Being on This Boat: The Provision of Culturally Competent Mental Health Services to People Living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Many HIV-infected individuals experience varying degrees of stigma on the basis of multiple aspects of their identity. Cultural competence for this population must address all of the ways that clients experience stigma, including not only race and ethnicity but also gender, economic status, sexual orientation, geography, drug use, and physical health status. This article reports on an evaluation study of a mental health program for people living with HIV/AIDS. Findings suggest that social service agencies need to be responsive to all aspects of a client's identity. Implications for practice with this multidimensional population are also discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• cultural competence
• HIV/AIDS
• identity
• stigma

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the clients and staff of the SAMHSA program for their openness in sharing their thoughts and feelings.