PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Maisie Taibbi
Behavioral Health RN and Outreach Team Lead, Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net

Now a passionate street nurse in Allegheny County, Maisie Taibbi fell into this particular field by accident. Initially, she wanted to deepen her knowledge of how homeless services work in her native Pittsburgh while working in rape crisis.

After taking on a second gig at an emergency winter shelter, she never looked back and eventually transitioned to an outreach role. She says her work feels very useful and very necessary.

“Homelessness isn’t going anywhere,” she says. “It’s getting worse.”

Taibbi’s aware she’s the invited guest who must have permission to enter someone’s world, and she simply endeavors to protect — without looking away or aiming to “fix” anyone. Instead, it’s about accepting the complexity, and bringing best practices to a street level.

While caring for humans who often get overlooked, “it feels significant to see and accompany loneliness and despair.”