SECTION IV: IDU Syringe Exchange Data

Transcription

1 SECTION IV: IDU Syringe Exchange Data 1

2 IDU/SYRINGE EXCHANGE SURVEY ANALYSIS From the opening of the Needs Assessment process, it was acknowledged that there would be significant challenges in gathering data from individuals living with substance abuse disorders. Under advisement of the individuals operating programming for the intravenous drug-using (IDU) population, the best approach was deemed to be a postcard survey in hard copy that providers at Vermont syringe exchanges could assist individuals in filling out, and then collect immediately. With the assistance of these professionals, the IDU survey was able to collect information from 50 clients of Vermont syringe exchanges. The survey was limited in scope and asked a minimal number of questions to increase participation. The 50 participants completed the survey on a small index card containing the following questions: 1. What items or services do you and your partners/friends need most? (Check boxes) Clean needles HIV/AIDS services Medication-assisted drug treatment Hepatitis Services Help finding housing A place I can get mail Basic things like soap, toothpaste, Help finding work toothbrushes, shampoo, Band-Aids, aspirin, Basic wound care etc. Dental care Food Testing for sexually transmitted infections Basic health care other than HIV, like syphilis or gonorrhea Mental health services In-patient drug treatment 2. What else? (Space for written entry) 3. What are your most urgent day-to-day needs? (Space for written entry) 4. What would be MOST helpful to you to have right HERE at the syringe exchange? Food Basic wound care Info on drug treatment Someone to talk to Hepatitis A & B vaccinations Information about places that can help with A map of helpful places like shelters food, housing, jobs, healthcare Information about what to do in a medical Someone in person to talk to from places emergency that can help with housing, jobs, healthcare Someone who can answer my health A case manager to sit with me & help figure questions out how to get help with housing, jobs, etc. A professional who can look at my teeth 5. What else? (Space for written entry) The majority of the participants answered Questions 1 and 4 only, the two items that were simple check lists. Thirty-percent of the participants did not answer Question 4, possibly because the participants did not know there were questions on the back of the index card. Handwritten responses to Questions 2, 3, and 5 were limited but themes are listed in the analysis. 2

3 DEMOGRAPHICS The bottom of the survey provided boxes for the participants to enter their gender, age, race, and status of Vermont residency. Participants had the option of not filling out demographic information. The surveys which did include demographic information provide this analysis with the following figures: Gender: 19 female 18 male 1 transgender 12 did not identify gender Age: 20 identify as 35 years old or younger 23 identify as over 35 years of age 12 did not identify age Race: 47 White * Black * Native American Vermont Residency: All 50 participants report Vermont residency For the purposes of this brief analysis, some data will be broken down by age or gender of the responses. Variance in race or Vermont residency did not allow for significant statistical analysis. 3

4 ANALYSIS Overall, participants reported that the top five items or services needed most were: 1. Clean needles 2. Medication-assisted drug treatment 3. Help finding housing 4. Basic toiletries 5. Food CHART #1 provides detail on the ranking for all options. Participant responses indicate clean needles and medication-assisted drug treatment were the two highest needs by a significant margin. A total of 42 out of the 47 participants who answered the question checked clean needles on the list of most needed services, indicating the syringe exchanges are fulfilling a strong existing demand, and that their primary service is indeed the most needed. Additionally, this data indicates that syringe exchanges can be stepping stone, with individuals coming in for clean needles ranking medication-assisted drug treatment as second highest choice. Clearly there is interest in treatment among the clients of the exchanges. The following highest needs, with just over half of respondents selecting them, were: 6. Hepatitis services 7. Help finding work 8. Dental care Data indicates that a place to receive mail was not viewed as a most needed service by the majority of participants. The top five needs, as indicated in the responses to Question 1, are broken down by the participants self-reported demographic information in IDU CHART #2. IDU CHART #2 indicates significant variance in the strength of participants responses based on gender and age. In a body of responses with equivalent numbers of participants from both genders, the data demonstrates that a greater percentage of male participants than female participants selected the top five items or services as most needed. Data analysis of the remaining items listed in Question 1 reveals that a consistently greater percentage of male participants selected each item in Question 1 with the one exception of mental health services. Thirty-seven percent of female participants selected mental health services as a most-needed service, compared to 33% of male participants. While the small amount of participants in this survey prevents significant statistical analysis, a simple observation would note that male participants were more likely than female participants to identify their need for a particular item or service. The responses by age do not reveal the same consistencies. Participants under the age of 35 demonstrated a greater need for medication-assisted drug treatment, food, and hepatitis services. Participants 35 years and older demonstrated a greater need for help with housing, basic health care, and HIV/AIDS services. 4

