Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the Minnesota Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention?
Answer: The Minnesota Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention is a community planning group that oversees the prioritization and allocation of federal Ryan White Part A and Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI funds) allocated to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Transitional Grant Area (TGA), makes recommendations for federal Part B funds allocated to the state of Minnesota, and prioritizes populations for federal HIV prevention funding.
Question: What does the council do?
Answer:
Question: When and where does the council meet?
Answer:
Question: How do I find out about council meeting times and locations?
Answer:
Question: How do I contact council staff?
Answer:
Question: Who is on the council?
Answer: There are 33 seats on the council and the membership is a diverse group including people who are living with HIV/AIDS, community based organizations, housing providers, medical providers, mental health and substance abuse providers and community leaders.
Question: Are people living with HIV/AIDS on the council?
Answer: Yes, at least one third of our membership are people who are living with HIV/AIDS and are not employed by an agency receiving Ryan White or CDC prevention funds. In addition, at least one council co-chair is a person living with HIV/AIDS who is not employed by a funded agency.
Question: How do I apply for the council?
Answer: There are several easy ways you can get an application:
Question: How are members selected to serve on the council?
Answer:
Question: What is the time commitment to serve on the council?
Answer: Being a member of the council requires a commitment of 8-10 hours a month. Council members commit to a two-year term during which they attend monthly council meetings and participate in at least one committee that meets monthly or every other month.
Question: How can I become involved without becoming a council member?
Answer: Community members can participate on a committee of their choosing. Once they have satisfied the committee’s eligibility requirements, they are eligible to vote on issues brought before the committee. In addition, all committee and council meetings are open to the public so you are welcome to sit in on any of our meetings in order to learn more.
Question: What if I can’t attend a meeting?
Answer: We understand council members occasionally need to miss a meeting. We expect the member will let council staff know in advance if they will be unable to attend and read through the materials and meeting minutes to stay current on decisions or information shared at the meeting. Council members are allowed a total of two consecutive absences at council or committee meetings or five total absences at council or committee meetings during a rolling calendar year.
Question: Why should I join the council?
Answer:
Question: Is there a deadline to apply?
Answer: No, the Membership and Training Committee reviews applications and interviews potential applicants on an on-going basis.
Question: Is there homework?
Answer: Council members should expect to keep up-to-date with the work of the council and their committee(s) and come prepared to participate in the meeting activities. The council values your experience and perspective, and will work to balance your time so that you can also manage your obligations outside of the council.
Question: How is the council reducing new HIV infections?
Answer: The council works with the Minnesota Department of Health to identify priority populations to receive CDC prevention funding. By targeting communities that are at most risk we can address disparities and work to achieve health equity in hard-hit populations.
Question: Where can I find statistics about HIV/AIDS in Minnesota?
Answer: Go to https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/hiv/stats/index.html to learn more about new and existing cases of HIV/AIDS in Minnesota.
Question: Does the council use social media?
Answer: Yes! Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mnhivcouncil. We post about upcoming meetings, share articles related to the HIV/AIDS community and post surveys the council creates.
Too many acronyms? Check out our HIV/AIDS Glossary of Terms.
Answer: The Minnesota Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention is a community planning group that oversees the prioritization and allocation of federal Ryan White Part A and Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI funds) allocated to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Transitional Grant Area (TGA), makes recommendations for federal Part B funds allocated to the state of Minnesota, and prioritizes populations for federal HIV prevention funding.
Question: What does the council do?
Answer:
- Develop Minnesota’s Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan.
- Make decisions and recommendations about HIV treatment and care services.
- Conduct needs assessments to determine the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in Minnesota.
- Prioritize populations for HIV prevention services.
Question: When and where does the council meet?
Answer:
- The council meets on the second Tuesday of every month from 9:00 a.m. - noon in the Hennepin County Health Services Building in room L15 in the lower level. The address is 525 Portland Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55415.
- Council members also serve on a standing committee which typically meets once per month. A current schedule of all council and committee meetings is available at http://mnhivcouncil.org/calendar.html.
Question: How do I find out about council meeting times and locations?
Answer:
- You can call the council office at 612-596-7894 or 888-638-3224 to find out about upcoming meetings and locations.
