It’s about “learning from people who have walked down that road,” Williams said. Given her particular life experience, Williams is spearheading People, Places, and Dreams’ programming for trans people, starting with group sessions and other community-building programs at the new sober house.
Through the program, Williams hopes to create a comfortable space in which to discuss trans culture and create a peer support network composed of trans women. Offering clients a new community is the core function of People, Places, and Dreams. Williams, like many people with substance use disorders, had to find a new community when she sought to get clean.
“So you have to find a whole new set of people, you know? Everyone that you were dealing with beforehand is all into drugs and prostitution.” “A part of the whole sex work is, when you're involved in that, it's its own set of people,” Williams said. In addition to the new sober houses, People, Places, and Dreams also plans to open a peer center this summer on Prospect Ave., just down the street from its headquarters. At this center, Alim said, anyone will be able to find a community representing their lived experiences and participate in group mental health sessions with empathetic listeners. “No matter where you are in your recovery, you'll have somewhere to go.” “It's gonna be a safe space for the entire behavioral community,” Alim said. “If you started, we can connect you with services.
