Street Side: The Street Medicine Institute Podcast

Disabilities disproportionately effect rough sleepers. Mental illness, cognitive impairments, traumatic brain injuries, and amputations are commonplace. While not every street med team can have an embedded Occupation Therapist, Max & Julia provide useful guidance on how to think about and address disability issues among the unhoused.Additional Resources:Hurwitz, M., & Lam, J. (2024). Unmet needs: Bringing physical rehabilitation to people experiencing homelessness. Pm & R, 17(4), 445.  https://doi.org/10.1002/pmrj.13311Lam, J., Hurwitz, M., Ngankam, D., & Leland, N. (2024). Interdisciplinary rehabilitation for the transition out of homelessness with a traumatic brain injury. BMJ Case Reports, 17(12), e262462. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2024-262462Marshall, C., Gewurtz, R., Barbic, S., Roy, L., Cooke, A., & Lysaght, R. (2023). Bridging the transition to housing: A social justice framework to guide the practice of occupational therapists and other professionals who support individuals with experiences of homelessness. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/17280Tyminski, Q. (2021, October). Occupational therapy for the homeless [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/quinn_tyminski_occupational_therapy_for_the_homeless

With fresh eyes and an open heart, UC San Diego pre-med student Sophie Smith spent the summer volunteering with the street med team in Rochester, NY. With her youthful enthusiasm she fully engaged with the work on the streets, and shares her reflections on the transformative nature of street medicine along the academic journey to becoming a physician.The His Branches Community Health Center website is HERE

Jim Withers has been a catalyst of the Street Medicine Movement for more than 30 years. He offers his insights into the past, present and future of the movement, with penetrating clarity about the philosophy of care, and the centrality of humility, gratitude and joy in this work. He inspires and reminds us all that this work is an integral piece of the symphonic global movement towards social justice.The Street Medicine Institute website HEREPittsburgh Mercy's Operation Safety Net website HEREThe Danger of the Single Story Ted Talk HERE

Los Angeles has more than 70,000 unhoused individuals. With her husband Brett Feldman, Corinne is a founder of the USC Street Medicine Program in Los Angeles (2018). She is a clinician and educator with a wealth of experiential knowledge. In this episode, Corinne shares her perspectives on workforce development, and guides us through a street level approach to both trafficking and intimate partner violence.USC Street Med Website: HERE

Dr. Nguyen shares the Loyola program's wrap-around care model that incorporates street outreach, emergency services, in-patient care, and medical respite. She also details the history taking acronym of HOUSED BEDS for rough sleepers, and tells some remarkable patient stories.Loyola Street Medicine Program, HERE HOUSED BEDS history taking, HERE

Emergency Room physician Dr. Qi Charles Zhang started the New Orleans Street Medicine Program and is now the Clinical Director of The Street Medicine Institute. Poyani was able to speak with him about his past experiences and his current work supporting and coordinating new programs around the world.Street Medicine Institute website HEREhttps://www.streetmedicine.org/

With thought-provoking and challenging conviction, Mike Boucher leads listeners on a journey towards collective care and liberation from oppressive systems. As a minister, therapist and activist, Mike thinks and feels deeply about societal harm, and the multi-faceted approaches to personal and communal healing.Mike's Book Recommendations:Liberated to the Bone, Susan RaffoEmergent Strategy, Adrienne Maree BrownWhat It Takes To Heal, Prentis HemphillDecolonizing Therapy, Jennifer Mullan

Kshe is the embodiment of living wisdom born out of the suffering of lived experience. We honor her courage and vulnerability in sharing her very personal journey. From the chaos of the streets to full-time advocacy, her story is remarkable. Kshe is the Founder and Director of LULA (Love You Like Always) in Peoria, IllinoisLULA website is HEREFacebook link is HEREFor feedback, comments or suggestions, you can email the host, Michael Brennan, at:[email protected]

Need inspiration? Listen to Dr. Sam Jackson from Chicago talk about why he loves this work. Learn about long-acting injectable medication options, and why housing is a therapeutic intervention for mental health. Dr. Jackson is the Founder and President of the Street Mental Health Coalition, and is publishing a book entitled "Homelessness."The website: streetmentalhealth.orgTo join the Coalition, email Sam: [email protected]

Persons with substance use disorder are at dramatically increased risk of overdose upon release from incarceration. Dr. Aaron Fox is the Director of the Bronx Transitions Clinic, which provides a medical home for people with chronic health conditions upon reentry. He is also the President of the New York Society of Addiction Medicine and a researcher in the field of opioid use disorder.

Medical Director of BronxWorks in NYC and faculty leader of the family medicine residency "Homeless" track at Montefiore Einstein, Dr. Littleton has decades of experience in street medicine. She explores themes of housing first, harm reduction, and "learning to listen" in medical training and practice. She is interviewed by Poyani Bavishi, who launched Street Side in 2023.

