Shelter, Support, Solutions: Suleiman Rifai
Suleiman Rifai has been working as a social worker at Samaritan Daytop Village’s Forbell Men’s Shelter in Brooklyn for over 20 years. He has done amazing work for the organization, as well as having a range of memories and achievements we wanted him to share with us.
Can you share a bit about your background and how you became involved in working at Samaritan Daytop Village and this shelter?
SR: I’m originally from East Africa, Tanzania, and I’ve been here for 45 years. I’ve always had an intrinsic sort of feeling about being in the psychological field. It has always been a field I wanted to be a part of. So that’s why I started my MSW at Adelphi University. I then … received my license. My capstone graduate paper at Adelphi University was on homelessness and homeless services.
I have been in my position for 20 years, since September 2004, and it has been such a rewarding position. I’m in a position that I always wanted — to serve the underserved. For me, this is the ultimate social work environment, meeting and engaging with a diverse population.
I believe caring, compassion, and listening are important tools to have. Actively listening to the client is priceless, with empathy. My experiences in life – in terms of growing up being visually impaired after being diagnosed at the age of 14 with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP is a degenerative condition that slowly leads to blindness. Having a supportive family who encouraged me to pursue my education and not be stagnant and pity myself – that was not an option.
I was provided with opportunities. Instead, I was encouraged to attain an optimal level of functioning, and that I am doing.
So, long story short. I came to the U.S., started braille, and mobility training. After I received the necessary training that equipped me to navigate independently, I attended community college. I obtained an AA first, and then I enrolled into Adelphi where I obtained a BSW and MSW.
Throughout my journey, I met people who introduced me to other activities. I was even presented with an opportunity to study dance at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
I love the part about the dancing, Suleiman. Could you tell us more about it?
SR: Dance … was a gift that was transformative to me. Initially, the dance program was for visually impaired persons but, after the program ended, I mainstreamed into the professional classes with sighted students. The top-notch instructors were supportive and encouraged me to pursue dance. And that built my ego … and I felt empowered. I thought, “If I can do this, then I can conquer anything.”
So, dance was really the start of everything. Being on the dance floor, doing performances – those were the gifts given to me by Mr. Ailey before he passed away. The people you meet on your path, who encourage you to do other things in life, they are the ones who expose you to different activities.
I pursue everything, so I want to impart that… I want them to have the validation that despite it all, you can proceed forward in your life with whatever you aspire to be in this journey of life. Never allow anyone to minimize or deflect you. That’s what I share each day with our clients here.
Many clients had lacked support growing up and for the most part, with a single-parent household, they are viewed negatively. Yet for me, I see them as individuals who are struggling with unresolved issues. I care and respect each person and really listen to their story. In every session I conduct, I begin by asking the client to tell me their story and they do.
How did you get connected with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater?
SR: Well, I was receiving services at Lighthouse Guild, studying more Braille and mobility training and also taking dance therapy. So, someone from Alvin Ailey Dance Company reached out to Lighthouse looking for individuals. They were starting a new program called “The New Visions Dance Project” for the visually impaired. I was selected to participate in this six-week program. I had no prior experience or seen a dance performance.
When I stepped into the studio, it was transformative. My life was transformed from dance and it was magical. So, after the six weeks ended, I was sort of like: “Hmm, this cannot be ending now. The joy of being in such an environment was intoxicating”.
So, I requested to continue classes with the professional sighted students on my own. I transitioned into regular professional classes with other professional dancers there. Although, I said, hmm, I’m visually impaired, I left that out the door at the Ailey studio. I said, “You know what? I don’t care. This is what I enjoy”.
So, I started to learn. And I had wonderful teachers who were hands-on. And again, learning the positions, the steps, is all about listening to what the instructor was trying to demonstrate.
So, by listening, I developed that skill and was able to follow the movements. I would try to independently listen, very carefully. And that’s been very important. Listening has been my guide throughout my life.
Do you feel that that experience, doing the dance classes, impacted your approach to working with the clients? Like you said, with the listening, and the therapeutic aspect.
SR: I was encouraged, you know, I wasn’t viewed as visually impaired. I was just viewed as a person, and I was given the tools; I was validated. And that sort of … truly enhanced my self-esteem. Yeah. And that allowed me to go further. From then on, I pursued other things.
