Latest news with #harmreduction
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
A mobile-outreach team is tackling the overdose crisis in Amherst
A mobile-outreach team is helping connect some of the most vulnerable people in Cumberland County to addiction care, harm-reduction supplies and other support. Luke Ettinger has the story
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mobile outreach team hits the road in Cumberland County
A mobile outreach team is on the road in Nova Scotia's Cumberland County, something community partners say is a significant step forward in addressing the toxic drug and overdose crisis in the region. Ashley Legere, executive director of Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association, submitted an application for federal funding in collaboration with the Town of Amherst. The initiative, which also includes the YMCA of Cumberland's community development program, the Amherst Police Department and Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions as partners, received almost $365,000. "It's huge," said Legere, whose organization is based in Amherst but supports communities throughout the largely rural county. "This funding and the access to the mobile outreach vehicle will provide lifesaving interventions, prevention, across a much needed demographic," she said. Recovery journey Legere said the team can provide more timely access to services such as detox and treatment, helping clients access care even if it is outside the county. The team will also provide harm reduction supplies and connect people to mental health, addiction and housing supports. "Connect that person, do the intake, and then drive them to their appointment so they can start their recovery journey immediately. That is the really the meat of this program," she said. As a result of the funding, she said three positions that pay a living wage have been created and people with lived experience have been hired. "One of our peer outreach workers actually is a tenant of ours," said Legere. "We were able to hire someone who went from crisis to stability, from homelessness to housing and now is able to support individuals who he may not that long ago had been living with or supported by himself." Filling gaps Amherst deputy mayor Hal Davidson said, "Now we have an opportunity to have people that are in the business, that know the business, that are able to provide the services directly on an emergency basis." Davidson said the mobile outreach team will fill gaps that police can't — something the Amherst chief of police echoes. "We're always going to be there to help as well," said Chief Dwayne Pike. "We just can't provide that in-depth assistance that people often need. So when it comes to somebody who's in crisis, this is a person that can come along and sit with them, help them at the hospital." Pike said the mobile outreach team will also alleviate pressure on Amherst police resources. The new initiative is a part of a growing number of support services in the town. Earlier this year, Amherst's integrated youth services site, operated by YMCA and the IWK children's hospital, was the first in Nova Scotia to open. Legere's team is also working to open an emergency youth shelter. That's in addition to 10 emergency beds and six supportive housing units for adults. MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
Mobile outreach team hits the road in Cumberland County
Social Sharing A mobile outreach team is on the road in Nova Scotia's Cumberland County, something community partners say is a significant step forward in addressing the toxic drug and overdose crisis in the region. Ashley Legere, executive director of Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association, submitted an application for federal funding in collaboration with the Town of Amherst. The initiative, which also includes the YMCA of Cumberland's community development program, the Amherst Police Department and Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions as partners, received almost $365,000. "It's huge," said Legere, whose organization is based in Amherst but supports communities throughout the largely rural county. "This funding and the access to the mobile outreach vehicle will provide lifesaving interventions, prevention, across a much needed demographic," she said. Recovery journey Legere said the team can provide more timely access to services such as detox and treatment, helping clients access care even if it is outside the county. The team will also provide harm reduction supplies and connect people to mental health, addiction and housing supports. "Connect that person, do the intake, and then drive them to their appointment so they can start their recovery journey immediately. That is the really the meat of this program," she said. As a result of the funding, she said three positions that pay a living wage have been created and people with lived experience have been hired. "One of our peer outreach workers actually is a tenant of ours," said Legere. "We were able to hire someone who went from crisis to stability, from homelessness to housing and now is able to support individuals who he may not that long ago had been living with or supported by himself." Filling gaps Amherst deputy mayor Hal Davidson said, "Now we have an opportunity to have people that are in the business, that know the business, that are able to provide the services directly on an emergency basis." Davidson said the mobile outreach team will fill gaps that police can't — something the Amherst chief of police echoes. "We're always going to be there to help as well," said Chief Dwayne Pike. "We just can't provide that in-depth assistance that people often need. So when it comes to somebody who's in crisis, this is a person that can come along and sit with them, help them at the hospital." Pike said the mobile outreach team will also alleviate pressure on Amherst police resources. The new initiative is a part of a growing number of support services in the town. Earlier this year, Amherst's integrated youth services site, operated by YMCA and the IWK children's hospital, was the first in Nova Scotia to open. Legere's team is also working to open an emergency youth shelter. That's in addition to 10 emergency beds and six supportive housing units for adults.
