abstract: 'As people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) achieve more stable health, many

  have taken on active peer support and professional roles within AIDS

  service organizations. Although the increased engagement has been

  associated with many improved health outcomes, emerging program and

  research evidence have identified new challenges associated with such

  transition. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative

  interpretive study that explored the effect of this role transition on

  PHA service providers'' access to mental health support and self care. A

  total of 27 PHA service providers of diverse ethno-racial backgrounds

  took part in the study. Results show that while role transition often

  improves access to financial and health-care benefits, it also leads to

  new stress from workload demands, emotional triggers from client''s

  narratives, feeling of burnout from over-immersion in HIV at both

  personal and professional levels, and diminished self care. Barriers to

  seeking support included: concerns regarding confidentiality;

  self-imposed and enacted stigma associated with accessing mental health

  services; and boundary issues resulting from changes in relationships

  with peers and other service providers. Evolving support mechanisms

  included: new formal and informal peer support networks amongst

  colleagues or other PHA service providers to address both personal and

  professional challenges, and having access to professional support

  offered through the workplace. The findings suggest the need for

  increased organizational recognition of HIV support work as a form of

  emotional labor that places complex demands on PHA service providers.

  Increased access to employer-provided mental health services, supportive

  workplace policies, and adequate job-specific training will contribute

  to reduced work-related stress. Community level strategies that support

  expansion of social networks amongst PHA service providers would reduce

  isolation. Systemic policies to increase access to insurance benefits

  and enhance sector-wide job preparedness and post-employment support

  will sustain long-term and meaningful involvement of PHAs in service

  provision.'
affiliation: 'Li, ATW (Corresponding Author), Regent Pk Community Hlth Ctr, Toronto,
  ON, Canada.

  Li, Alan Tai-Wai, Regent Pk Community Hlth Ctr, Toronto, ON, Canada.

  Li, Alan Tai-Wai; Owino, Maureen, Comm Accessible AIDS Treatment, Toronto, ON, Canada.

  Li, Alan Tai-Wai, Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

  Wales, Joshua; Guiang, Charlie, St Michaels Hosp, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.

  Wong, Josephine Pui-Hing, Ryerson Univ, Daphne Cockwell Sch Nursing, Toronto, ON,
  Canada.

  Perreault, Yvette, AIDS Bereavement \& Resiliency Program Ontario, Toronto, ON,
  Canada.

  Miao, Andrew, Asian Community AIDS Serv, Toronto, ON, Canada.

  Maseko, Precious, African \& Caribbean Council HIV AIDS Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.'
author: Li, Alan Tai-Wai and Wales, Joshua and Wong, Josephine Pui-Hing and Owino,
  Maureen and Perreault, Yvette and Miao, Andrew and Maseko, Precious and Guiang,
  Charlie
author-email: alanl@regentparkchc.org
author_list:
- family: Li
  given: Alan Tai-Wai
- family: Wales
  given: Joshua
- family: Wong
  given: Josephine Pui-Hing
- family: Owino
  given: Maureen
- family: Perreault
  given: Yvette
- family: Miao
  given: Andrew
- family: Maseko
  given: Precious
- family: Guiang
  given: Charlie
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/09540121.2014.940269
eissn: 1360-0451
files: []
issn: 0954-0121
journal: AIDS CARE-PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-MEDICAL ASPECTS OF AIDS/HIV
keywords: 'PHA service providers; employment transition; work-related stress;

  principles of GIPA/MEIPA; emotional labor'
keywords-plus: INVOLVEMENT; HIV/AIDS; ORGANIZATIONS
language: English
month: FEB 1
number: '2'
number-of-cited-references: '22'
orcid-numbers: Wong, Josephine Pui-Hing/0000-0002-8262-7725
pages: 176-181
papis_id: ba82060d1c7bb99c9a4103c94be341d3
ref: Li2015changingaccess
times-cited: '8'
title: Changing access to mental health care and social support when People living
  with HIV/AIDS become service providers
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000347523300006
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '16'
volume: '27'
web-of-science-categories: 'Health Policy \& Services; Public, Environmental \& Occupational
  Health;

  Psychology, Multidisciplinary; Respiratory System; Social Sciences,

  Biomedical'
year: '2015'