5 IDU CHART #1: Prioritizing Items/Services 5

6 IDU CHART #2: Priority Items & Services by Gender & Age 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% What items or services do you and your partners/friends need most? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Female Male age <35 age >35 6

7 The number of responses was limited for the Question 2 What else? fill-in-the-blank. Hand written entries included: Assistance with the cost of transportation (fuel) Feminine health products Therapeutic support Help with maintaining sobriety A small number of participants listed the following urgent day-to-day needs in response to the Question 3 fill-in-the-blank: Housing Food Clean needles Transportation Medical care Employment Financial assistance Medical-assisted treatment Mental health care and treatment Safety Question 4 asked participants to check off items and services that would be MOST helpful for you to have right HERE at the syringe exchange. With the small pool of data, it is important to remember that 15 of the 50 participants did not respond to this question. As seen in IDU CHART #3, the participants indicated that the most helpful services to have located at the syringe exchange would be: 1. Someone to talk to 2. Information about places that can help with food, housing, jobs, healthcare 3. Someone in person to talk to from places that can help with housing, jobs, and healthcare 4. A case manager to help figure out how to get help with housing, jobs, etc. 5. Food These results suggest that beyond access to clean needles, many participants would like to be able to go to their syringe exchange and talk to someone three of the top four items focus on human interaction. While talking to someone who can help them access other local services is obviously a strong part of this picture, the fact that all three of these options identifying human interaction were so high on the list with simply someone to talk to at the very top implies a strong need for personal connection in the lives of these individuals struggling with addiction. It is important to note the differences between the data in Questions 1 and 4. While 89% of participants listed clean needles as a most needed service, far fewer participants selected any option of the most helpful service listed among the options in Question 4. Preliminary analysis of this discrepancy might suggest that the majority of the survey s participants are most concerned with their syringe exchange s provision of clean needles, as could be expected, and other services categorized as counseling or assistance with accessing social services may not be appealing or may not be among the client s expectations of a syringe exchange s offered services. 7

8 IDU CHART #3 8

9 IDU CHART #4 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% What would be MOST helpful for you to have right HERE at the syringe exchange? 50% 40% 30% 20% Female Male age < 35 age > 35 10% 0% Informafon about places that can help with food, housing, jobs, healthcare Someone to talk to Someone in person to talk to from places that can help with housing, jobs, healthcare A Case manager to help me figure out how to get help with housing, jobs, etc. Food IDU CHART #4 shows the five most helpful services, as indicated in the responses to Question 4, broken down by participants self-reported demographic information. The data in IDU CHART #4 suggests a difference based on gender in the type of assistance clients would like access to in a syringe exchange. More male participants selected the option of having access to representatives directly from social service agencies that could assist with various needs, while a greater number of female participants checked a case manager to help guide them in the process. Once again, the small size of the participant pool prevents significant analysis, but this does present an interesting juxtaposition of desired services that may speak to gender differences in help-seeking behavior and could inform outreach to clients. However, given the almost exact reversal in the gender responses to the two statements someone in person and case manager, this could also represent a difference in language perception, with both genders basically wanting someone to help them access services which is the clear root of both 9

10 statements. If the difference is based more in language perception, it is of interest to note that men responded more readily to the phrase someone in person to talk to and women responded more readily to the phrase a case manager. Men and women both selected in fairly equal numbers the someone to talk to option with no service access appended. Once again, this could inform style of outreach to populations not yet connected to a syringe exchange. All of these responses indicate a larger trend beyond identifying needed services, in the significant interest in personal, human interaction. ## 10