Syndemic Policy Program came to be to formalize this approach into our response to the HIV epidemic in Long Beach moving forward. 

The new strategy will be created with the help of community members and providers: The HIV Syndemic Strategy Task Force. Through their efforts, the strategy will incorporate the voices of the diverse population within the City of Long Beach making sure that our goals meet the community's needs.  

The new HIV Syndemic Strategy is scheduled to be released in 2024.

Program Services and Projects:

• Oversees the creation and implementation of the City of Long Beach's strategy to decrease the effects of the individual epidemics 
• Hosts:
  • Quarterly meetings of the Long Beach Comprehensive HIV Planning Group 
  • Long Beach PreP Workgroup Monthly Meeting
    If interested in joining please contact: Luciano Dumonde Luciano.Dumonde@longbeach.gov
    
    
  • Long Beach Trans Wellness Workgroup Monthly Meeting
    If interested in joining, please contact: Ryan Maganini Ryan.Maganini@longbeach.gov
    
    
  • Long Beach Syringe Service Programs Workgroup Monthly Meeting
    If interested in joining, please contact: Andrew Abayan, Andrew.Abayan@longbeach.gov
    
• Maintains relationships with LA County-Wide partners as a member of the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV and the Los Angeles County Substance Abuse Prevention and Control

• Harm Reduction Distribution Program that provides Fentanyl and xylazine test strips and Naloxone/Narcan to the community.
• Educate community members on opioids, overdose prevention, and harm reduction techniques