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Needle exchange changes: 'It takes time to build up trust'
The Christchurch Needle Exchange at the Rodger Wright Centre. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Changes to a decades-long needle exchange contract have left a Christchurch drug-user and health expert worried the decision will breed distrust, potentially leading to needle-sharing. Health NZ has not renewed the contract for DISC Trust, which has operated needle exchange services across the South Island for 35 years and has instead opted for a new provider He Waka Tapu from 30 September. RNZ understands 19 staff are waiting to hear about the future of their jobs, while people who use the service were worried He Waka Tapu might not replicate the "peer-to-peer" approach that made them comfortable using DISC Trust's services. The man, who spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity, had been using DISC Trust's needle exchange at Christchurch's Rodger Wright Centre for about 10 years. He said DISC Trust staff were knowledgeable and most of them had been drug users themselves. "You're talking to someone who, who really, you know, actually gets it," he said. "There are no ulterior motives. They're not trying to convince you to give up your drugs and go and do treatment. If you want other services or information, you can ask and they'll give you that help, but they're not going to pressure you to go to rehab. "You see people in there who look like they're probably bodybuilders and you see other people that you know are using meth - all sorts of drugs. Whatever you're injecting, that's the place to get your needles from and to get rid of them safely." The man had sought advice about methadone and Hepatitis C treatment and received safe injecting equipment to take methamphetamine and heroin, including getting drugs checked for potency and any unwanted contaminants. DISC Trust also provided advice on overdose prevention and injection techniques that did not lead to tissue damage, he said. The man was concerned He Waka Tapu - a kaupapa Māori health organisation - would not have the same level of impartiality because it also offered a range of rehabilitation and treatment plans. "Just because someone's got the equipment to give out, it doesn't mean that I'm going to trust them. It takes time to build up trust in a service," he said. "I can't imagine, like, doing treatment there and then deciding I'm going to inject some drugs and having to go back to the same place. That would be so embarrassing." Health NZ said the needle exchange contract stipulated that people with "lived and living experience" had significant roles in the design, delivery and leadership of the programme. Needle exchange locations and employment details were still under negotiation, although it was confident there would not be any disruption to services, Health NZ said. When approached for comment, He Waka Tapu referred RNZ to Health NZ, which declined to provide further details. "Health New Zealand is currently negotiating a contract with the preferred provider. It is therefore premature for either Health New Zealand or the provider to respond to your query," Health NZ said. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon DISC Trust executive director Philippa Jones said it ran six needle exchanges from Nelson to Dunedin and staff had about 30,000 "interactions" with drug users each year. She said the trust was "incredibly surprised and disappointed" to loose its needle exchange contract, but it would continue to provide other services such as HIV screening and vaccinations. "We've built a really deep connection with our communities and that's not something that can be replaced overnight, especially for people who are really stigmatised when they engage with the mainstream health system," she said. "This was a service established by the community of injecting drug users, for them. That's a unique feature of the service and that's how it's able to build that significant trust with clients." Jones said DISC Trust was informed of the contract loss on 16 June and staff were yet to hear from He Waka Tapu. University of Otago Professor Jeff Miller said people might re-use or share needles if they did not feel comfortable with the new service. "So you're moving into physical [tissue] damage and you're also moving into potential increase in exposure to hepatitis C in particular," he said. The loss of DISC Trust's needle exchange contract was "bizarre", he said. "It's a source of huge frustration and a little bit of disbelief to see this particular service, which incidentally is the most effective hepatitis C treating service in the country, apparently disappearing off the map," he said. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon RNZ understands funding for South Island needle exchange services has been reduced from $1.4 million to $1 million. Health NZ would not confirm the figures and declined RNZ's interview requests. In a statement, it said funding for regional needle exchange and harm reduction services was allocated based on population statistics. "The national budget for the delivery of needle exchange and harm reduction services and free safe injecting equipment is around $6 million per annum," HealthNZ said. Miller said the shift to a population-based approach was new and concerning, because data suggested the South Island had a higher proportion of people who injected drugs than the rest of the country, so deserved a bigger funding share. DISC Trust distributed about 40 percent of the country's sterile drug equipment, despite Te Wai Pounamu having only 23 percent of the country's total population. Know Your Stuff spokeswoman Casey Spearin said her organisation had worked with the trust to provide drug-checking services and she was also concerned abut the change. "It's disappointing to note that the overall funding amount for this service in Te Waipounamu has been scaled back. We have over three decades of evidence showing that needle exchange services reduce the burden of disease and other downstream effects on our health services and save taxpayer money," she said in a statement. "While we are pleased to see that He Waka Tapu provides wraparound support and whānau and tikanga-based approaches, there are likely to be some impacts when transferring needle exchange services to a new provider. "Ideally, He Waka Tapu would have been brought on to complement the existing services provided by DISC and helped provide these vital services to more people who need them." Health NZ said the services would transition to He Waka Tapu over the next two months and it was confident staff would "deliver the required services to people who inject drugs and who live in Te Waipounamu". Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CTV News
19-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Party safer: Tips for a safe summer party season
If you or someone near you is using drugs, you'll want to know some important safety tips. With summer festival season in full swing and vacations underway, it's party time for thousands of people across Ottawa. Ottawa Public Health has launched a new online tool to help people party safely, especially when alcohol or drugs are involved. 'We know that alcohol and drugs are a part of the festivities and celebration often, too,' Megan Francoeur, with Ottawa Public Health, told CTV Morning Live. 'Just making sure that we're not mixing substances, starting low, going slow, looking out for each other, getting naloxone, making sure that we know how to respond to overdose and intoxication.' includes free online trainings, printable materials, social media tools, and community resources for event goers and event organizers. 'There's resources for event staff and volunteers, free trainings that take 15 minutes with some really practical tips and also resources for parents and guardians to talk about substance use with your teens and also festivalgoers and school students,' said Francoeur. The site has details on commonly used substances like alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and tobacco, along with information on harm reduction and naloxone use, including where to get naloxone kits. Naloxone A naloxone kit is shown in this undated image. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) The site also has information on mental health and addictions resources, bystander intervention and violence prevention, and safe sex. 'People are out more and we've been out at special events recently and it's been so nice to see the response from thousands of people coming up, saying they're happy to be doing this type of training and we love to see it when somebody walks by our tent and goes, 'I already have a (naloxone) kit,'' Francoeur said. The free trainings require an Olearn account, which is free to set up, but other resources including tips, information, and links to service providers are freely accessible on the website.
