Services

The purpose of Project Brotherhood (PB) is to create a safe, respectful, male friendly environment where a wide range of health and social issues confronting black men can be addressed. This is achieved by implementing a holistic approach to health and wellness that addresses physical as well as mental, social, vocational and spiritual needs of black men. One of the real strengths of Project Brotherhood has been the multi-disciplinary nature of the program. PB understands that it takes more than just doctors to improve the health status of black men. We have a team of health professionals and non-professionals working together to reach all levels of men. Dedicated black male physicians provide culturally and gender specific comprehensive health care. Social workers are available during every session to facilitate a weekly social support group, scheduled fatherhood and manhood courses, provide individual counseling, mock interviews and resume writing assistance.

Innovative methods reach black men include having a barber in the clinic that cuts hair for free during each session, routinely having a Playstation in the clinic and basketball hoop set up in the parking lot where condoms and HIV prevention talks are delivered. Lay health workers distribute health education and promotion materials at local barbershops, a summer softball league and on streets. The program is designed to meet the men where they are. Free food is always featured as part of the PB sessions, and is served by our young student workers. Staff routinely provides public transit fare cards for men needing transportation assistance to PB or job interviews. The entire clinic staff changes attitudes for PB starting with attire. Staff traditionally wears PB gear (T-Shirts, sweatshirts, Denim shirts with PB logo) to help create a relaxed comfortable barbershop environment where black men feel safe addressing both medical and social issues.

Medical Services

As per the results of the initial focus group discussions, primarily black male physicians, residents and medical students provide medical services in a gender and culturally sensitive, respectful environment. The largest single reason for medical visits has transitioned from pre-employment physicals in early years, to now the diagnosis and treatment of chronic medical conditions (i.e. hypertension, diabetes, asthma,). Walk-ins are welcome and evening hours (4-7pm) are designed to make it easier to accommodate the patients, not the doctors and staff. Last minute appointments such as an employment physical are routinely accepted. Once patients use the medical services they feel free to appear as walk-ins for acute medical needs or follow-up for regular scheduled appointments. We have found that having physicians of the same culture and gender has increased the level of trust between physicians and patients. Physician time in the exam room is done on rotation, allowing at least one male physician to be available for the non-medical components of the program. The opportunity for men to interact with black male physicians outside of the exam room has proven to be a critical component winning trust from Project Brotherhood participants. The PB physician staff have deliberately rejected the “professional distance” taught in medical schools, eliminating the wearing of lab coats or ties and freely discussing common experiences and family situations with patients. Our patients react positively to this approach recognizing and appreciating the commonalities with the staff.

Social Services

We have a “social support discussion group” that averages thirty black men every Thursday session. This group is routinely facilitated by one of our master level social workers. The group is quite flexible and the topic of conversation may range from local or national headlines to cancer prevention and treatment. Each week one resident or attending physician participates in the social support group or one of the classes when in session. Sometimes the physician is just one of the participants; sometimes he is a facilitator and leading the discussion. The group runs simultaneously with the medical visits and the free haircuts.

While discussions can become passionate, respect is shown for differences of opinion and differences among the men. While the program attracts black men however, occasionally Latino or white men will participate in the groups and be welcomed. The goal is to create a relaxed barbershop atmosphere and level of trust that will allow the men to feel comfortable discussing health and social issues. We offer a wide range of social services by of our male Master Level Social Workers that are aware of the unique issues often confronting Black Men. Additional social services include scheduled fatherhood and manhood courses, individual counseling, mock interviews and resume writing assistance.

Fatherhood/Parenting

For thousands of years Africans have developed and refined the social, cultural, and spiritual mechanisms by which humans pass from one stage of life development to the next. African American men struggle with the challenges of oppression, alienation, depression, and isolation. We recognize these obstacles and strive to have men consciously re-think behaviors toward their children and significant others. The goal of the Fatherhood course is to empower and prepare African American Men to successfully live out their roles and responsibilities as fathers to their children and families. The class is structured as a six-week intensive course with a curriculum rich in journal writing, role play, groups sessions and field exercises, upon completion there is an Afrocentric celebration and ceremony to give honor and respect to fathers that include family and friends.

Alternative Methods for Stress Reduction

Social conditions such as poverty, unemployment, poor educational opportunities, racism, and dangerous environments contribute to stress, despair, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as family instability for black men. We have created a model that rejects the traditional medical paradigm and replaces it with a social justice framework. In addition to addressing the medical and social issues of black men we target stress reduction as an area for alternative therapies for health and wellness. Project Brotherhood has monthly Qi Gong medication classes available for men. Qi Gong uses breathing techniques and slow graceful movements to develop qi and is a method for stress reduction and improves health. Qi gong visualization trains the energy of the body to invigorate internal organs to detoxify the body and promote less stress and greater health.

Barbershop

Free haircuts are available at every Thursday Project Brotherhood session. It is well known in the community that brothers can come in for a free haircut. Over the years this has been one of our biggest draws. The barber is located adjacent to the support group discussion and men are called to get haircuts during the group support session. The barber often contributes to the group as he is cutting hair. Our barber is also HIV/Red Cross trained and serves as the point of contact for many of our services. If while talking to the client, as he is cutting hair, our barber uncovers some social or medical issue that needs to be addressed he promptly guides him to a doctor or social worker for assessment and intervention.

Mentoring

Project Brotherhood’s, saving our youth initative (S.O.Y.) has an emphasis on mentoring high school age youth. Programmatic work with young people includes a mix of art and hip-hop as venues to promote STD/HIV and unplanned pregnancy prevention, healthy decision-making and self-esteem building. Discussion topics range from how to dress properly at work to how to find the right college. Activities take place not only at PB, but within high schools, at community centers and at one of our sister health centers. PB has several high school students ranging from sophomores to seniors from High schools all over the Chicago land area. PB has served as a draw for Black male professionals throughout Chicago. It is rare indeed when there is a multi-disciplinary team of Black health professionals’ working together. It has served as a natural place for the mentoring of younger health professionals (residents, medical students) by more seasoned black men as well as the mentoring of a number of high school, college and graduate students.

Rites Of Passage / Manhood Development

The African American Male has been labeled as dangerous, obsolete, endangered, and at risk. In response to this Project Brotherhood designed a six week specialized program to promote self-esteem and positive behavior through a culturally and gender specific venue. Rites of passage/manhood have its origin in ancient African society’s to develop and prepare young men. The men are given African names to connect them to the ancestors and to move beyond their challenges.