The Family Care Network (FCN) at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, CA is funded by Ryan White Part D to provide primary care and support services to women, infants, children, and youth (WICY) living with HIV. In 2019, FCN contracted with Facente Consulting to conduct a needs assessment to better understand how best to meet the needs of WICY who use FCN services, including trans women and trans youth. The assessment explored client needs using a whole-person (not just HIV-focused) approach, recognizing that physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health are all important.
In this assessment, Facente Consulting used a mixed-methods approach to get client and service provider input, including: (i) a quantitative client self-administered survey on clients’ medical, social, emotional, and personal needs, (ii) semi-structured client focus groups and one-on-one interviews regarding experiences with services and gaps in care, and (iii) semi-structured focus groups and one-on-one meetings with FCN providers on their perceptions of client needs. The final report identified eight key needs—including personal and spiritual well-being, social connectedness, an end to HIV-related stigma, and skilled and culturally humble service providers—paired with actionable recommendations that FCN could use to improve services. Notably, by taking a whole-person approach to the assessment, Facente Consulting was able to show that clients’ needs and desires go beyond the boundaries of what is traditionally considered HIV care.