Harm Reduction Program
Kayla Ruiz
Harm Reduction Program Manager
Wendi Vierra
Director of Operations – Behavioral Health
“Harm Reduction is an approach to services and policy
that protects the life, health, and dignity of people who use illegal drugs and their communities. Unlike
approaches that insist that people stop using drugs,
harm reduction recognizes that many people are not
willing or able to abstain, and that withholding
assistance and otherwise punishing people and
communities for using illegal drugs only worsens health, racial and economic inequities, and other harms.”
Who We Are
27 Locations: San Diego & Riverside Counties
Population Served since 1969:
• Low-income, medically underserved,
uninsured, and underinsured
• 5% Homeless (approximately 3700)
• Behavioral Health integrated primary care
>100,000 unique patients: >410k visits/yr
• 61% Female, 39% Male
• 73% Medi-Cal, 5% Dual Elig, 7% Medicare
• 40% Monolingual Spanish
2 Neighborhood Healthcare Services
“Community health is about more than just vaccines and checkups. It’s about giving people the resources they need to live their best lives. At Neighborhood, this is our vision. A community where everyone is healthy and happy. At Neighborhood Healthcare, we are Better Together.” • Primary Care
• Integrated Behavioral Health
• Behavioral Health Counseling
• Psychiatry
• Harm Reduction Program
• Medication Assisted Treatment
• Naloxone Kits
• Social Determinants of Health (High/Low)
• Dental Care - Pediatrics & Adults
• Pediatrics
• Pharmacy
• Women’s Health
• Birth control
• Prenatal care
• Cancer screenings
• Podiatry
• Chiropractic
• Acupuncture
• Labs
• Vision
• Certified Enrollment Specialists
3 4
Enrollment Services
Certified Enrollment Counselors
Center for Disease Control 5
Why is Harm
Reduction
Needed?
Center for Disease Control 6
CA is a hot spot for HIV
transmission in 2020 –
11% of infections
involved IV drug use
Riverside University Health System Public Health 7
Why is Harm Reduction
Needed in Riverside?
4/22-12/22 50% of deaths
due to drug overdose – 79%
were unsheltered
Source: National Harm Reduction Coalition 8
9 Stigma acts as a
powerful barrier
to accessing
services
Harm Reduction Program Activities
• LISTEN to community concerns
• EDUCATEto raise awareness, reduce stigma, & mitigate high risk behaviors • COLLABORATEwith community partners to address concerns Street Outreach
• Provide harm reduction education & supplies
• Case Management
• Access to Healthcare and Social Service referrals
• Substance Use Treatment referrals
• Medication Assisted Treatment, Psychiatry, Counseling referrals • Collect used needles
10 Why is there a need for vending machines?
• Low threshold to remove access barriers
• Available 24/7/365
• Automated system to register and access in minutes
• FREE to everyone to reduce financial barriers
• No personal information required to access products
• PWUD will use what they have
• HR products prevent infectious disease transmission and reduce injuries
Harm Reduction Vending Machines
11 Harm Reduction Vending Machine
4 Vending Machines
• East County, Escondido, Hemet, & Riverside
Products Available:
• Wound Kits – band aids, alcohol wipes, antibiotic ointment • Safer Sex Kits – condoms, lubricant, instructions
• Naloxone Kit – Narcan nasal spray to reverse opioid overdose, instructions
• Fentanyl Test Strips – test for presence of fentanyl in drug • Sterile Syringes and Syringe Disposal Kits
• Resources to social services and substance use treatment 12 [email protected]
13 We welcome the opportunity to listen to concerns and strengthen partnerships to address this complex issue.
We are Better Together!