And then I was introduced to running, and my first NYC marathon was in 2006. I never imagined I would be running marathons. I did over 25 marathons including Chicago and Boston – and I’m still dancing and doing marathons.
I was the first visually impaired person to participate in the New York Road Runners Empire State Building Run-Up race in 2010. I was featured in Runners World [magazine that year]. I share that with my clients to show that limitations are placed by you; embrace challenges.
So, from what I hear, this really helps you build rapport with your clients and, like, help build that trust between you and shelter, right?
SR: Yes. The key is to build rapport. Sometimes clients want to speak for an hour and a half, and I give them that time. I tell my clients: In my office, it’s a safe place for you to vent, to talk. And they do sometimes, I want to just listen to the client. Sometimes, they can go over the same story, but I just provide that forum for them to just be and just vent. And through that venting, I learn more about the client. Things I did not receive during the evaluation. So, by getting clients in often, in just talking, I learn more about the client, and more information and vulnerabilities emerge. I have this love and compassion for all clients, I really do. It’s a gift to work in this environment.
What initially drew you to work in the shelter environment? Is there something that you can pinpoint that made you realize that you really wanted to work in this environment?
SR: My first position as a psychiatric social worker out of graduate school was at a women’s shelter. I applied to many different places, many different agencies, and I received calls from different entities. I received a call from this homeless women’s shelter in Brooklyn. That was in 1998. I went for the interview, and it went well. After that interview, I was hired.
Growing up in Tanzania, did you have a sense that this was the field that you were going to go into, or did that all come together later in life as an adult, or did something draw you to that, perhaps, when you entered college?
SR: Psychology, yes. I always felt I wanted to be a psychologist, even when I was a teenager. I was very compassionate to things around me, to people’s situations, people’s problems. Growing up, I wanted to be in the helping field, psychology was my mindset. I came to the States, I had sisters here already. From 14 to 19, I was just homebound, so they suggested that I come to the States. I started mobility training and braille. That’s my purpose to why I came here, and to go to school. That was my goal.
I came in 1979. October 20th. It has been an upward climb, sort of a very steep hill to get to this point, you know? Yeah. And it was, you know, a challenge to arrive to this point, going to school, dancing, marathons. All those things I did while waiting for my citizenship.
What does the typical day look like for you at the shelter? What do you usually do day to day?
SR: My schedule is seven a.m. to three p.m. I arrive at 6:45 a.m. I ask operations what happened the night before. I need to know what happened with the clients. “Any hospitalization. Anybody went to the hospital? Any follow-ups? Any overdoses?”
You know, that’s my day to try to find out the report of the night before. Read emails, see who’s in the hospital, who to follow up with. Then, I start meeting the clients for biopsychosocial assessments. If the client needs to be referred for psychiatric evaluation, then I do that. The goal is housing, so I have to make sure the client meets the criteria.
I refer clients to OMH (New York State Office of Mental Health), which after working with them for 25 years, we have a very good rapport. They provide a psychiatrist and work with the intake department. They evaluate for housing purposes. But anything can happen.
You never know your days; it’s never predictable. You have a schedule, but then other things happen, and this is the exciting part of the shelter environment. So, you’re always on alert your schedule is going to change because of something else going on. So, just meetings.
We have 194 clients here, and I’m the social worker here! So, I have to meet all of the clients for the biopsychosocial assessment, referrals for psychiatric evaluations, and engagement. Sometimes, clients just walk into my office. I provide the time for them to just walk in and just express whatever happened in their minds. I do run a case review every Tuesday with case managers. The focus is housing, so we review what the barriers are to housing the clients.
Out of the specific tasks or roles that you have within shelter, what is it that you find the most rewarding to do?
SR: Engaging and developing an alliance with the client, and once the client has been accepted into housing… So, once the housing package, housing department, and everything coincide, then we get a result that the client has been accepted. For me, that’s my reward. Knowing that we did our job and the client has been accepted into housing.
Now, we have to wait for the interview process. So, seeing the client moving toward the search for independent living. It’s so rewarding. That feeling of getting them to the finish line. That’s the ultimate goal: housing.
Most clients may have trouble because of fear of independence and detaching from the current environment. Which we provide caring and nurturing – and most clients have deficits in this area. Some of them have never been independent, never owned an apartment, or signed a lease. That’s why sometimes, some of them need supportive housing. Even then, we’re here with support.
