Marilyn McBride needed information and she needed it quick. A former substance abuser, ex-offender and African American woman living with HIV, she was as desperate for knowledge as she had once been for crack cocaine and not ashamed to admit it.
Marilyn’s husband, the love of her life, was dying. Her quest to learn all she could about the deadly virus that was eating away at him led her to TEAM (Treatment Education Advocacy Management), a peer-led tr aining program conducted by Test Positive Aware Network.
“TEAM put it out there for me in the raw,” Marilyn says of the program she credits with changing her life. “And that was exactly what I needed.”
Marilyn’s husband, unfortunately, died just shy of her completing the program. But the wealth of knowledge and the network of support that she gained from her peers and the TEAM staff have led her on a journey of self-empowerment that she never dreamed she would embark upon. Today she is a consumer advocate with Access Community Health Network and facilitator of S.H.E. (Strong Healthy and Empowered), a support group for women living with HIV.
“I am the happiest that I have ever been in life,” she says with a warm smile that reflects her peaceful spirit. “Coming to TPAN and going through TEAM turned my whole life around.”
And she is not alone. Marilyn is one of many success stories that the TEAM program boasts. Since its inception in the spring of 2003, more than 125 people from all walks of life have completed the TEAM curriculum.
Consisting of 18 initial hours of training and six, three-hour update sessions, TEAM provides participants with a basic understanding of the body, the immune system, the HIV lifecycle, antiretroviral treatment as well as associated issues including side effects, adherence, opportunistic infections, STDs, nutrition and complementary therapies.
Derek Worley, TPAN staff member and TEAM instructor, likes to think of the program as a “hands-on HIV college.”
“It is designed to take a person, regardless of his or her HIV education level, and introduce them to more practical components concerning life with this disease,” Worley explains. “TEAM stresses the importance of building relationships with healthcare professionals, understanding lab results, the history of HIV and how to become an advocate for oneself and others.”
Worley also points out that the TEAM program is not just for people who are HIV-positive, but it is also for HIV-negative people who are partners and caregivers of positive people.
“We have had boyfriends and girlfriends… mothers and sons… you name it,” Worley says. “Anyone with a desire to learn more about HIV is welcome. In fact,” he continues, “many AIDS service organizations throughout the city, such as Vital Bridges, Horizons and Chicago House, also send their staff through the TEAM curriculum, with some agencies even making it a requirement.”
Former Positively Aware cover-boy George Martinez uses the knowledge that he acquired from TEAM to educate others about the seriousness of co-infection with hepatitis. Diagnosed with hepatitis B in 1969, Martinez became one of the first people living with HIV in the state of Illinois to receive a liver transplant. Since his transplant, he has become an advocate for co-infection and transplant issues across the nation.
“TEAM taught me the technical stuff that I needed to better understand the complexities of living with both hepatitis B and HIV,” says Martinez. “More and more people today, especially people of color, are facing co-infection as their reality. For us, accurate knowledge about both of our diseases is the key to living a longer, healthier life.”
Funded by the Ryan White CARE Act and the Minority AIDS Initiative, TEAM places a special emphasis on educating people of color. “We represent an incredibly large portion of the HIV burden in this country and around the world,” says Montré Westbrook, graduate of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles and co-creator of the TEAM program, along with Director of Treatment Education Matt Sharp. “I believe that this is largely due to a lack of education within our community about HIV and AIDS. The more we know, the better equipped we are to make educated decisions and behavior changes that can save our lives and the lives of our partners.”
Billy Coats, who currently works as an administrative assistant at BEHIV (Better Existence with HIV) in Chicago, credits TEAM for renewing his sense of hope about life. “I was a whole person before HIV came into my life and then all of a sudden I wasn’t whole anymore. I was broken,” Billy says. “My experience at TPAN and in the TEAM program especially has made me whole again.”
“I don’t live as much in fear as I did before,” he explains. “I have the self-confidence to live with HIV and to accept the things that I don’t have control over and to take control over the things that I do.”
Though TEAM has meant different things to different people, there is one thing that is clear. The life-altering effect that it has had on the lives of those who have been a part of it is undeniable and far-reaching. e
For more information on TEAM, contact Derek Worley at (773) 989–9400.
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