About Us
What We Do
The Women and Families Network focuses on these seven key activity areas which are primarily carried out by teams.
- Annual Women’s Conference
- Women-focused forums
- Quarterly Educational Workshops
- Providing resources for year-round community building for families
- Raise awareness and understanding and eliminate stigma
- Advocating for seamless services and identifying service gaps
- Ongoing development of media resources
Our Mission
The mission of the Women and Families Network is to engage HIV+ women to advocate for a more responsive service system that addresses their unique health care needs which promote a better quality of life.
Our Vision
The Women and Families Network envisions a system of comprehensive and seamless services for Minnesota women, youth and families infected and affected by HIV and an elimination of the stigma associated with HIV. The Network will help to achieve these outcomes by organizing education and training opportunities for consumers and affected family members, advocating for seamless services, and the ongoing development of media resources.
Our Values
Women and Families Network members share the following values. Women, youth, and families living with HIV have the right to:
- Freedom to participate in their community without stigma or other social barriers.
- Seamless, quality services that are easy to access and provided equally to all.
- Opportunities to lead or make decisions on important issues affecting themselves and others living with HIV.
History
The Women and Families Network (WFN) was formed in the 1990s when community providers serving women and families affected by HIV organized as a project-based task force. In 2002, the Minnesota Department of Human Services performed a quality of care assessment. Out of an increased awareness of women-specific health needs, the WFN convened 35 members and held their first meeting to establish connections among these agencies and to improve systems of care for women, youth and families affected by HIV. The conveners hoped to create a coordinated system of care, a primary goal of federal Ryan White Care Act funds. West Side Community Health Services (WSCHS) and the Minnesota AIDS Project co-sponsored and co-facilitated WFN’s initial efforts. After several initial meetings, network participants expressed an interest in sustaining the network long term. This group formalized their collaborative efforts and became the Women & Families Network (WFN). Today, WFN efforts continue, led by a team comprised of WSCHS, Hennepin County Medical Center’s Positive Care Center and the Minneapolis Urban League.
Today, WFN addresses the inequities in quality and accessibility of care for women with HIV in Minnesota. Inequities identified in the HIV Service Needs of Women and Children in Minnesota published back in December 2000 by the Minnesota AIDS Project persist today.
In response, WFN has targeted six key areas for its activities: 1) an annual women’s conference; 2) women-focused workshops and educational opportunities; 3) providing resources; 4) raising awareness to eliminate stigma; 5) advocating for seamless services; and 6) ongoing development of media resources. An annual health conference specifically focuses on the second area as a means of empowering HIV-positive women with information, support, and leadership skills.