What are the different assistive technologies and resources you use at Samaritan? Can you talk to me more about it?
SR: It’s a voice-activated system. It’s a software install, a screen reader. I can read everything on the screen. It’s called JAWS (Job Access With Speech), and it’s purchased by the agency, so I’m able to write my reports on the computer, read everything, read all the reports, go online, you know, things like that. And it’s a real computer, a real keyboard with a speech output.
When working with clients, is there any approach that you take when they’re not very familiar with visual impairment?
SR: I mean, some would ask: “How long have you been visually impaired?” If I thought it helped them, I would tell them, but if not, then I didn’t want to make the conversation about me. But sometimes, I would disclose if this would help develop rapport with the client.
My eyes don’t indicate that I’m visually impaired, so sometimes they wonder why I’m not looking at them. And I’m like: “Sir, I’m visually impaired.” They say, “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I apologize.” Sometimes, they don’t know. So, I have my cane hanging right in front of them so they can see. They say: “I’m sorry.” I say: “No apologies” because I take no offense to that.
I also inform the Guest Managers to make sure to inform the client that I’m visually impaired so they know. One time, I had a client here for like 20 minutes. He didn’t realize I was visually impaired.
With clients, what is the kind of feedback that you get from them? Like, how do you feel your connection is with them?
I have received positive feedback from the clients. They thank me. Thank you for listening. Thank you for everything. They always stop by, and yes, I feel I’m receiving positive feedback.
The people at Forbell are very welcoming to me, too. In the morning, clients will be outside. Sometimes they’ll say: “Good morning, Suleiman.” They’ll open the door, … are very attentive, nice, and welcoming, and that reception from clients fills my heart with joy, and perhaps this is my purpose? So, if I’m not here to work for three days. I’ve heard that they start wondering: “Where’s Suleiman? He’s not here. Why?” People get upset when I’m out.
Two of Suleiman’s clients told us that he “put the fire back in them.” Suleiman proactively supports them achieve their goals. They told us he has never let them give up and they consider him a true role model because of his personal accomplishments. Suleiman is very inspiring to his clients. He provides a sensitive and human approach but also pushes them towards their goals. Suleiman helps them develop a healthy ego as they rebuild their confidence.
What is an important skill to have while working in a shelter environment?
SR: Communication. How clients are spoken to. When a client is expressing anger, it’s not necessarily directed towards you. It might just be because you are there now.
The client has experienced abuse in the system, being in jail, being in prison, and experiencing trauma, abandonment – mostly undiagnosed. They have experienced a tremendous number of traumatic events in their lives. I hear lots of stories, and, when they come here, you have to be sensitive to their needs.
I don’t think any of these clients grew up and one day decided they wanted to be in the shelter system. They weren’t born thinking that this would happen to them. They are here for a reason. Have grace with them to understand their complex circumstances and how that can truly shape the way they are and not just respond with abrasive, disparaging, negative remarks, you know?
Working with substance use and mental health disorders, we are faced with a variety of organic and cognitive deficits. Emphasize positive and ego-building communication with clients. The language and the tone should reflect how we would like to be addressed.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to anyone who’s looking to start a career in the field that you’re working?
SR: If you truly feel that you can pursue this career, being compassionate, caring, having listening skills, just being in the helping field. Yeah, I recommend it, but you have to explore within self. I think you have to put it in your soul and feel like this is what you want to do in life.
When I’m here, I’m filled with gratitude for servicing our clients and concentrating on their present needs. Ultimately, they come first. Whatever obstacles I may have experienced during my travels to Forbell, I leave them before entering the gates. “What happened overnight? How’s the client doing? Any updates I need to know/incidents?” That’s my attitude.
You cannot just evaluate the client visually. You have to engage, assess, and explore their history. That is the common theme in this environment. Sometimes people diagnose clients without really assessing them. They label them as mental health clients if they try to challenge them, without really exploring what precipitated a certain behavior from the client. It could be various factors. It could be medical. It could be a substance-induced behavioral issue, withdrawals from substances, and/or unresolved anger. You don’t know what’s going on with the client. Let’s explore the root of that first.
You hear painful and traumatic, sensitive stories that, for the most part, touch your soul and at times are difficult to compartmentalize. Sometimes, I hear clients, and I don’t have words to say. So, I tell them: “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say.” So, I just listen. Sometimes, that’s all they need – to just be listened to.
