Posts Tagged ‘drugs’

New Video: Fentanyl Test Strips

Friday, March 26th, 2021
https://youtu.be/y6qZL0qYiAc

How much do you know about fentanyl test strips? Why, and how, should you use them? When funding allows, we provide these for free to our clients. Be smarter and safer, test first!

Syringe Exchange Expands Into Westchester

Monday, January 11th, 2021

Project Reach Out vanSince the 1980’s, HVCS has provided services throughout Westchester County to people who use drugs, including HIV, STD and Hepatitis C prevention and education, HIV and STD testing, linkage to substance use disorder treatment services, and, when possible, emergency food and supplies. Many of these specific services were provided by our Project Reach Out program (PRO), which travels to Westchester’s urban areas—places hit hardest by the double HIV and opioid epidemics.

We were just approved to offer what is called “second tier syringe exchange” services via our PRO staff. They will be able to provide access to syringes, recoupment of used syringes, Narcan trainings, referrals to treatment, and information about prevention services to people who use drugs (PWUD). This is a form of “peer-delivered” services, where staff are permitted to carry out exchanges wherever they are, without being fixed to a particular location like our other syringe exchange programs in Rockland and in the Mid-Hudson.

This is a significant enhancement to the PRO program and a boon to Westchester’s PWUD population. By being embedded in the community and gaining clients’ trust, we aim to refer even more people to substance use treatment facilities and other services than ever before.

HVCS In The News: Recovery In The Age of COVID-19

Monday, September 21st, 2020

By Dalvin Aboagye

As published on River Newsroom:

 

The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Is Here To Help!

Friday, July 17th, 2020

ADAP 2020

 

ADAP Espanol

HVCS & St. Lukes Cornwall Hospital Connect Overdose Patients To Long-Term Aftercare Help

Friday, February 22nd, 2019

St. Lukes Cornwall Hospital in NewburghWhen someone comes to a standard emergency room because of an opioid overdose, the staff do everything they can to revive them–but what happens after that? At St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital (SLCH) in Newburgh, they provide overdose patients with a short-term prescription for buprenorphine, a pharmaceutical which prevents withdrawl symptoms without providing a high. This short course of buprenorphine is known as induction and it’s the first step in assisting the client to discontinue or markedly diminish their use of other opioids. SLCH can only offer the induction phase, not a longer-term prescription program, though.

That’s where our Health Hub comes in. We recently began a collaboration with SLCH in which we transition clients from the induction phase to long-term bupe use (known as a Medication Assisted Treatment Program or MAT).

Hospital staff and clients appreciate that HVCS’ services are low-threshold. Clients who come to the Health Hub are able to receive Buprenorphine treatment with out the fear of being discharged because they either relapse or are using another substance. We expect for this collaboration to be very successful and are looking forward to work closely with other hospitals as they begin to look at the same model as St Luke’s Cornwall Hospital.

New Substance Abuse Program Coming to Sullivan County

Wednesday, August 9th, 2017

A map of Sullivan CountyHVCS has received a grant from the NY State Department of Health to create what is called a Drug Users Health Hub for opiate users in Sullivan County. This new program, which we are calling the Hub, will help reduce opioid use and overdoses while improving clients’ general health.  The funds will enable us to hire a physician and nurses to write Buprenorphine prescriptions and offer crisis visits, relapse prevention and wound care in our Monticello office.

We are anxious to get to work with new staff positions and resources so that we can reduce the number of opioid overdoses and get more people into treatment. This program is also exciting because it will allow us to provide actual medical care as a stand-alone service, which is something HVCS has never done before.

The Hub will work in tandem with our other substance abuse treatment programs, the Syringe Exchange Program and Project ReachOut.

Buprenorphine–What’s That?

Staff in this program will be able to prescribe Buprenorphine to treat opioid and heroin addiction. It relieves drug cravings without producing the same high as other opioid drugs. The program nurses will also provide relapse interventions and monitor clients so they can access the services they need.

Alcohol Awareness Month – April

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

 

Founded and sponsored by NCADD, Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 to help reduce the stigma so often associated with alcoholism by encouraging communities to reach out to the American public each April with information about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease, genetically predisposed and fatal if untreated. However people can and do recover. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery!

Alcohol Awareness Month – April

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

 

Founded and sponsored by NCADD, Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 to help reduce the stigma so often associated with alcoholism by encouraging communities to reach out to the American public each April with information about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease, genetically predisposed and fatal if untreated. However people can and do recover. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery!

Alcohol Awareness Month – April

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

 

Founded and sponsored by NCADD, Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 to help reduce the stigma so often associated with alcoholism by encouraging communities to reach out to the American public each April with information about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease, genetically predisposed and fatal if untreated. However people can and do recover. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery!

Alcohol Awareness Month – April

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

 

Founded and sponsored by NCADD, Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 to help reduce the stigma so often associated with alcoholism by encouraging communities to reach out to the American public each April with information about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease, genetically predisposed and fatal if untreated. However people can and do recover. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery!