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BJSW Advance Access published online on May 2, 2009
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcp047
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Awareness, Acceptance and Action: Developing Mindful Collaborations in International HIV/AIDS Research and Service

Neil Abell and Scott Edward Rutledge

Neil Abell, Professor of Social Work at Florida State University, has collaborated on HIV/AIDS research and service projects for over twenty years in the USA, UK, Eastern Caribbean, South Asia and Central Europe. With a methodological focus in psychometrics, he has developed measures for use in care-giving, case management, medication adherence and self-care, with a current emphasis on HIV/AIDS provider stigma. Scott Edward Rutledge, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, focuses his research, scholarship and service on HIV prevention and AIDS stigma. His prevention work includes efforts with people living with HIV/AIDS, African American gay and bisexual men, and men returning home following incarceration.

Correspondence to Neil Abell, Ph.D., LCSW, C2500 University Center, College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306–2570, USA. E-mail: nabell{at}fsu.edu


  Abstract

Responses to the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS are enhanced when all parties have opportunities to express their needs and goals, assess their capacities for contributing to desired change and recruit support where resources, skills or expertise are required. The sense of urgency, strongly held beliefs and deeply seated anxieties that often accompany HIV-related illness challenge potential collaborators to be both mindful and strategic as they work together for success. Key concerns associated with international social work collaboration are examined with attention to mindfulness principles of awareness, acceptance and action. Emphasis is placed on developing awareness of complex motivations and on making accurate personal, social and environmental assessments. Collaborators are encouraged to accept the implications of culturally derived preconceptions, act intentionally, based on realistic expectations for partners' contributions, and sustain momentum over the long haul. Recommendations are offered for planning and implementing respectful international collaborations in HIV/AIDS service and research.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, social work, mindfulness, international, collaboration


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