Mission Statement
AIDS Outreach Center of Greater Tarrant County is the leading organization in Tarrant and eight surrounding rural counties serving men, women and children with HIV and their families, educating the public about HIV prevention and advocating for sound HIV public policy.  

Agency History
AIDS Outreach Center (AOC) is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization founded in 1986 as the Fort Worth Counseling Center. The agency was founded by Tarrant County's gay and lesbian community to help provide mental health and legal support for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. For the first two years, the agency was staffed solely by volunteers and received no funding. In 1988, the agency received its first grant from the Texas Department of Health (TDH) for the provision of HIV/AIDS services, which enabled the agency to hire its first two staff members.

Since its inception, AOC's budget, staff and client base have grown substantially to a budget of over $3,150,000 with almost $700,000 raised through private resources. The 40 member staff along with hundreds of dedicated volunteers, are responsible for providing a wide range of social services, outreach activities, testing and counseling, prevention education programs and public policy advocacy. AOC serves men, women and children living with HIV, and their families, in Tarrant and nine surrounding rural counties.

Due to its long-standing history of quality and comprehensive support services, AOC has become the most highly utilized non-medical referral destination for more than 1,300 persons per year living with HIV/AIDS in Tarrant County and the surrounding areas. Current services include: mental health counseling, support groups, nutritional support, youth services, minority outreach, case management, legal assistance, transportation, housing, emergency assistance, insurance continuation program, information line, community education and prevention services, including confidential and anonymous testing, HIV negative and HIV positive prevention programs.

Along with more traditional services, AOC has continued to adapt and meet the emerging needs of the community. AOC maintains an office in Arlington as well as in the Fort Worth Medical District. Individuals with HIV are living longer due to advances in both medical treatment and drug therapy. Many individuals are returning to work, and as a result, greater advocacy for these individuals is needed in the workplace and in housing sectors. As such, our legal advocacy services have grown. In addition, due to medical advances AOC provides clinical trials with medical institutions and/or major pharmaceutical companies to offer our clients the newest medications. The face of HIV/AIDS has shifted, impacting minorities in greater numbers. AOC is successfully intervening in our communities of color with targeted outreach, prevention and educational programs along with client social services.