Posts Tagged ‘Sullivan County’

Free Hepatitis C Testing Event: Monticello

Monday, April 18th, 2022

Free Hepatitis C Testing Event: Monticello

HVCS is providing free Hepatitis C testing and a bag lunch on 4 dates in May (which is Hepatitis Awareness Month). Testing and lunch incentives will be given at our SEP van (or in the Monticello office, on May 16th).

Here is the full schedule:

Thursday May 12, 2022 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Municipal Parking Lot @ Mill St.
between N. Hamilton and Catherine St., Poughkeepsie

Friday May 13, 2022 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Parking lot behind 280 Broadway, Newburgh

Monday, May 16, 2022 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm
20 Crystal St., Monticello

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm Elmendorf St. between Broadway and Tremper Ave., Kingston

Support provided by United Healthcare. For more information, call or text (845) 522-5767 or email us.

New Mid-Hudson Outreach Program Provides Harm Reduction Services  

Friday, April 1st, 2022
Mid-Hudson Outreach Program


Starting today, Hudson Valley Community Services (HVCS) commences a new overdose prevention and harm reduction program people who use drugs (PWUD) in Orange and Sullivan counties. Mid-Hudson Outreach’s goal is to expand access to MOUD (medication for opioid use disorder), Narcan (Naloxone) to reverse overdoses, and connect clients to available resources. These include HVCS’ own Health Hub and Syringe Exchange Program (SEP), Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP), HIV/STD/Hepatitis C testing, case management, and food assistance. Ultimately, the program empowers clients to make safer choices that have a positive impact on their overall health.

Mid-Hudson Outreach staff will use a variety of cooperative relationships to monitor and seek out where PWUD tend to congregate. The Prevention Specialists and part-time Peer will distribute free harm reduction supplies and information to build rapport with new clients. Once a person expresses interest and enrolls in services, staff can assist them remotely for the duration of their enrollment. This enables PWUD who may be in a contemplative stage of their use to identify and follow their own goals. Clients will work closely with program staff in combating barriers impacting their needs. All participants will be offered safer injection supplies, Narcan training and kits, safer sex supplies, and other needed items to promote risk reduction and overdose prevention.

Special Focus on Rural Areas
Mid-Hudson Outreach was created specifically to improve access to care and increase syringe access for PWUD in remote, rural areas like most of Orange and Sullivan counties. The program will increase Narcan access and distribution; and decrease overdose death rates.

This program complements Ulster County Outreach Program and the Dutchess Regional Care Coordinator to empower PWUDs in the Hudson Valley and strengthen their health care autonomy.

Monticello Office Closed

Friday, November 20th, 2020

Our Monticello office will be closed on Monday, November 23, Tuesday, November 24, and again on Monday, November 30.

Our Sullivan County syringe exchange will operate with special arrangements until Dec 1. To set up an appointment, please call us at (914) 785-8275.

Monticello Office Closed

Friday, November 20th, 2020

Our Monticello office will be closed on Monday, November 23, Tuesday, November 24, and again on Monday, November 30.

All HVCS offices are closed on Wednesdays, and will also be closed for Thanksgiving and “Black Friday.”

Our Sullivan County syringe exchange will operate with special arrangements until Dec 1. To set up an appointment, please call us at (914) 785-8275.

Aging In Prison: A RealHealth Article Includes Perspective From HVCS

Tuesday, July 28th, 2020

Jennifer Brathwaite, our Director of Education and Prevention, is quoted in this two-part article on aging in prison on RealHealth.com.

This a lengthy yet eye-opening article that is well worth the read. Jennifer’s contributing quotes appear in Part Two.

Here’s an excerpt:

Brathwaite finds that sometimes formerly incarcerated seniors may not be aware and educated about issues concerning HIV. “While I wouldn’t want to stereotype or put everyone in the same group, I think that with our older population, there is less knowledge or access to information that’s current about the advancements in this area and in what we know about HIV, hep C, STIs [sexually transmitted infections], infectious disease transmission and things like that,” she observes. “I think there’s still a lot of stigma, specifically around HIV, and a lack of knowledge about how the virus is transmitted.”

