Hope on T.T.a.P.P has established itself as a vital resource for individuals and families affected by HIV and hepatitis, providing a comprehensive range of programs and services to support their unique needs. With a focus on holistic wellness and community-based initiatives, this nonprofit organization offers a supportive environment for rehabilitation, counseling, and personal growth. From medical care to emotional support, Hope on T.T.a.P.P is dedicated to empowering lives and transforming communities, one individual at a time.

Join Sequan Kolibas, Founder and Executive Director of Hope on T.T.a.P.P, as she discusses her approach to nurturing whole-person wellness and empowering individuals towards transformative growth.

1. What inspired the creation of Hope on T.T.a.P.P, and what needs in the healthcare space did you aim to address?

My initial inspiration stemmed from my own HIV+ diagnosis in 2013 and the years of self-stigmatization that I put myself through, as well as the stigmatized treatment I received from medical providers, once they learned of my history with injection drug use. I had also heard stories from my friends about negative experiences they had had when they had sought out medical services and how helpless and unimportant those interactions made them feel. It hurt my heart to know that these people, who were kind and intelligent and just wonderful people, were looked down upon and not offered the same treatments and services that non-drug users were given. So it became my mission to upset the current medical landscape and challenge it to see everyone who walks through their doors as an equal and deserving human, who is just doing the best they can with what they have been given. Using a person-centered care approach and using person-first language, gives the patient their dignity back and gives them the power and confidence to guide decisions regarding their own healthcare.

2. What services and resources does Hope on T.T.a.P.P offer to individuals affected by various diseases, including infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis?

We offer everything that is involved with HIV and hepatitis C care! And we are the only mobile rapid point-of-care organization of its kind in the state. We not only offer free testing, but we also link to care, which includes providing transportation to medical appointments, medication delivery, peer navigation and support, patient advocacy, crisis intervention and medical case management. We follow our clients throughout their entire treatment journey and beyond. They become family!

3. How do you collaborate with healthcare providers, community organizations, and other stakeholders to support your clients?

We have honest, confidential and strong working relationships with our care clinics, pharmacy partners and housing centers. We have a streamlined process for testing, getting follow-up lab work done, ordering and delivering medications and providing peer support for our clients along the way. We are a small organization and keep track of our clients as closely as we can, sometimes following them from homeless camp, to jail or prison, to treatment center, to sober living, etc. We also assist our clients with other life challenges along the way that may be preventing them from seeking healthcare, such as applying for Medicaid, getting on housing, visiting the food bank, obtaining an ID card or birth certificate. Little wins make for big changes!

4. Hope on T.T.a.P.P is renowned for its support of causes like hepatitis and HIV, which are stigmatized and subject to discrimination. Can you explain why you believe this advocacy is important?

Because EVERYONE deserves equal access to healthcare resources and compassionate care, regardless of their position in life, such as housing status, employment status, annual income, criminal record, substance use status, sexual preference, etc.

5. What educational campaigns or initiatives has Hope on T.T.a.P.P started to spread inclusivity and increase awareness of different diseases?

I teach HIV/hepatitis C/STI awareness and prevention classes to substance use disorder treatment centers across the state. I also teach anti-stigma and person-centered care approach trainings to healthcare clinics and their staff across the country.

6. How do you engage with policymakers, community leaders, and other influencers to promote healthcare equity and access?

I have attended the AIDSWatch conference in Washington D.C., where I met with my state’s Legislators and Representatives in order to push for reform to our state’s very stigmatizing and outdated HIV specific laws. I also sit on the Utah HIV Planning Group and the Utah Hepatitis C Elimination Group, both of which are underneath the Utah Department of Health and Human Services umbrella. If you can’t reach the changemakers directly, you get in with the people who can!

7. Are there any exciting projects or initiatives on the horizon for Hope on T.T.a.P.P that you can share with us?

Our newest partnership is one that is going to keep us quite busy! The Utah Department of Corrections has an overwhelming inmate population that have active hepatitis C infections. With almost 7,000 inmates spread across the state, from our 2 prison locations and those that are contracted out and housed in local county jails, it is virtually impossible for the UDC to treat them all. So we have stepped in to help lighten the load, even just a little bit. We are meeting as many men and women on the day they parole out and work to get them linked to care. We are soon going to be going into the halfway houses and catching as many as we can there. This definitely means that we are going to have to expand our team, specifically in terms of transport.

8. In what ways can people participate in or lend support to Hope on T.T.a.P.P’s mission?

Since funding is always a concern, donate an outreach vehicle, or log onto the website and make a donation! If they have the fire inside to stand up for issues in their own communities, we would love to help guide them and bestow what we have learned throughout our NPO journey!

9. As Hope on T.T.a.P.P’s Founder Partner and Executive Director, Sequan Kolibas, what particular leadership techniques have you used to help your business flourish and grow, and how do you assess the results of your efforts?

I give my team the chance to build their own rhythm. I don’t micromanage, I understand mistakes, I let them make their own hours and provide our services in the way that they see fit for their surrounding communities. We communicate honestly and vulnerably, and respect each other as not only co-workers, but also as friends. I see the effectiveness of this by the growing number of clients we are curing across the state, the growing number of healthcare clinics that are partnering with us and the growing number of training requests and speaker engagements I am getting on a monthly basis.

Company Name: Hope on T.T.a.P.P
Founder & Executive Director: Sequan Kolibas
Website: www.hopeonT.T.a.P.P.com
Email: hopeonT.T.a.P.P@gmail.com