CANADIAN WORKING GROUP ON HIV AND REHABILITATION - 2000 REPORT

CAPM&R Liaison: Ron Bowie

The Working Group has completed another year of intensive activity to further its mission to support the availability of rehabilitation resources, services and support for people with HIV disease. Particular emphasis has been placed and structured through committees, regarding the development of partnerships both in funding and in the development of policies, projects and programs.

The 1999 call for proposals was examined by the Project Review Committee and led to CWGHR funding the following research projects. They are Capacity Building and Training Strategy on Benefits Counseling Issues for Canadian AIDS Service Organizations (Canadian AIDS Society), AIDS-in-the-Workplace Manual Development (Canadian AIDS Society) and Issues of Engagement in Rehabilitation among Persons with HIV/AIDS who are at High Risk of Declining Health (The Dr. Peter Centre and the University of Victoria). These are underway and The Challenging Depression and HIV Project (HIV/AIDS Interagency Coalition on Mental Health Issues) awaits completion of ethical approval.

Your representative on CWGHR has been particularly involved in a Group advisory committee for the past seven months, in the preparation of a Policy/Position Paper intended to provide both the Group and others with the background and scope of issues related to rehabilitation in the context of HIV disease. This resulted in a highly detailed cross-Canada examination of the current state of relevant research, undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional education and public education. It extended to clinical practice and current program developments and to issues regarding income support, employment and lifestyle. The final report will be completed this summer and then made available to the CAPM&R, through its Executive Committee.

Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Ron Bowie