In the Los Angeles area, most HIV/AIDS services have historically been located in Hollywood and West Hollywood , the epicenter of the HIV epidemic in the county. In 1992, in order to provide access to vital AIDS-related services on the Westside, Santa Monica AIDS Project (SMAP) was founded by a group of local citizens whose friends were too ill to travel the distance to the nearest service providers.

Several years ago, we changed our name to Common Ground -The Westside HIV Community Center to reflect our common goals and community values. Please see our Mission Statement to learn more about our shared values of community, harm reduction and action.

In 1992, it was clear that the west side of Los Angeles lacked essential HIV prevention education services. Using contacts at the local school board, Common Ground began training teens to become HIV Peer Educators. In 1993, the first year of the Teen Peer Education Program, peer educators reached over 3,000 students with HIV prevention information. Since Teen PEP began, the program has reached over 15,000 in-school youth with HIV prevention messages.

From these early prevention efforts, our programs have grown rapidly to meet the emerging need in our community. Common Ground now has a comprehensive range of HIV prevention, care and treatment services. It remains the only agency of its kind on the west side of Los Angeles .