\u201cSomeone who has never lived on the street won\u2019t understand street culture.\u201d That\u2019s what Andr\u00e9anne says calmly when asked about the added value of a peer in harm reduction, like Farin, or a clinical nurse, like herself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4829,"template":"","actualite_type":[12],"actualite_sujet":[177],"action_combat":[],"mdm_pays":[],"class_list":["post-4828","actualite","type-actualite","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","actualite_type-campaigns","actualite_sujet-care-without-judgment"],"acf":{"mise_en_avant":false,"chapeau":"\u201cSomeone who has never lived on the street won\u2019t understand street culture.\u201d That\u2019s what Andr\u00e9anne says calmly when asked about the added value of a peer in harm reduction, like Farin, or a clinical nurse, like herself.","cta_type":"aucun","cta_lien":"","contenu":"
Farin and Andr\u00e9anne work on board M\u00e9decins du Monde\u2019s mobile clinic: the small van that crisscrosses the city and returns \u201cto the same spots every two weeks, rain or shine.\u201d The duo offers a global health approach to those the system fails to reach.<\/p>\n
For people experiencing homelessness, those who use substances, or sex workers who come to see them, Farin and Andr\u00e9anne combine their expertise. The goal: to define a range of options that allow patients to \u201cfind, within the spectrum of solutions, the one that best meets their needs [\u2026]\u201d, explains Farin. \u201cIt\u2019s never about finding the right solution, but rather how many options exist for the person to ultimately arrive at something that makes sense for them.\u201d This spectrum of solutions is established by the peer support worker in harm reduction and the clinical nurse by also drawing on their life experiences. Andr\u00e9anne\u2019s role first involves \u201cassessing the medical situation to ensure the person is healthy and able to function,\u201d but it doesn\u2019t stop there. Having lived among people with substance use issues enriches her perspective and allows her to welcome marginalized and stigmatized populations into the clinic with respect and kindness.<\/p>\n Like Farin, Andr\u00e9anne adopts a stance of radical acceptance. This means acknowledging that \u201cthe person in front of us won\u2019t stop using just because they have an abscess.\u201d The nurse adds: \u201cSuggesting they review their consumption techniques because their veins are damaged\u2014that\u2019s truly a sign of respect for the person.\u201d A key attitude to ensure a positive care experience and gradually build a relationship of trust with patients. It\u2019s all of this combined that ultimately promotes better access to health care for everyone.<\/p>\n Farin, for his part, draws on his experiential knowledge of substance use and an adolescence partly spent on the street. Because he knows better than any what it means to have had \u201ca difficult childhood.\u201d Farin trusts in his ability to \u201cshare and create connections with those who are outside social norms.\u201d That\u2019s how the populations the duo supports will return to the clinic when they need it, without fear of being judged. Because, as Farin says: \u201cCare happens before, during, and after a consultation. [\u2026] Time and kindness are also part of care.\u201d<\/p>\n
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