By Brett Andrews–
This is an unprecedented moment. The interconnectedness of our community and our world is laid bare in the starkest of terms as we face and take action together to stem the outbreak of COVID-19. Yet our reliance on one another, on advances in science, on shared knowledge, and developing shared practices to advance public health are reassuringly reminiscent.
The echoes of learning are clear. We can reach back to the influenza crisis of 1918 to understand instantly the importance of social distancing and putting lives before economic and political goals. Most immediately, in the San Francisco Bay Area, we draw on our history and experience of the AIDS epidemic: the organizing, the scientific advancements, the rising of community, and the essential networks of advocacy and support that carry us through to today.
While this is our now—and we are making adjustments to our lives, businesses, and public services to prioritize community health—the other side of the crisis will look very different as we move toward business more or less as usual.
In today’s swiftly changing landscape, PRC remains steadfast in our mission to stabilize and champion the 5,700 vulnerable people we serve, adults of all ages who face mental and physical health challenges in the best of times, alongside economic and housing instability. We’re focused on sustaining the health and safety of our community, our clients, and the incredible and dedicated staff responding to their evolving needs.
I want to assure you that during this COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) public health emergency, PRC continues housing and providing essential services to our clients every day. Inside our substance use and mental health residential treatment homes, supported living environments, and Hummingbird homeless navigation programs, residential services are all operating under heightened safety protocols.
PRC’s wrap-around services, typically accessed at our Integrated Service Center, are now operating remotely. Emergency Financial Assistance, Legal Advocacy, Workforce Development, and Social Support and Counseling Programs are providing services and information to clients about options, safety protocols, and community resources.
We can be reached at 415-777-0333 with questions about appointments and accessibility. For specific information about program service access and operations, please visit https://prcsf.org/category/covid-19/
From day one of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) response, PRC has been working hand in hand with local, state, and federal public health leaders to develop and support response protocols. PRC also is a key partner in the City’s activation of resources to prevent and contain community transmissions, and we are staying abreast of the CDC and San Francisco Department of Public Heath’s contact guidelines.
Nearly every person we serve is considered “vulnerable” in this Public Health Emergency. That vulnerability is only heightened by Shelter-in-Place orders changing access to needed social and health services across public and private sectors and COVID-19 necessitated disruptions in economic activity.
So, thank you for your continued engagement and support. We’re working hard with and on behalf of clients to retain and secure the income and jobs they need, to stay safely housed, to protect themselves from COVID-19, and to have access to food and essential prescription medications. Together, we will do what it takes to strengthen our safety net and to continue moving lives forward in the days, weeks, and decades to come.
Leading PRC since 2003, Brett Andrews has overseen PRC’s evolution from a small HIV/AIDS legal service agency to an integrated social and behavioral health provider bent on fighting poverty, stigma and isolation by uplifting marginalized adults and affecting the social conditions of health. He holds an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from George Washington University, received the San Francisco Pride Celebration’s Heritage Award for 10+ years of service in 2017, and was appointed to the San Francisco Mayor’s Methamphetamine Task Force. https://prcsf.org/
Published on March 26, 2020
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