Tyreema Abrams of PPNYC’s Project Street Beat Talks Supporting Patients with HIV On Mobile Medical Unit and Beyond
December 1st is World AIDS Day. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Planned Parenthood of New York City is proud to be a partner in this global initiative.
In honor of World AIDS Day, PPNYC’s Communications Coordinator Senti Sojwal sat down with Tyreema Abrams, Case Management Coordinator at Project Street Beat. Project Street Beat provides confidential, nonjudgmental health care, counseling and support to adults and young people who live and work on NYC’s streets. They do it all — from support groups to syringe distribution to Pap tests at 10 p.m. on the Keith Haring Foundation — Project Street Beat Mobile Medical Unit!
Senti: Can you talk to us a little bit about how case management works at Project Street Beat? What kinds of issues do you see arising most from Project Street Beat clients and how specifically does Project Street Beat support people who come here for services?
Tyreema: We have clients who come to us through the mobile medical unit. The programs that I oversee and work at are for people who are HIV positive, so if they test positive on the MMU hopefully they do become a client and receive additional services from us. We also receive referrals from outside agencies, and sometimes they are referrals from friends. We have a lot of clients that are referred to us from people that they already know and they’re very comfortable with.
Senti: That’s amazing!
Tyreema: Yeah. So, the main focus of the program is to help people who are HIV positive live in a more healthy way to reach their goals. So what our Case Managers do is I find out which goal is most important for them, and help them work toward that goal. So, we have one program that focuses on people who are HIV positive and have a history of substance use. Then, we have another program for people who are HIV positive and have a lot of other various medical needs without a history of substance use. So we do focus on those specific issues within the program, but we also try to find out what’s really important to the person and what motivates them, because that’s how we are able to keep clients engaged in the process. You really want to keep it client centered and focused, and you want to help the client reach the goals that are important to them so that they can live their best life.
Senti: What has working at Project Street Beat taught you about case management and supporting marginalized communities in New York City?
Tyreema: Working here and providing case management services has taught me that people really aren’t that different from one another. People who struggle with the same issues are more alike than different. So when you see people who are disenfranchised, people who don’t have access to good medical care, people who have histories of substance use, they usually have very similar backgrounds.
And everyone really just wants to be happy. People want to feel valued, they want to feel important, they want to feel loved, and sometimes they need a little help getting them to where they need to be.
Senti: Can you share with us a story that really impacted you?
Tyreema: What really stands out to me in helping clients is seeing a person who is really doubtful about their capabilities or who may not be feeling really good about themselves move to a place where they are more confident. So, sometimes for me, it’s not the tangible gains, but it’s the ones that are intangible that mean the most to me. So, having a client that comes into the office, who was formally kind of sad, kind of kept their head down, didn’t feel like they were very capable, become a person that becomes aware that they are capable, that is able to let you know what they need, becomes proud of themselves, and they become more self sufficient. I love seeing that. That is usually at the point where I feel like yeah, you know, I’m doing a good job, when the client really doesn’t need me that much, they kind of just come in to say hello. That’s where I like to get the client to.
Senti: What do you feel like are the critical steps in that transformation? How do you start to see that occur?
Tyreema: I think that when you show the client that you’re dependable. A lot of them have been in situations where they haven’t been able to depend on anyone, or the people who told them, not just the people, but the services and agencies that are supposed to provide care, actually don’t. Or provide sub-par care, or provide their care with bias, whether its toward their sexuality, their gender expression, or their race. So, you have to show them that you’re dependable and that you’re accepting, and that you value them as a person. Once I feel that that step is established, that person can come in and meet with you, and they know that they’re not being judged, they’re not going to be put down, and you’re really there to just help them reach their goals. Then you can really do some good work. That to me is the first and most important step. If people don’t feel valued, they won’t come back, and they won’t use your services.
Senti: PSB highlights the importance of being reliable to people who have been taught that they are unable to rely on anyone but themselves. Can you talk more about this?
Tyreema: Absolutely. Because at Project Street Beat you have people who are coming from backgrounds that are very similar to the demographic that we serve, we understand how that feels. We understand how it feels when people aren’t taking you seriously, and when they are not really fighting for you, when they don’t really care about how you are doing, and whether or not you are doing well. Since we do understand that, we really try our best to service our clients and be reliable for them. And, to give them the services that they are entitled to, and to help them get to their best self to where they are working optimally in their lives.
Senti: How do the groups work at PSB?
Tyreema: So we do provide case management services, which includes one on one counseling, and also includes accompaniments. We accompany clients to appointments with HRA [NYC Human Resources Administration], HASA [NYC HIV/AIDS Services Administration], with their doctors, with Social Security, because sometimes our clients really need someone to advocate for them, sometimes they’re not able to be the best advocates for themselves at that time and that’s where we come in. We also provide group services: we have support groups, we talk about substance use, we talk about any issues that they want to discuss regarding their personal lives.
Senti: What do current and former Project Street Beat clients say about the impacts that Project Street Beat has had on their lives?
Tyreema: What I most often hear from clients is that they love Project Street Beat, they feel at home at Project Street Beat, they feel that people have their best interests at heart, they feel a real camaraderie and a family environment. And they love coming here, they know that they won’t be judged. One thing that is really important to them as well is that they know that if they are having an issue, that it will be taken seriously. So, if something does happen that they are not happy about, they know that they can speak to myself, they can speak to any supervisor, any manager at any time, and have that person attend to their concerns. So I think that that also helps them feel valued as well.
Senti: With all of the attacks on reproductive and sexual health that we are seeing from Washington, what do you think you would say to New Yorkers about why it is so important to support an initiative like Project Street Beat today and now?
Tyreema: It’s especially important today because New York is undergoing gentrification, because we’re seeing people who have been historically disenfranchised, become even more disenfranchised. And, what’s starting to happen is we’re also starting to see people who haven’t historically been disenfranchised become disenfranchised. So, you really have a lot of people who are struggling with the same issues, who are suffering through the same problems — economic, social, and there are these individual barriers. People don’t even realize that they’re dealing with the same issues. Project Street Beat is important because we help knock some of that down, we provide a place for people to get together and find out that “oh, I’m not alone in this, I’m not the only person in Brooklyn who has HIV, or I’m not the only person who’s been struggling with substance use and been trying to get better, I’m not the only person that’s been having economic issues, and I don’t know what services I am entitled to to help me.” So places like this really help people who are marginalized to get their footing and grab their stance, and become more functional in society.
Senti: Do you have anything else you’d like to add?
Tyreema: If I could shout something from the rooftops about Project Street Beat, it would be that love is here. There’s a lot of love here.
