Safety Wellness and Youth Committee Memorandum
TO: SAFETY, WELLNESS AND YOUTH COMMITTEE DATE: APRIL 19, 2023 FROM: CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE WARD: ALL
SUBJECT: NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTHCARE HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM UPDATE ISSUE:
Receive an update on the Neighborhood Healthcare Harm Reduction Program.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee receive and file an update on the Neighborhood Healthcare’s Harm Reduction Program.
BACKGROUND:
Neighborhood Healthcare is a Federally Qualified Health Center providing a wide range of medical, dental, and behavioral health services, along with programs and resources designed to improve the health and happiness of the communities they serve. Services began 53 years ago in Escondido, California with the mission to provide quality care to every member of the primarily underserved community, regardless of situation or circumstance. As a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) community health organization, Neighborhood Healthcare provides 355,930 medical, dental, and behavioral health visits for 76,630 people annually.
Neighborhood Healthcare offers a wide range of quality health care and wellness services including Primary Care, Behavioral Health, Dental Care, Women’s Health, Pediatrics, Chiropractic, Podiatry, Acupuncture, Vision, Tattoo Removal, Pharmacy, Laboratory, and more. With 27 clinic locations throughout San Diego and Riverside counties, Neighborhood Healthcare offers a broad selection of medical services providers. There are currently four locations in Riverside operated by this organization.
DISCUSSION:
Neighborhood Healthcare received a federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) for a Harm Reduction grant. The Harm Reduction program is an evidenced based approach to dealing with addiction. The grant will fund the installation and operation of medical supply vending machines in strategic locations that dispense, free of charge, health & safety products such as wound kits, safer sex kits including contraceptives, Naloxone (Narcan) kit, Fentanyl test strips, sterile syringes, and disposal kits which are accessible 24/7. In order to access items from the machine a person needs to call a number that is on the side of vending machines to set up a 4-digit access pin. Once a 4-digit pin is established access to products in the vending machine is available 24 hours a day. The system only allows a requestor the ability to acquire one of each item every day.
Neighborhood Healthcare currently has one vending machine that they would like to place strategically within the City of Riverside in conjunction with their partners at Riverside Community Health Foundation. They have done some initial community engagement and are bringing awareness of this program to the City.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This presentation is presented by Neighborhood Healthcare, an outside organization.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Prepared by: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer
Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer
Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachment: Presentation
Neighborhood Healthcare- Page 3