- You can visit http://mnhivcouncil.org/calendar.html.
- You can join our mailing list at http://mnhivcouncil.org/contact-us.html to receive email notifications about upcoming meetings.
Question: How do I contact council staff?
Answer:
- Call us at 612-596-7894 or 888-638-3224 and we will talk to you in person.
- Email us at [email protected].
- Our mailing address is Minnesota Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention, 525 Portland AVE S., Minneapolis, MN 55415.
Question: Who is on the council?
Answer: There are 33 seats on the council and the membership is a diverse group including people who are living with HIV/AIDS, community based organizations, housing providers, medical providers, mental health and substance abuse providers and community leaders.
Question: Are people living with HIV/AIDS on the council?
Answer: Yes, at least one third of our membership are people who are living with HIV/AIDS and are not employed by an agency receiving Ryan White or CDC prevention funds. In addition, at least one council co-chair is a person living with HIV/AIDS who is not employed by a funded agency.
Question: How do I apply for the council?
Answer: There are several easy ways you can get an application:
- Apply online.
- Click the Apply Now button on our website http://mnhivcouncil.org/.
- Call the council office at 612-596-7894 to request a copy of the application.
- Email the council office at [email protected] to request a copy of the application.
Question: How are members selected to serve on the council?
Answer:
- The Membership and Training Committee reviews all applications and selects members to interview based on the current membership needs of the council. They look at current opening and gaps in representation and reflectiveness to decide if an applicant can fill an opening. The committee forwards the names of new members to the council to vote on.
- Find out more about the membership selection criteria.
- New members are jointly appointed by the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the chair of the board of the Hennepin County Commissioners, and the section manager of the STD/HIV/TB unit of the Minnesota Department of Health.
Question: What is the time commitment to serve on the council?
Answer: Being a member of the council requires a commitment of 8-10 hours a month. Council members commit to a two-year term during which they attend monthly council meetings and participate in at least one committee that meets monthly or every other month.
Question: How can I become involved without becoming a council member?
Answer: Community members can participate on a committee of their choosing. Once they have satisfied the committee’s eligibility requirements, they are eligible to vote on issues brought before the committee. In addition, all committee and council meetings are open to the public so you are welcome to sit in on any of our meetings in order to learn more.
Question: What if I can’t attend a meeting?
Answer: We understand council members occasionally need to miss a meeting. We expect the member will let council staff know in advance if they will be unable to attend and read through the materials and meeting minutes to stay current on decisions or information shared at the meeting. Council members are allowed a total of two consecutive absences at council or committee meetings or five total absences at council or committee meetings during a rolling calendar year.
Question: Why should I join the council?
Answer:
- Help people affected by and at risk for HIV.
- Improve services and access to care.
- Represent an underserved community or population.
- Create service standards of care.
- Get personal and professional benefits.
- Increase your awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and services.
- Establish contacts and networks.
- Receive numerous training opportunities.
- Be a voice in program planning and implementation.
- Help determine the needs of populations living with, at risk for, or affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Learn about and collaborate on HIV/AIDS funding decisions.
Question: Is there a deadline to apply?
Answer: No, the Membership and Training Committee reviews applications and interviews potential applicants on an on-going basis.
Question: Is there homework?
Answer: Council members should expect to keep up-to-date with the work of the council and their committee(s) and come prepared to participate in the meeting activities. The council values your experience and perspective, and will work to balance your time so that you can also manage your obligations outside of the council.
Question: How is the council reducing new HIV infections?
Answer: The council works with the Minnesota Department of Health to identify priority populations to receive CDC prevention funding. By targeting communities that are at most risk we can address disparities and work to achieve health equity in hard-hit populations.
Question: Where can I find statistics about HIV/AIDS in Minnesota?
Answer: Go to https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/hiv/stats/index.html to learn more about new and existing cases of HIV/AIDS in Minnesota.
Question: Does the council use social media?
Answer: Yes! Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mnhivcouncil. We post about upcoming meetings, share articles related to the HIV/AIDS community and post surveys the council creates.
Too many acronyms? Check out our HIV/AIDS Glossary of Terms.