Syringe Service Programs: Platforms for Engagement. September 28, 2018 Melissa Green, MASW, LSW Harm Reduction Program Manager Columbus Public Health

Transcription

1 Syringe Service Programs: Platforms for Engagement September 28, 2018 Melissa Green, MASW, LSW Harm Reduction Program Manager Columbus Public Health

2 Strategy: Syringe Service Programs Harm Reduction focuses on ways to minimize the harmful effects rather than ignore or condemn them. A social justice model is based on respect for and the rights of people who use drugs. Intent is to keep the client alive and as healthy as possible.

3 Strategy: Syringe Service Programs Public Education, Prevention & Treatment Reduces risks/harm from IV drug use directly Infectious diseases Untreated medical needs Unintentional overdose

4 Impact: Syringe Service Programs Program efficacy quantitative & qualitative 1,2,3, People who inject drugs (PWID) are 5 times as likely to enter treatment for substance use disorder when engaged in a an Syringe Service Program (SSP) 4 Decrease in Hepatitis C rates by 50% and decrease in HIV rates of 80% among those who inject drugs. 5 Once publicly funded, Washington D.C. s SSP prevented an estimated 120 HIV cases and saved $44 million in treatment costs in only 2 years 6 Baltimore neighborhoods saw a decrease in crime by 11%. 7 Neighborhoods without a needle exchange saw an 8% increase in the crime rate during same time period. 8

5 Federal Funding The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016, Division H, Sec. 520 Provides, under limited circumstances, the opportunity to use federal funds to support certain components of SSPs. Excludes the purchase of syringes. Must be in consultation with relevant state or local health department, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

6 Federal Funding Guidance Funding and Guidance for SSPs is available from: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment Block Grants HIV Grants State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants

7 Availability SSPs By State 9

8 ORC: Syringe Programs ORC : Bloodborne Infectious Disease Prevention Program Established September 2015, Allows a local board of health to establish a syringe program to reduce the spread of HIV, Hep B and Hep C. Must consult with named interested parties

9 Availability SSPs in Ohio syringe programs Operating in 16 counties Providing services in 21 locations 1,300% increase from 2015, when there was only 1 program operating

10 Harm Reduction Program In Columbus, Ohio

11 Safe Point: A Harm Reduction Program

12 Local Impact 2017 Safe Point Outcomes

13 Local Impact Hepatitis C in Franklin County 11

14 Closing There are many harms associated with substance misuse. Syringe Service Programs (SSPs) seeks to reduce many of these harms. SSPs maximum the participant s ability to meet their basic needs, access healthcare and supportive services, and greatly improve individual and community health outcomes. Public health s response must be multi-faceted with partners and continually evolve to address related and emerging issues. Harm Reduction strategies are a key part of this response.

15 Citations 1. How do drug users define their progress in harm reduction programs? Qualitative research to develop user-generated outcomes. Harm Reduction J. Aug 2004: Targeting HIV-related outcomes with intravenous drug users maintained on methadone: A randomized clinical trial of a harm reduction group therapy. Avants et al. J Substance Abuse Treatment. Mar 2004, 26(2); DC Needle Exchange Program Prevented 120 New Cases of HIV in Two Years. Fackelmann K. J AIDS and Behavior CDC, Retrieved Mar 23, SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit /SMA Retrieved Mar 24, Ruiz, MS Impact evaluation of a policy intervention for HIV prevention in Washington, DC. AIDS and Behavior 20(1): Marx MA, Crape B, Brookmeyer RS, Junge B, Latkin C, Vlahov D, Strathdee SA Trends in crime and the introduction of a needle exchange program. American Journal of Public Health 90(12): Center of Innovative Public Policies, Inc. April Needle Exchange Programs: Is Baltimore a Bust? 9. amfar, Syringe Exchange Programs by State, Retrieved Sept 28, Harm Reduction Ohio, Ohio now has syringe programs in 16 of its 88 counties. Retrieved Sept 28, ODH. Ohio Disease Reporting System. Retrieved July, 2018.