Ms Rose-Mary Knol2
1Monash University, Caulfield East, Australia, 2Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Rose is a social worker with almost thirty years' experience working in acute, sub-acute, and community settings in Melbourne and overseas. Rose is currently working as a clinical social worker in the Victorian HIV Service, and is a PhD student with Monash University, focusing on the religious and spiritual beliefs of people living with HIV in the context of their living, migratory, and cultural experiences.
Abstract:
Community partnership is integral to HIV research and stems from the grassroots approach to HIV prevention and treatment which is to do “Nothing About Us Without Us”. In research literature there is growing awareness that to provide appropriate HIV care, the lived experience of people living with HIV (PLWH), particularly people from other countries, needs to be acknowledged and better understood. Partnering with the HIV community at the very onset of a study invites the engagement, collaboration, and consultation of people who are living with and affected by HIV and increases accountability through public scrutiny. These guidelines and my clinical experience working as a social worker in the Victorian HIV Service underpin the creation of a Partner Advisory group. The purpose of this group is to contribute to and hold up to scrutiny my role as lead researcher, and my PhD study which aims to explore the religious and spiritual beliefs of people living with HIV. The social work principles and processes used to bring the group together are as important and worthy of acknowledgement as is the group itself. The use of social work techniques such as reflective and active listening, and the acknowledgement and inclusion of partners’ views and beliefs, adds to the positive collaborative work and overall effectiveness of the group. The Partner Advisory group ensures that the study reduces the risk of harm and contributes to greater clinical knowledge and understanding that can meaningfully translate into wholistic and culturally appropriate HIV care.