HEAT Program

The Health & Education Alternatives for Teens (HEAT) Program of the Research Foundation of SUNY was founded in 1992 to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic as it impacted on youth in Brooklyn. It began as a multidisciplinary clinic providing medical care, mental health services and case management for HIV+ youth. While initially entirely focused on youth living with HIV, its mission expanded over the years to include focused programming for outreach, community engagement and community based HIV/STD testing for youth who were reluctant to seek basic sexual health screening in a formal medical setting. The programming has specialized over the years to serve the distinct needs of young men who have sex with men, young heterosexual women and transgender youth, all primarily from communities of color.