The most recent update to PAN’s Peer Employment Resource Database sought to build on the initial database with more recent resources. This was done through a literature search of various databases such as Google, Pubmed, Google scholar from January 2023 to the present. A secondary reference search of relevant documents for grey literature including reports, guidelines, policy briefs etc. was also conducted. A variety of search terms were used for the search such as a combination of people with lived and living experiences + employment, peers + honorarium-based work, and people living with HIV + employment etc.
The new resources were picked for their relevance to identifying emerging principles and practices to engage people with lived and living experiences in employment within community-based organizations and gaps and challenges in practices, principals, and policies regarding peer employment, and peer employment approaches, methodologies, and theories. The resources offer both theoretical and practical insights into effective practices, policies, and principles for peer engagement and employment within CBOs.
Released in 2024, the primary aim of the database is to serve as a resource for leaders and practitioners at community-based organizations (CBOs), researchers, policymakers, and students deeply involved in or interested in the various aspects of peer engagement and the contextual evidence within the contexts of HIV, hepatitis C, and drug use. Resources seen as most relevant for use in BC include a summary, key findings, and outline practical implications for its implementation, as well as provide a link to the source material. We hope this database not only provides concise and credible information but also provokes further conversation, and the development of inclusive practices and policies.
In case you missed it, at the same time, PAN launched the Embedding Peer-Delivered Services in CBOs resource which outlines steps for incorporating the lived and living experiences into operations, and programs and services. For policymakers and funders in health and human services, it conveys the importance of supporting initiatives that prioritize engagement of people with lived/living experience and resources to address their unique needs, and delves into the principles, practices and policies of this work.
Read more about both resources here.