Lower East Side Harm Reduction Inc

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2011 to Jun 30, 2012

Signed

May 13, 2013

Return Version

2011v1.5

Gross Receipts

$2,184,289

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Hiv prevention and supportive services:for the past 20 years the lower east side harm reduction center (leshrc) has been providing services to injection drug users (idus) in lower manhattan that have greatly reduced the rates of hiv and have been instrumental in getting idus connected to health and human services. Our commitment to idus and our community has remained steadfast. When we started our work the lower east side of manhattan was extremely hard hit by the twin epidemics of injection drug use and drugs and injection related hiv/aids. With the help of state funding we have been a key player in reducing the rates of injection among drug injectors and getting them connected to services which help reduce chaotic drug use and its attendant harms. Leshrc offers a wide spectrum of services which are delivered at our storefront, through our outreach program, and in other community locations. We distribute sterile syringes to injecting drug users and conduct a state approved peer to peer syringe exchange program. In light of the potential methamphetamine epidemic and the rise in injectors using this drug we have also been providing sterile syringes on the lower west side of manhattan on friday evenings. This has resulted in an appreciable reduction of new hiv infection and an increase in safer sex practices. Other services offered through our program include but are not limited to community presentations, resource counseling, substance use counseling, referrals, mental health support, and limited onsite medical services.our positive action peer education program educates participants about hiv and hepatitis risks and trains them to become peer educators out in the community. The substance use counselor (suc) counsels participants about harm reduction strategies and avenues for seeking drug treatment. In addition the suc facilitates group workshops on substance use management and risk reduction practices. In addition to this he also conducts the in-house safety counts group. This group has been an important tool for reducing drug use and use-related risky behaviors. It has also proven effective in helping participants to meet their goals and improve their quality of life.the transgender group educates male-to-female participants at risk for contracting hiv and hepatitis c. A great number of participants attending this group are currently using drugs and/or injecting hormones and/or engaging in sex work. This group is facilitated by a transgender woman with the assistance of a social worker. The social worker also offers individual mental health counseling to participants with a history of mental illness and substance use. Our resource counselors provide assistance in gaining needed entitlements and intensive follow-up to maintain services. The program also offers acupuncture services to participants.it is our low threshold policy, which plays a key role in helping us to meet active drug users "where they are at," which leads to our success in getting our participants connected to care and to use sterile injection equipment and this in turn leads to a drastic drop in hiv transmission rates.through this program, 75 unique individuals are served of whom 20 unique individuals are hiv+. Program activities include hiv prevention outreach, delivery of evidence based interventions in multiple session groups, comprehensive risk counseling services including intake, plan development, plan implementation, and reassessment, hiv counseling, testing, referral and partner services, sexually transmitted infection screening and partner services, supportive counseling, psychological services, acupuncture, escort, and syringe exchange including storefront, walkabout, and peer-to-peer, as well as, nutrition and food including on-site meals.

Activity 3

Educational encounter:- structured education and information on buprenorphine, including availability and effects of medication, induction process for treatment, and how maintenance in treatment works- hcv prevention education- hcv care and treatment education- overdose (od) prevention education, including knowledge of risks for od, recognizing an od, myths of od reversal, steps for od response and reversala participant can receive more than one educational encounter. For example if a case manager reviews overdose risk and hcv prevention with a participant, 2 educational encounters were delivered. Educational encounters can be delivered by sep staff and peers. Educational encounters must be delivered to sep participants to count under this deliverable category.hepatitis care and care coordination:- hcv testing of an individual- ha/bv vaccination of an individual- hbv testing of an individual- escort of an individual to hcv medical appointment- hcv care and treatment counseling - scheduling hcv-related medical appointment for an individualsome, but not all of the hepatitis care coordination deliverables require a skilled clinician. Services such as appointment escorting and scheduling can be done by any sep staff, including peers. Agencies will be reimbursed per activity, not per individual. Hepatitis care and hepatitis care coordination must be delivered to sep participants to count under this deliverable category.health care and care coordination:- infectious disease testing, including hiv- vaccination for infectious disease- general medical examination- womens clinical health exam- buprenorphine treatment induction- prescriptions written and/or dispensed- wound care- care coordination, including escort to medical and mental health appointments, completed referral to care, and scheduling of medical and mental health appointments.all services in this category, with the exception of care coordination, must be conducted by a medical professional a medical doctor (md), nurse practitioner (np), physicians assistant (pa), registered nurse (rn), phlebotomist or certified tester. Any staff person or peer can conduct care coordination activities, including escorts, referrals, and scheduling of medical appointments. Agencies will be reimbursed per activity, not per individual. Health care and health care coordination must be delivered to sep participants to count under this deliverable category.overdose rescue kits, including naloxone:- overdose (od) prevention education and training, including knowledge of risks for od, recognizing an od, myths of od reversal, steps for od response and reversal, and prescription of naloxone- refill of naloxone for an individual already trained and certified in od responsea person does not have to be an sep client to receive an overdose rescue kit; sep staff and peers, as well as broader members of the community, can receive od rescue kits and be counted toward this deliverable. However, if an individual has been trained in the past 2 years at your agency and still has an unused and unexpired naloxone kit, they cannot be counted toward this deliverable.sep unique participant:sep participant accessing syringes from the program for the first time in the calendar month. Can be a participant served by peer-delivered exchange. All sep participants must also be offered an educational encounter.through this program 3,480 unique individuals are served in syringe exchange and there will be a minimum of 2,688 encounters for health education, hepatitis care, health care, and the distribution of naloxone kits.

Filer

EIN

13-3727641