“It Comes in Steps and Stages”: Experiences of People Living with HIV in Achieving Employment

Serena Rajabiun (), Joseph S. Lightner, Marena Sullivan, Jessica Flaherty, Chau Nguyen, Joseph Ramirez-Forcier and Janet J. Myers
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Serena Rajabiun: Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts—Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
Joseph S. Lightner: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
Marena Sullivan: Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health, School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Jessica Flaherty: Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health, School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Chau Nguyen: HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
Joseph Ramirez-Forcier: Positive Resource Center, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
Janet J. Myers: School of Medicine, University of California—San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: People living with HIV who are seeking jobs experience unique barriers to obtaining employment at the individual, group, and community levels. Traditional employment assistance programs can provide support but may not be tailored to some people living with HIV who often experience barriers to work related to their social needs (such as housing instability) or their lack of consistent engagement in the workforce. To understand how people living with HIV return to work, in-depth interviews were conducted with 43 participants enrolled in interventions coordinating HIV care with housing and employment services at eight sites across the US. Four themes emerged on strategies to increase employment: (1) assessing and responding to employment needs that align with their socio-economic environment; (2) using social networks among family and friends for referrals and support; (3) engaging with navigators who are able to connect clients to skills building opportunities and job resources; and (4) addressing the system barriers such as helping with unmet basic needs (e.g. transportation), finding employers who can accommodate workers with income limits associated with public benefits, and helping immigrants, transgender individuals, and people experiencing homelessness secure legal documentsthat facilitate entry into employment by reducing stigmatized identities.

Keywords: HIV; employment; navigation; interventions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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