Experiences and Challenges: Service Providers Working with People Living with HIV in Alberta

This presentation explores the narratives and the stories of the service providers working with People Living With HIV (PLWH) amidst COVID-19 in Alberta and propose a transformative community-led COVID-19 recovery model. Using a mixed method research design, we conducted a community-based study with the service providers with aims to identify the challenges that the service providers experience in their service provisions amidst COVID 19 and develop a transformative COVID -19 recovery model to effectively and efficiently support the HIV community. In collaboration with the community-based HIV agencies in Calgary and Edmonton, we virtually conducted 3 focus groups with the leadership team and one focus group with the front-line workers. We also distributed surveys to the HIV organizations in Albert, and 25 people attended the surveys. Using a thematic analysis, we developed key challenges including staff shortage, lack of funding/resources, uncertainty in social service provisions, technical difficulties, maintain confidentiality of clients, lack of coordination amongst staff, meeting immediate needs, lack of guidance from the leadership team. Forged by adversity, the service providers' efforts towards supporting the HIV community is praiseworthy. Using the model, the implications of the study will be shared at the conference. Overall, we claim that COVID-19 escalated the pre-existence injustice and the vulnerability of service providers to mental health and psychological marginalization. Further research focusing on the mental health and psychological wellbeing of service providers working with HIV communities from a social justice lens is critically needed.