Evaluating the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Making Room for Families

The White House Office of National AIDS Policy released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) in 2010 as the domestic response to an illness that currently impacts over 1 million Americans. The policy aims to decrease HIV infections, improve health outcomes, and reduce health disparities, and outlines efforts that will be taken to reach these goals. Although it remains the most comprehensive national policy to date, the NHAS neglects to consider the familial context and includes no family-centered approaches to prevention and care. In this article, the policy will be evaluated with recommendations about how family-centered care can be incorporated into the NHAS goals and interventions. Research, practice, and advocacy recommendations for professional counselors and marriage and family therapists will also be discussed.