Part One

Part Two

 

Criminal Justice Initiative Now Offering Hep C Linkage & Support

Wednesday, October 10th, 2018
Our Criminal Justice Initiative, which provides HIV education and linkage to care for those incarcerated in NY state prisons in Sullivan County, recently received an enhancement to include Hepatitis C (HCV) services.
Our new HCV Linkage Specialist will work with known HCV+ individuals within the correctional facilities, including an action plan for their treatment, working with the medical unit in each prison, and making referrals to medical care. Our staff will also provide transitional planning for those being released from prison so that they can remain linked to care, housing and other services. The Linkage Specialist will identify any barriers that HCV+ incarcerated individuals might have to seeking treatment and help them to overcome those obstacles.
 
Medical staff within New York State’s Department of Corrections & Community Supervision report large numbers of incarcerated individuals who are HCV+, so we are grateful to be offering this service.

HVCS’ Frank Barone To Speak At Sullivan Co Opioid Abuse Conference

Thursday, August 9th, 2018

HVCS’ Frank Barone, a member of our Syringe Exchange Program staff, will be on the panel at the upcoming 2018 Sullivan County Opioid Abuse Prevention Conference at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. Frank is one of the featured local speakers and his segment is entitled, “I Was Twelve: My Story of the Road to Recovery.”

Get all the details and register for the conference here.

Sullivan County Opioid Abuse Prevention Conference

Thursday, August 9th, 2018

OCTOBER 3, 2018
Bethel Woods Center for The Arts -Event Gallery

Featured Speakers:
Tom Kersting, PhD, MA, LPC: “Digitally Distracted: Parenting in the Age of Technology”
Michael Nerney, BS: “The Adolescent Brain: Substance Abuse and Other Risky Behavior”

Local Speakers:
Nancy McGraw, LCSW, MBA, Public Health Director, Sullivan County: Background and Update
Frank Barone, Hudson Valley Community Services: “I was Twelve: My Story of the Road to Recovery”
Martin Colavito, MHS, CASAC, Catholic Charities: “mindful prevention – what really works”

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Registration Fee: $25 per person
Register here

PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
SEATING IS LIMITED
Sign-In and Welcome Breakfast begin at 8:00 am
Conference begins promptly at 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast and Lunch Included

For more information, contact Sullivan County Public Health Services at: 845.292.5910

Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply
endorsement by the U.S. Government.

CASAC CEUs PENDING

New Sullivan Co Helpline Ad Features HVCS Employee Frank Barone

Monday, May 21st, 2018

Frank BaroneFrank Barone, HVCS’ Syringe Exchange Program Prevention Specialist, recently recorded a public service ad for the Sullivan County Helpline. In less than a minute, you’ll get a sense of Frank’s past and why he’s so passionate about his work here at HVCS.

Frank has been a panelist and speaker at several recent conferences and town halls about the opioid epidemic, with more speaking engagements to come.

Thanks to the Sullivan County Health Department for sharing this with us, and for partnering with HVCS to reach more people with addiction disorders in Sullivan County.

Health Services Coordination Available in Orange & Sullivan Counties

Sunday, October 11th, 2015

Do you know an Orange or Sullivan County resident living with chronic health conditions that doesn’t have insurance?

HVCS now offers FREE Health Services Coordination for uninsured individuals with chronic health conditions or mental health illnesses. The HSC Program can:
• Assess health needs and refer them to resources
• Refer them to food and housing sources
• Inform them about insurance options
• Enroll them in the NYS health insurance marketplace, including Medicaid
• Serve as contact to NYS health insurance marketplace

Our Coordinator is a Certified Application Counselor.

Our step-by-step guidance from application assistance to enrollment in Health Homes can help individuals who are already overwhelmed by chronic or mental health condition get one step closer to the healthcare and social support they need. Visit our website for more information, or contact our Health Services Coordinator directly!