Discussions

Name and Title: Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco PhD, Director, Education and Training.

Organization Name:Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN)

Co-Presenter Name(s):James Watson

Country from Which You Will Present: Canada

Language in Which You Will Present: English (Spanish available)

Target Audience: health activists, health researchers, peer researchers, health policy makers

Short Session Description (one line): An innovative program to train peer researchers in HIV community based research

Full Session Description (one paragraph minimum):

This session will describe our innovative blended delivery pilot program to train peer researchers in HIV research in Canada. It will ask significant questions about blended delivery in-person and online to learn about complex issues in research and how to apply them on the ground. In addition, we are interested in discussing the meta-learning of putting this kind of program together, the community impact, and the potential outcomes in the mid and long term

The Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) is a distinctive research agency in Canada. It
engages academics, scientists, policy makers, frontline workers and persons living with HIV to
work in a diverse number of HIV research initiatives that are multi-sectoral and multi/interdisciplinary.
In 2012, an Education and Training Unit, has been created to bring together and
improve all the various educational and training components internal and external to the OHTN.
One component of this new Unit is the design, implementation and evaluation of an educational
initiative dedicated to the formation of new peer researchers in HIV research called Learning
Exchange for Peer AIDS Researchers (LEAP). The great need for guidance and tools in this
highly specific area is highlighted in Canadian research work.
LEAP is conceptualized to be one course or a series of modules that can be used and adapted
by independent research teams involved in community based research in HIV (CBR) or in
health in general. Following emerging eLearning and existing in-person learning theories, we strive to offer a “product” that is agile, adaptable, and evidence based.

In 2010, a landmark series of working papers in the HIV field were published. Here I refer especially to the first one of the series titled “Peer Research in Action I: Models of Practice” (Roche et al.). This working paper delivers a number of well-founded and significant recommendations that is one of the cornerstones for LEAP. Briefly summarized, Roche et al. recommended a) that those involved
in CBR must “consult professional literature (academic and ‘grey’ literature) on involving
community members in research” (LEAP is currently analyzing the results of a brief research
literature in this area), b) “reflect on their rationale for using a peer research approach before
they commit to using such an approach”, c) “define in explicit and practical terms who
constitutes ‘peers’ on the project to help clarify the goals and intentions of the initiative, as
well as clarify for peers their roles on a project”, d) “establish the roles and responsibilities of
each team member at the outset to help provide the necessary detail to operationalize working
definitions and set out assumptions and expectations”, and e) “ensure that appropriate support
and protection exist for peer researchers across situations and experiences to enable peer
researchers to deal with the emotional aspects of conducting research in their community”. At
LEAP, we make a case for learning together as one key form of “appropriate support and
protection” as well as follow closely all these recommendations.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: http://www.centreforreach.ca:82/uww_public/Pages/leap.aspx