How peer support workers are leading the way in preventing the spread of HIV in northern Ontario

When Yvonne Hunter was diagnosed with HIV more than 25 years ago, she says she didn't know what the disease was – and if her friend hadn't suggested she get tested, she wouldn't have even known she was sick.

She was living in Vancouver at the time, and when the nurse asked if she had any family nearby, she suspected the doctor wasn't bringing her good news.

But she received treatment, and since then, she's moved back to Thunder Bay, Ont., where she grew up. Upon her return, she ended up working with P.A.C.E. – People Advocating for Change Through Empowerment – before working with the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy and Elevate NWO.

She's shared her story at many conferences over the years, and as a peer support worker, her experience living with HIV and formerly being homeless is an asset, not something to be ashamed of. She's one of 18 people with lived experience at Elevate NWO in northwestern Ontario leading the way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in vulnerable communities. 

Elevate NWO mostly works with people in the community when and where they want service, which is part of a larger trend of agencies shifting away from appointment-based models in office settings, Hunter explained. 

"I work more with the street people than I do inside the building, which to me is [much] better than sitting on my ass in here and watching everybody struggle out there," she said.

Much of her work involves checking in on people, helping them find a bed, clean clothes, a shower, and navigating the city. If they're in distress, she asks if they want an ambulance, but lets them take charge of deciding their care.

And if they just want someone to talk to, she takes the time to listen.

"It's better to listen to their story than to put words in their mouths; it's their story. So then when they get their story out, they seem to feel a little less weight on them," Hunter said.

Then, if they ask for advice, "I try to give them ideas, some kind of hope."

Peer support means building relationships with people. This takes time, and even though Hunter is no longer homeless, she still calls the street community her family. Every night, she said she prays she'll see them alive the next day.

Love and trust is what allows peer support workers to make a real impact on people, and is an effective strategy when looking at how to reduce harms and prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the community, said Holly Gauvin, Elevate NWO's executive director. 

"It's the peers that are the lead in if we're ever to make those inroads into these communities, and so it's essential that they're at the front of it," she said. "It also has this amazing impact on the peers' lives as well.

"We talked about the mental health crisis that we're experiencing here in the north … they stop feeling that futility when they feel like they are part of a solution, and not just victims to the problems that exist in our community."