Mission | Values | Board of Directors | Activities | History

NWPC Mission

For people living with HIV/AIDS, the National Working Positive Coalition:

• Promotes research, development and implementation of effective practices in employment services
• Coordinates sharing and dissemination of this information
• Advocates for work options and opportunities

NWPC Values

The NWPC shares the following values and will promote these values in our work:

• People with HIV/AIDS have the right to explore and engage in work opportunities as a central function of their efforts to live full, independent and satisfying lives.
• Individual choices of people living with HIV/AIDS related to work must be respected. The diversity of positive work outcomes including, but not limited to, paid employment must be recognized.
• Vocational services must be responsive to the diversity of work experiences and cultural backgrounds of people living with HIV.
• Consumer choice and control of decision-making related to work must be the foundation of services, research, program design and policy-making.
• People with HIV/AIDS must have access to necessary supports to explore, consider, pursue and engage in work. Systemic barriers to the vocational development of people with HIV/AIDS must be removed.
• Individual experiences of living with HIV and transitioning to work are non-linear and change over time. Any service, research, program design or policy related to HIV and work must take this dynamic into account.
• Communication, cooperation and collaboration are essential between people with HIV/AIDS and those who are crucial to positive outcomes for people with HIV/AIDS. The NWPC respects the unique contributions of all.

Board of Directors

President
Mark Misrok

Treasurer
John Merz

Secretary
Michael Van Essen

Members at Large

Randy Allgaier, Chair, Policy and Advocacy Working Group
Liza Conyers, Chair, Research Working Group
Paul Datti
Karen Escovitz
Betty Kohlenberg
Reshard Riggins
Jeff Rindler
Eda Valero-Figueira
Carol Walter

*The NWPC gratefully thanks Nancy Breuer, a founding member and former Board member, for her many services to the NWPC.

NWPC Activities

Research Working Group
The NWPC Research Working Group promotes the practice of research for the development, facilitation, implementation and evaluation of strategies and interventions addressing the employment needs of PLWHA.

Policy and Advocacy Working Group
The NWPC Policy and Advocacy Working Group works to advance public policies that both support individuals with HIV/AIDS who are considering and/or seeking employment and sustain support during employment.

Employment Programs and Service Approaches Working Group
The NWPC Employment Programs and Service Approaches Working Group will gather and disseminate information and materials to support best practices for employment and vocational rehabilitation service programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. (This Working Group is not currently active.)

Materials Working Group
The Materials Working Group will be starting the project of gathering best practices information. This Working Group's mission is to develop user-friendly, current educational and informational materials about the nexus of HIV and work, the content of which is consistent with NWPC's mission and values, for a variety of stakeholder audiences.

Education and Outreach
NWPC members provide information about current practices, policies, research and programs to conferences of policy makers, professional service providers, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Go to the Accomplishment section to see where the NWPC has provided information about employment and HIV.

NWPC History

The National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC) grew out of the Working Positive Summit Conference in Philadelphia in April 2003. The Conference goal was to share information about evidence-based and experience-based best practices in employment services for people living with HIV/AIDS. The conference participants, including many of the country's service providers, researchers and educators in the field of HIV and employment, decided to continue working together as a national organization which became the National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC).