Living with HIV in Orange County can feel isolating, but you don't have to navigate it alone. Shanti Orange County has been providing compassionate support since 1987.
What Services Are Available?
Shanti OC offers mental health counseling, HIV case management, community education, psychological assessments, and recurring support groups.
Individual Counseling
One-on-one mental health support with therapists who understand HIV-related concerns, including grief, stigma, and life transitions. Many insurance plans are accepted, including CalOptima, with low-cost fees available.
Case Management
Help navigating healthcare systems, housing applications, benefits enrollment, and other essential services. A dedicated case manager works with you directly. Contact [email protected] or call our main line.
Peer Support & Groups
Trained peers and structured groups provide connection alongside clinical care. See our Support groups page for schedules and details.
Recurring Support Groups
Círculo Latino is free and open to the community; the HIV therapy group requires intake. If you are looking for recovery or substance use support, see HIV and recovery support in Orange County.
Círculo Latino
First Tuesday of each month, 5:30–7 pm. A Spanish-language circle for the Latino community. Open to all Spanish speakers, and you do not need to be a Shanti client. Learn more.
HIV Therapy Group
Weekly, by intake. Clinician-led group therapy for adults living with HIV/AIDS. Contact intake to confirm fit and availability. More about the HIV therapy group.
Who Is Eligible?
Shanti OC serves Orange County residents living with HIV or affected by HIV, and offers mental health services more broadly. Immigration status is not a barrier to care. Intake will help match you to the right program.
How to Get Started
Enrollment is straightforward. The best first step is our First Visit page, which walks through what to expect. You can also call us at (949) 452-0888 or email [email protected].
For HIV testing locations and other county resources, see Community resources. We will connect you with the right services during your first contact.
The Two Recurring Groups, in Detail
HIV therapy group. Clinician-led, meets weekly, arranged through intake. This is clinical work, not a drop-in. Members attend consistently, which is what allows the group to become therapeutic rather than merely social. Low-cost fees start at $65; intake explains options for your situation.
Círculo Latino. First Tuesday of each month, 5:30 to 7 pm, conducted entirely in Spanish. Free, open, and you do not need to be a Shanti client to attend. It is a warm space to connect and find community and resources without a language barrier in the way.
Case Management Is the Practical Layer
For people living with HIV, a case manager builds a personal care plan and connects you to medical and dental care, specialty pharmaceutical care, housing options, benefits counseling covering insurance and long-term financial assistance, emergency financial assistance, and nutrition options.
This is the service that turns a list of Orange County phone numbers into an actual sequence of appointments.
Counseling Alongside
Mental health counseling is available whether or not you use case management. With roots in HIV/AIDS care, Shanti's clinicians are specialty-trained in chronic disease and illness navigation, which means the diagnosis does not have to be explained from scratch every session. All services are LGBTQ-affirming.
Fees are $65 per session with an unlicensed therapist and $100 with a licensed therapist, and many insurance plans including CalOptima are accepted for eligible services.
What Shanti Does Not Do
No HIV testing or lab work, no medical treatment, no prescriptions. Those come from a clinic or physician. We can connect you to one.
We also maintain a directory of external Orange County clinics, testing sites, psychiatry services, and national resources for the times another provider is the better fit.
Languages and Access
Staff work in English, Spanish, Farsi, and Hindi. The office in Laguna Hills is at 23461 South Pointe Dr., Suite 100, with free parking on site, and telehealth counseling is available throughout California.
Call 949-452-0888 or email [email protected], Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PT. For crisis support outside those hours, 988 is free, confidential, and available 24/7.