The Street Mental Health Handbook is a practical guide to street-level psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. This special episode is a recording of the Book Launch Webinar that was held in January 2026. We get to hear directly from the authors - Liz Frye, Simon Hatcher and Kim Van Herk - respond to audience questions in this dynamic episode of Street Side.To purchase the book from Springer Nature, here is a LINK

Join us to hear Emma Lo trace her remarkable journey to Street Psychiatry. An informative and inspirational speaker, Emma offers insight into the value of steadfast solidarity with our unhoused neighbors, placing relationship building at the core of mental health care. Emma is the Founder and Director of the Street Psychiatry Program at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, and is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University.A link to Emma's Profile on the Yale Website HERE

Our spotlight is on the Street Medicine Program of Valley Health Partners in Pennsylvania. Program Director Seth Campbell, PA, joins us to talk about their work. From the early inspiration of Brett and Corinne Feldman, Seth has helped to fashion a robust program that even outfits patients with eyeglasses right on the street. He also provides wise guidance for nascent and early Street Medicine programs.The link to Valley Health Partners is HERE

Are you curious about Harm Reduction and Safe Injection Sites? Dr. Benjamin T. Hayes, MD, MPH, MSW, is an Assistant Professor of General Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center and the Clinical and Medical Director of the Drug User Health Clinic at OnPoint NYC — the site of one of the first publicly acknowledged overdose prevention centers in the United States. He trained in Internal Medicine at Montefiore after earning his medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco, and also holds master’s degrees in Public Health and Social Work.Dr. Hayes Bibliography: LINK

Author of "The Urge: Our History of Addiction," Dr. Fisher is a psychiatrist, bioethicist and addiction medicine specialist who employs nuance and humanity to understand addiction and recovery. As a person in recovery, he speaks with clarity and deep understanding.Show Transcript LINK

Authentic and inspirational, Todd Lucero details his lived experiences of trauma, homelessness, substance use, and incarceration. He speaks beautifully about the role of human kindness in his recovery and his own efforts to support others. Todd is an expert who speaks from the heart.

Kevin F. Adler is the author of When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, And The Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America. He is also the Founder of Miracle Messages, which combats the relational poverty of homelessness through reconnection with lost family and friends. Listen in to Michael's conversation with this inspirational author, leader, and social entrepreneur.Miracle Messages website HEREor https://www.miraclemessages.org/⁠⁠⁠

Substance Use Disorder is both prevalent and highly lethal among rough sleepers. Dr. Shaina Shetty guides us through a harm reduction approach, providing compassionate support and medication-assisted therapies to help individuals on their road to recovery.Dr. Shaina Shetty is a family physician who is passionate about providing high-quality patient-centered care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Her clinical interests are in the management of substance use disorders, HIV/Hepatitis C, and complex chronic disease, with a focus on the care of patients navigating housing instability. Special thanks to Co-Host Michael Brennan.

In this episode, Dr. Marguerite Urban from Rochester, NY reviews the latest trends, research, and treatments of Sexually Transmitted Infections, with a particular focus on Street Medicine.  Dr. Urban currently directs the NYSDOH Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) Sexual Health Center of Excellence and continues to serve as the Medical Director of the Monroe County STD Clinic, a position she has held since 1994.

In this episode, we dialogue with KK Assman, NP, the founder and director of Kansas City's Street Medicine Program, "Care Beyond the Boulevard." A robust program that utilizes clinics, mobile units, and street-level care to serve the unhoused, Care Beyond the Boulevard also provides Medical Respite Care for those being discharged from the hospital.Care Beyond the Boulevard link HEREhttps://www.carebeyondtheboulevard.org/history

"Love is always the next right thing to do" Greg Boyle is a Jesuit priest who is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program. He is the former pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Los Angeles. He writes and speaks widely on the need for the transformative power of love in society. His books include Tattoos on the Heart, and Cherished Belonging. Homeboy Industries website is HEREor https://homeboyindustries.org/His Wikipedia page is HEREor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Boyle

Join Co-Host Vinh as he attends the International Street Medicine Symposium in Hilo, Hawaii. Meeting new people walking the path of street medicine and outreach from students to providers. Here's a special recap episode from just a few of the amazing voices from ISMS.Special Music from Prod.neverforever on UkuleleSpecial Sounds from Hilo, Hawaii, natural rain

Let's talk about burnout! Join us for an amazing discussion with Dr. Vikki Reynolds. Vikki works as a Consultant, Facilitator and Supervisor in Team Development, Resisting Burnout and Sustainability, ‘Trauma’ and Witnessing Resistance to Violence and Oppression, and a Supervision of Solidarity. As a Clinical Supervisor and Therapeutic Supervisor Vikki is informed by narrative and collaborative therapy, and provides individual and group Clinical Supervision to therapists and community workers. She is the author of "Justice-Doing at The Intersections of Power: Community Work, Therapy and Supervision. "You can learn more about Vikki and her upcoming work by visiting HEREhttps://vikkireynolds.ca/

Join us this week to listen to Dr. Liz Frye Chair of the Street Medicine Institute and Street Psychiatrist at the Center for Inclusion Health, Allegheny Health Network. Driven by a long-standing desire and commitment to connect deeply with and improve the health of people experiencing extreme poverty, Liz first began providing street-based psychiatric care in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in 2008. Liz joined the Street Medicine Institute board in 2016 and has led the Institute’s annual international street medicine symposia since 2017. She brings the following skillset to the Street Medicine Institute board: founding and directing an Atlanta-based street medicine program; writing and managing street medicine specific grants; designing and guiding qualitative research with people sleeping rough; teaching students and medical residents clinically on the streets; assisting street medicine teams to develop and expand street-based psychiatric care in their communities; and a population-based public health approach to street medicine. Liz completed medical school at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her general psychiatry residency, Community Psychiatry Fellowship, and Masters in Public Health at Emory University.

