{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T14:33:05Z","timestamp":1788532385033,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"10-11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]],"date-time":"2024-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1731628800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100006108","name":"National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UL1TR002373"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UL1TR002373"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100006108","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000124","name":"Office of Research on Women\u2019s Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["8K12AR084227"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["8K12AR084227"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000124","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000069","name":"National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000069","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"National Cancer Institute"},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100001395","name":"Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100001395","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Qual Health Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Organizations that work with people who trade sex for compensation (including sex work and trafficking) and who are homeless employ lived experience experts to enhance the relevance and utility of services. We sought to understand how lived experience experts become social service leaders and the conditions that influence their pathways and well-being. Influenced by anti-capitalism and anti-white-supremacy, we used an intersectional, community-engaged, constructivist grounded theory approach to conduct semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 26 adults with lived experiences who were currently employed in an organizational leadership role. Participants were ages 22\u201343; 50% people of color; 26% trans and gender expansive; and 62% queer. We found that lived experience experts were mostly situated either within an individualist or collectivist organizational context. Participants in the individualist context typically began their trajectories through storytelling, which contrasted with those in the collectivist context who began by organizing around a cause or policy. A cycle of internal and external validation (e.g., mentor affirmation and increased self-worth) and invalidation (e.g., insufficient pay; exploitation of their stories; and identity-based exclusion) resulted. Emerging conflicts were perceived and addressed differently depending on participants\u2019 contexts, with some additional barriers for those advocating for sex work decriminalization. Findings suggest that there may be insufficient funding structures, mentorship, and leadership development practices and policies to support lived experience experts. Left unaddressed, lived experience experts, especially those who are multiply minoritized, may transition to other roles and\/or out of advocacy movements. Anti-capitalist practice, policy, and research implications that counteract harms and support employees\u2019 mental health are discussed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/10497323241277113","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]],"date-time":"2024-11-15T04:41:47Z","timestamp":1731645707000},"page":"1131-1145","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["How People With Lived Experiences of Homelessness and Sex Trades Become Social Service Leaders in Sex Trafficking, Sex Trading, and Youth Organizations: A Community-Engaged Study"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"35","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6275-7004","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lara B.","family":"Gerassi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caro","family":"Cruys","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sakara","family":"Wages","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI, USA"},{"name":"Subversive Social Work, Platteville, WI, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_5_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2020.306137"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260519898434"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/pspi0000071"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_5_1","volume-title":"Meaningful engagement of people with lived experience: A framework and assessment for measuring and increasing lived experience leadership across the spectrum of engagement","author":"Ash C.","year":"2023","unstructured":"Ash C., Otiende S. (2023). Meaningful engagement of people with lived experience: A framework and assessment for measuring and increasing lived experience leadership across the spectrum of engagement. Global Fund to End Modern Slavery and National Survivor Network-Cast."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18060\/24986"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_7_1","volume-title":"Office of human services policy peer-to-peer supports: Promoting employment and well-being project Officers","author":"Benton A.","year":"2019","unstructured":"Benton A., Erickson L., Hauan S., Jones K., Martinez S., Abbott M., Landers P., Pratt E. (2019). Office of human services policy peer-to-peer supports: Promoting employment and well-being project Officers. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_8_1","unstructured":"Bigelsen J. Vuotto S. Addison K. Trongone S. Tully K. (2013). Homelessness survival sex and human trafficking: As experienced by the youth of Covenant House New York. https:\/\/humantraffickinghotline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Homelessness%2C%20Survival%20Sex%2C%20and%20Human%20Trafficking%20-%20Covenant%20House%20NY.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02703149.2016.1210964"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/9781685850272"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732303262642"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732315613042"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_13_1","volume-title":"Constructing grounded theory","author":"Charmaz K.","year":"2006","unstructured":"Charmaz K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory. 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