The introduction of new treatments has extended the lifespan and improved quality of life among people with HIV/AIDS, leading many who are disabled/unemployed to contemplate workforce entry. Unfortunately, people with HIV/AIDS face obstacles to employment, including benefits loss (i.e., healthcare benefits), potential health changes, challenges in health maintenance on the job, workplace discrimination, and out-of-date skills. Based on three years' experience administering a HRSA-funded workforce-entry program for people with AIDS, our proposed project has been designed to test the effectiveness of a workforce-entry intervention grounded in coping resources theory. The intervention will feature individual sessions to address participant concerns and to tailor individual plans to accommodate them, as well as topical support groups that address common areas of concern such as health changes, ongoing concerns over stigma and discrimination, benefits loss, and other HIV-related workforce-entry concerns. Following a screening for untreated major mental health disorder, undiagnosed neuropsychological deficits, and income, participants will be randomized into either a Standard Employment Condition or an Enhanced HIV Employment Condition. Participants in the Standard Employment Condition will be referred directly into existing rehabilitation and employment programs administered locally the California Department of Rehabilitation or the Long Beach Career Transition Center. Participants in the Enhanced HIV Employment Condition will be referred for these same services, and will also undergo a mixed-modality (group and individual) intervention that features six individual sessions accompanied and followed by biweekly topical support groups offered throughout the duration of their participation. Participants will be followed for a total of 24 months to monitor their progress toward employment, job satisfaction, emotional quality of life, physical health and overall quality of life.