Join us this week to listen to Michiko Fried, DNP and Kevin Emmons, DNP from HOPE Services Hawai'i speak on their experiences performing Street Medicine in Hilo. Hope Services website is HEREor https://hopeserviceshawaii.org/

Join us this week to listen to Community Health Worker and Member of the Board of the Street Medicine Institute, Joseph Benson, about his lived experience. We learn about the value of CHWs on any street medicine team from an integral member of Health Care for the Homeless in Houston, TX.Health Care for the Homeless website is HEREor https://www.homeless-healthcare.org/

Join us this week to listen to guests Dr. Sarah Doorley, Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine Physician at University New Mexico, and Lindsay Fox, a Physician Associate and founding partner and Director for the Center for Inclusive Health at University of New Mexico.The Center for Inclusive Health website is HEREor https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/internal-medicine/academic-divisions/general-internal-medicine/center-for-inclusive-health/

Join us this week to listen to guest Dr. Patrick Perri speak about the world of Street Medicine. Dr. Perri serves as Medical Director for the Center for Inclusion Health at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, PA and is active as a clinician-educator on the faculty of the Allegheny General Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program. His Street Medicine career includes more than 15 combined years working as a clinician on the Street Team of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and a volunteer with Operation Safety Net in Pittsburgh. The Center for Inclusion Health website is HEREor https://www.ahn.org/services/medicine/center-for-inclusion-health

Listen to how some street medicine providers navigate using antibiotics to provide care on the streets with guest Kate Pocock, a physician associate and Clinical Instructor of Family Medicine working with the Keck School of Medicine USC Street Medicine team in California. USC Street Medicine website is HEREor https://keck.usc.edu/street-medicine/

Listen to how housing and social work efforts are playing out in Rochester, New York, with social worker Andy Carey. Andy has been at the center of promoting Housing First initiatives for decades, and has some novel perspectives on how to solve the housing crisis.

These conversations were recorded during the 20th International Street Medicine Symposium thanks to Co-Host Michael Brennan. Symposium participants were invited to reflect on what they like and what they learned from the gathering

Michael Brennan is joined by Kara Cohen and Lydia Williams from Project HOME's Epstein Street Medicine program in Philadelphia, PA. Michael had a great opportunity at ISMS 2024 to talk to Kara and Lydia, nurse practitioners with years of wound care experience about Xylazine and it's impacts in Philadelphia.Project HOME website is HEREor https://www.projecthome.org/

Michael interviews founder of RISE and board member of the Street Medicine Institute, Melissa Moore, while at the International Street Medicine Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri. Melissa shares her story of lived experience with homelessness and how she has transformed that experience into advocacy to help others.Follow Melissa on Facebook HEREor https://www.facebook.com/melissa.moore.9461/

We get to hear from Dr. Jim O'Connell and Dr. Jim Withers about their hopes and dreams for Street Medicine during some reflection at the International Street Medicine Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri.Jim Withers HEREor https://www.streetmedicine.org/letters-from-the-founderJim O'Connell HEREor https://www.bhchp.org/institute-team/jim-oconnell/

We get to hear from the passionate voices of attendees and speakers at the Rally for Housing Not Handcuffs hosted by the National Homelessness Law Center and the National Coalition for the Homeless on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

We sit down with Dr. Jim Withers to discuss humanism in healthcare, communal advocacy, and the future directions of the street medicine movement. Jim is the founder of both the Street Medicine Symposium and the Street Medicine Institute. He is a guiding light for this movement.Watch his TED talk HEREor https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=0yZ-IHWLm20&themeRefresh=1

Join us in welcoming Brett Feldman, MSPAS, PA-C, for a discussion on his journey to Street Medicine, how to engage meaningfully in long term policy reform, and advice for students in training. Learn about Brett HEREor https://keck.usc.edu/faculty-search/brett-feldman/

Join us in welcoming Harsh Mander, Indian human rights activist, writer, and peace worker. In this episode, we discuss the creation of public policy for historically marginalized communities and the importance of curiosity and imagination on the journey to becoming more empathetic in our work.Learn about Harsh HEREor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harsh_Mander

Join us in welcoming Jeff Olivet in our first episode of Street Side. In this episode, we discuss how to find your place in the street medicine movement, uniting systems to address upstream factors of homelessness, and Jeff's journey from community outreach worker to Executive Director of the US Interagency Council. Read about Jeff HEREor https://www.jeffolivet.com/about