The East Bay Getting to Zero (EBGTZ) collective impact network is made up of over 300 members from a diverse array of organizations serving communities affected by HIV in the East Bay. Our collaborative efforts started in 2011 with a group of about 20 community advocates and front-line workers forming the East Bay linkage and retention network.
In 2019, EBGTZ transformed from an all-volunteer organization to a fiscally-sponsored project of Community Initiatives. The EBGTZ website, including a comprehensive and fully searchable East Bay HIV services directory (the first of its kind) launched at the EBGTZ World AIDS Day event in 2019.
Today, EBGTZ is a network of diverse people from community organizations, clinics, hospitals, schools, faith-based organizations, public and private agencies in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties working together to advance health equity and healing for all people impacted by HIV through system coordination, advocacy, capacity building and innovation.
We bring people together to collaborate on creative ways to provide more equitable access to health services by developing strategies and tools to improve care delivery for underserved populations.
Our mission is to advance health equity and promote healing for all people impacted by HIV. Our vision is an East Bay with zero HIV stigma, health disparities, or new HIV transmissions.
Strategic planning
Since 2019, EBGTZ has led the community coalition developing the EHE plan for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Over 200 community members and leaders worked together on this plan since 2019 and met regularly to implement strategic activities and update the plan yearly.
This has been a community-driven “living” East Bay HIV strategic plan that is responsive to local needs, addresses structural inequities, and is implemented to make real systemic change. Key informant interviews were conducted with more than 75 individuals, leading to early drafts of the East Bay HIV Strategic Plan. The final strategic plan was published in both English and Spanish in 2021, and has been updated annually since then.
Service directory
The EBGTZ website features a comprehensive and fully searchable East Bay HIV services directory that continues to be a resource for individuals and organizations throughout the region, helping connect people with vital services of all kinds.
59
Organizations in service directory
>20k
Unique visits to service directory
Capacity Building & Workforce Development
We conduct capacity building for network organizations, partner agencies, and community members. We do this through group level education, skill-building workshops, and technical assistance. Here are some examples:
Linkage and Retention Workshops
- Improving Collaborations
Apr 2021 - Strengthening Emergency Department linkages
Aug 2021 - Supporting People Using Substances
Oct 2021 - Community Engagement capacity building workshops
Sept 2021, Nov 2021 - Substance use overdose prevention & safety planning
Apr 2022 - Mental health: therapeutic alliance and suicide prevention
Mar 2023 - HIV Stigma & LGBTQ Communities
Sept 2023 - From risk to reason – Caring for Black women along the HIV continuum
May 2024 - Implementing DoxyPEP for STI prevention
Oct 2024
Clinical quality improvement
Data-to-care working group: aimed at aligning 8 key HIV Care Continuum metrics and improving continuity of care across 5 major East Bay health systems.
East Bay HIV Clinical Case Conference: for HIV clinical care teams
48
Members of HIV Clinician working group
13
Organizations represented
We conduct workforce education and training for regional partners and network organizations. Here are some of the topics we have covered:
HIV Prevention Trainings
Topics covered: PrEP navigation (CA statewide training), Equitable implementation of long-acting injectable PrEP, HIV Prevention for Hardly Reached Populations
Housing capacity building
134
Members of Housing working group
9
Educational sessions conducted
Regional Case Manager meetings
193
Total membership of working group
30+
Organizations represented
PrEP Navigation working group
56
Members
22
Organizations represented
Coalition building
We convene various working groups within our network, coordinating specific efforts behind a shared vision. Our working groups are made up of people who work in network organizations, as well as community members interested in informing our work. Here are a few examples:
Grupo de Charla: Spanish-language working group
30+
Meetings held
40+
Members
17+
Organizations represented
Youth Engagement Working Group
26
Meetings held
36
Members
17
Organizations represented
HIV Care Continuum Network
Twice yearly stakeholder meetings for all 300+ members of the East Bay HIV network
POZ+: People living with HIV working group
30+
Meetings held
14
Community Members
10
Community outreach events
Community events: Autumn Lights Festivals • Oakland Pride Health Pavilion booth • Summer Festival at a local church • Great America table • Santa Clara Rotary in person presentation • AIDS Memorial Garden town hall • virtual presentation at Dawn Smith’s online CDC memorial • Lake Merritt Breakfast Club presentation • Rainbow Rotary Club Presentation
2024 Latine Summit
First ever Spanish-language convening of Latine-serving Bay Area HIV workforce: held in collaboration with Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco & Santa Clara Counties
Steering committee
Leadership level staff at EBGTZ network organizations and local community advocates: providing consultation and direction on EBGTZ programming.
Community Engagement
EBGTZ builds strong relationships with community members, regularly engaging them in working groups and creative collaborations, with a focus on community-facing messaging projects. Here are some examples:
Community messaging campaigns
Aimed at reducing HIV stigma, increasing awareness and encouraging screening and healthcare access, all while inspiring joy and celebrating the beauty and resilience of the East Bay community.
Murals – we have created 3 murals: 2 in Oakland and 1 in Richmond.
RYSE Love and Rage
Richmond
Marketing campaigns
- East Bae Love: youth-focused HIV and Covid-19 public health merchandise campaign
- Loteria.Love: Spanish-language HIV public health merchandise campaign
- Loteria.Love: Spanish-language HIV education AC Transit bus campaign
Digital media campaigns
- Regional HIV social marketing video campaign, in collaboration with Bay Area Greater Than HIV
- Digital Storytelling Film: Viviendo sin fronteras: Mas alla del VIH
General social media information-sharing: reaching people online
- Website, social media, monthly newsletter
>14k
Unique visits to HIV resource pages
>11k
Unique visits to Covid resource page
100
Newsletters published
318 →
Subscribers to newsletter: July 2020
767
Subscribers to newsletter:
Dec 2024
Newsletter open rate: 2x the average for health-related nonprofit organizations
Community legacy project: East Bay AIDS Memorial Garden. Located at the Gardens at Lake Merritt: to memorialize those lost to HIV/AIDS and serve as a community healing space for people in the East Bay who have been significantly impacted by HIV.
Community events
- World AIDS Day
2019 – 2024 - National Latinx HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
2022 – 2024 - Oakland Pride
2019 – 2024 - National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
2024
Resources & Tools
We develop and curate resources that support our partners and network members in implementing their programs, in an effort to reduce HIV transmissions, increase viral suppression, decrease HIV stigma, and increase healthcare access. Here are some unique tools we have developed, shared, and amplified:
Workforce Tools
- HIV/STI Case Management Manual
- BAYLAP (Bay Area Long-Acting Injectable PrEP) implementation toolkit, develop through a collaborative research project under Bridge HIV
- ”Ask About PrEP” Academic Detailing Provider Guide, developed with SFDPH
- Substance use overdose prevention toolkit
Community Resources
- PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP informational cards
- East Bay Trusted Adult Guide
- Youth Sexual Health Zine
- Current Open Research Studies webpage
- Site Spotlight Videos: 10 consumer-facing informational videos featuring local HIV organizations/clinics
East Bay Housing Guides
- A Simple Guide to Finding Housing in Alameda County
Volume 1, by Judy Eliachar, October 2022
Volume 2, by Judy Eliachar, February 2023 - A Simple Guide to Finding Housing in Contra Costa County
Angela Moore, October 2022
Covid-19 guides
Consumer-facing infographics & informational videos in English and Spanish
52
Original resources created
100+
Total resources shared