Jocelyn Paul Skills Building Program for People Living with HIV/AIDS

Program Overview

The Skills Building Program for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS was initiated by AIDS New Brunswick’s Board of Directors in March 2004. Funds were set aside to support opportunities for clients to participate in national skills-building events. Events may include the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) and Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network annual education workshops and Annual General Meetings, and the CAS Skills-Building Symposiums. The program aims to provide financial help for one client living with HIV/AIDS per year to participate in one of these skills building events. The emphasis of this program is on the client’s personal development. This means that the reason for sending someone to a skills building event is for their growth and learning – to give them experience at a large workshop where they can meet a variety of people and find out new information and hear about different people’s experiences. It is also a chance for a client to take part in discussion groups, and to help them feel comfortable with sharing their own views and ideas.

The Nomination Process

Any member of AIDS New Brunswick, a client, and/or a staff member can put forward a nomination of someone they feel would be a good candidate for the Skills Building Program for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. There is a nomination form to be filled out; it includes open ended questions on why they would like to attend the event, and why they are a good candidate. Nominations must be received as early as possible and at least sixty days prior to the event.

The Selection Process

The Health and Wellness Committee of AIDS New Brunswick will review submitted nominations and select a good candidate to attend the initiative. Every effort will be made to ensure diversity in those who are selected to attend national special initiatives, in terms of ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disabilities and region of the province they reside in. All committee members have signed confidentiality agreements. The committee will consider the following when selecting a candidate:

Selection Criteria

A nominee must:

• be a member of AIDS New Brunswick who is in good standing;
• be a person living with HIV/AIDS;
• not be a staff or Board member of AIDS New Brunswick;
• be able to commit the time necessary to participate fully at the event;
• have the ability to actively participate in and contribute to any discussion at the event;
• have an interest in sharing information from the event with people living with HIV/AIDS and community organizations.

Additional Note: preference will be given to those who have not previously participated in this program.

The committee will make every effort to ensure an equal opportunity for all members to participate in skills building events; the committee encourages members who have not previously attended to apply.

The Executive Director of AIDS New Brunswick will work with the client selected to attend the event to apply for any additional scholarships/financial assistance that may be available for the initiative.

The client selected to attend will submit a report after the event to the PLWHIV/AIDS Liaison (verbally or in writing) on information, skills and knowledge gained as a result of attending, and may include literature from the event. The participant may also be asked to give a short verbal report at the annual Fall Forum.