Prevention Point Philadelphia

Today we're re-sharing Jessica's story with an update she sent on May 20:

"Today, I got confirmation that my IACUC proposal (it's a group that authorizes the proper care and handling of vertebrate animals in research) was approved without any revisions, so I can start my own research project this summer!"

Jessica will be studying internal parasites in fish, part of her work researching the ocean and protecting its creatures for generations to come. Congratulations Jess--can't wait to read your paper!

Jessica’s Story: After a decade of struggle, she’s returning to her childhood dream—studying sharks | Prevention Point Jessica learned about Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) in 2020 when someone else living on the Kensington streets told her about its HIV prevention services.

Check out Prevention Point Philadelphia's new resources page! It includes resources and publications about infectious disease prevention, wound care, overall health, overdose response, and more—all of it researched and created by PPP staff.

Current resources available for download include:

-PPP Services for the Community
-Help For People Using Uppers (Stimulants)
-Overdose Response Flow Chart (English and Spanish)
-Xylazine-associated Wounds: Clinical Experience From a Low-barrier Wound Care Clinic in Philadelphia
-Implementation of Injectable Cabotegravir/Rilpivirine for Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Patients With Substance Use Disorders...
-2025–2026 Services Brochure
-FY2024-2025 PPP By the Numbers One-Pager

We will update this page as more resources are created, so stay tuned!

Resources | Prevention Point Below are resources and publications about health, infectious disease prevention, wound care, and overdose response researched and created by Prevention Point Philadelphia staff, in collaboration with our participants. PPP Services for the Community

Reminder: With the exceptions of Homeless Outreach, Beacon House, and Philly Home at Girard, all PPP services are closed tomorrow in observance of Memorial Day. Hope everyone is having a safe weekend 💕

Thanks to Patty, a resident at Philly Home at Girard, for sharing part of her story. We feel fortunate to be with you on this journey.

Patty was in her early 20s when a doctor prescribed her Oxycontin to help with the pain of fibromyalgia. She had a good job as a chemical research technician and her prescription was covered by insurance, so why not? It helped her deal with unresolved childhood trauma and took away the discomfort caused by her chronic condition. When Patty’s mother died a few years later, her physician upped her dosage.

“It’s a 12-hour medicine, but they bumped me up to three times a day,” she says. “It was a reputable doctor… They didn’t think prescription drugs were a big thing.”

Feeling unstable, she sought advice from a psychiatrist, who prescribed Xanax and antidepressants. She soon found herself unable to keep appointments or hold a job.

“I lost my home, I lost my career, I lost everything,” she says. “Most of all, I lost myself.”

Read her story:

Patty's Story: “I Lost Myself”—and Found a Way Forward | Prevention Point Patty Kline used to be against the idea of “meeting people where they are.” Behavior like illicit drug use had to have consequences, she thought.

PPP thanks the teachers and students at Henry A. Brown School--especially Patricia Morris and Theresa Valentine--for conducting a food drive for our emergency shelter, Beacon House! It was a rainy day, but as you can see our staff and residents were very excited to receive this delivery.

We love to see Philadelphia's educators promoting compassion and thoughtfulness among the next generation. Thank you.

“Our patients’ goals are their own.”

That principle is repeated often among nurses at PPP, where clinical care is shaped through trust, consistency, and long-term relationships with patients. Rachel Neuschatz, full-time RN at PPP’s Kensington Avenue location, describes how “wound care was often a way that people felt able to transition from using nonclinical services—or nothing at all—to connect to other clinical services like STI and HIV testing, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), PrEP, HIV care, and many other things.” That trajectory reflects PPP nurses’ approach to care—one built through respect and thoughtful coordination with other services as they become relevant to the patient.

PPP nursing care began in 2017 through our nurse-led wound care clinic, initially a mobile program serving mostly people using substances and/or experiencing homelessness. The clinic was established years before xylazine and other tranquilizers became widespread in Philadelphia’s street drug supply, and before drug-related wounds became the subject of intense media coverage. By the time public attention turned toward “tranq wounds,” PPP’s nurses had already spent years providing wound care in the community. Read more about nursing care at PPP:

Honoring Nursing Care at PPP | Prevention Point “Our patients’ goals are their own.”

PPP’s newsletter, To The Point, just went out today! We’re proud to feature nursing care at PPP this month.

A note from NPs Kristi Petrillo Straub & Sharon Cave-Adens:

Did you know that PPP has an amazing team of five nurse practitioners (NPs) and 10 registered nurses (RNs) across two sites? PPP nurses provide relationship-driven care that meets patients where they are & responds to their self-determined goals.

Nursing services are concentrated at our main building on Kensington Ave and at Philly Home at Girard in North Philadelphia. At both locations, nurses provide wound care; STI testing & treatment; HIV prevention services including PrEP, hepatitis C care, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) injections; & day-to-day clinical support.

What makes this care distinct is not just what our nurses do, but how they do it. PPP nurses practice person-centered, low-barrier care that prioritizes autonomy, trust, & relationship-building. Patients define their own goals, and nurses work alongside them to support those goals—without requiring them to meet rigid expectations first.

In practice, this can look different from a traditional clinical visit. A person might come to the wound care clinic but request something else first—clean clothes, hygiene supplies, or time to talk through what they’re experiencing. These interactions build trust, and that trust often opens the door to deeper engagement both with the nursing team and PPP’s broader spectrum of services.

Read more about nursing care at PPP:

To The Point: May 2026 Did you know that Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) has an amazing team of five nurse practitioners (NPs) and 10 registered nurses (RNs) across two sites? PPP nurses provide relationship-driven care that meets patients where they are and responds to their self-determined goals.

Naomi Wildflower, former housing case management coordinator at Prevention Point Philadelphia, said furniture can help people in recovery by helping them build stability, and motivate them to maintain their home.

“They may not be as invested to stay housed if they haven’t had the chance to make it their own,” she said.

Items like a bed frame or couch are commonly taken for granted, but Wildflower said they are critical to a person’s sense of self.

“Furniture is just another way that we can show someone that they have dignity and they’re worthy of respect,” she said.

To Wildflower, the closure is especially heartbreaking because Philadelphians will still have excess furniture. Now, that furniture won’t have a such a direct and efficient manner to make it to people who need it most.

“It just leaves a gap. There’s nothing else. This is it,” she said.

The Philadelphia ‘Furniture Bank’ is closing, ending an essential resource for people in need The Philadelphia Furniture Bank, a program operated by Pathways to Housing PA, gave people free beds, tables, and other items for more than a decade.

Free and Low Cost Mental Health Services in Philadelphia Mental health in the U.S. is worsening and barriers to care abound. Here, ways to get low-cost and free mental health services in Philly.

Almost ready to open the 2nd annual PPP Women’s Health Fair in the Love Lot! We have plenty of wind in our sails today 🌬️🌬️ as we gear up with some fabulous community partners to offer women in the community resources for health & wellness. The fair is open til 3 p.m! Come on out! ⚕️🩺💕