This year’s theme for World AIDS Day 2023 was “Let Communities Lead“. We upheld the theme and expanded the vision to the intersecting communities we support with this training on December 6th.
We featured discussions on improving client connection and cultural safety; ethical and open employment practices supporting people with lived andl iving experience (PWLLE); and sustainable involvement of PWLLE. Two of the sessions were recorded and we invite you to listen, learn, and build community action.
These sessions will support the work of:
- people with lived experience of hepatitis C, HIV, substance use, and intersecting identities;
- PAN member groups
- community allies
- clinicians working with people living with HIV, hepatitis C, and intersecting health concerns;
- policy makers and researchers in the fields of hepatitis C and/or substance use
- people seeking more information about centring people with lived experience in their work
Program
Making it Work
Making it Work is an Indigenous-focused, community-based research project in British Columbia co-led by PAN and the AHA Centre at CAAN (Communities, Alliances and Networks). It expands knowledge about models of care that are working for people living with HIV or hepatitis C who may also be experiencing challenges with mental health or substance use. Making it Work explored how organizations can ensure their services are culturally safe and support outcomes for Indigenous clients.
Learn more about Making it Work
Employment and Training Practices for People with Lived and Living Experience
People with lived and living experience (PWLLE) are central to shaping work that’s responsive and compassionate. This session featured PWLLE discussing two different research projects, different approaches to peer engagement, and ideas on creating ethical and open employment opportunities for PWLLE.
Resources
Resources to Enhance Peer Employment
Positive Leadership Development Institute (PLDI)
Community Research Associates- Title Change
Sustainable Involvement of People with Lived Experience
This speaker panel featured PWLLE discussing how they have shaped their work with peers over decades. Whether it’s as a volunteer or in a paid position, the work can be energizing, intense, and demanding. We talked about confidentiality; decision-making on disclosure; conflict between peers; mentorship; and more. Due to the personal nature of this discussion, it was not recorded.
In the opening we acknowledged the anniversay of December 6th is the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, a night on which 14 young students at Universite de Montreal were murdered by a man targeting them because they were women. There are many murdered and missing women and girls who don’t make headlines and are missed deeply by their families and communities. We mentioned the date to remind each other of the necessity to do all we can to lessen the pain and occurrence of gender-based violence, and work on the systems of society that influence it. The following resources may help people looking for more information on gender-based violence and support.
Aboriginal Transition Houses and Family Violence Crisis Lines
Battered Women Support Services
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan
Transition Houses and Safe Homes list for BC
Visit our library of on-demand webinars in the PAN Presents and KnowledgeConnect series.
We greatly appreciate the vision of our government funders and their ongoing commitment to supporting the work of PAN. In particular we gratefully acknowledge the Public Health Agency of Canada – HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Public Health Agency of Canada.