Lower East Side Harm Reduction Inc

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2012 to Jun 30, 2013

Signed

Apr 23, 2014

Return Version

2012v2.1

Gross Receipts

$2,052,751

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Hiv prevention and supportive services:resource counseling: leshrc resource counselors provide assessments to meet concrete needs, addressing quality of life issues, access to food, health care, benefits, etc. They also provide individual counseling, group counseling, coordination of health services, facilitation of treatment plans, crisis intervention, referrals, escorts, and advocacy to reduce barriers to services.housing support services: scholarly research shows that stable housing promotes positive health outcomes for people living with hiv / aids and other chronic diseases. Research also demonstrates that stable housing helps active drug users to reduce or eliminate drug use. Leshrc therefore offers housing placement and retention services, including housing assessments, advocacy and escorts to fair hearings before housing court, and intervention with landlords and tenant associations to prevent evictions. Pharmacy initiative: the lower east side harm reduction center has launched a new pharmacy program in collaboration with downtown pharmacy. This is a boon for participants who are reluctant to interact with a regular pharmacy because of the fact that people obtaining prescriptions for addiction treatment medications such as buprenorphine (suboxone) or for hiv medications can often be treated like second class citizens, discriminated against, and stigmatized. This also gives leshrc homeless or unstably housed participants a safe place to obtain their medications and helps to protect the confidentiality of any participant receiving medications. It is also hoped that, with coordination through mental health staff and the resource counseling staff, medication adherence will be augmented. Groups: the resource counseling division oversees the following groups: long term hiv survivors group; women's group; people living with aids group.

Activity 3

Educational encounter:syringe exchange program: in order to reduce the spread of disease and reduce harm among intra-venous drug users, injecting hormone users, and injecting insulin users, sterile needles, other supplies (e.g. Tourniquets, cookers, bleach kits, safer sex supplies), and abscess prevention materials are available on a free and confidential basis to registered participants of our program.positive action peer group (papep/shield): has trained over 200 participants for employment or volunteer work in the community. This program focuses on hiv/hcv education and safer sex. As a direct result of the program, many graduates are now employed full time in various social service organizations. This group combines elements of papep (positive action peer education program) and shield (self-help in eliminating life-threatening diseases).holistic services: leshrc offers ear point acupuncture, reiki and yoga as adjuncts to traditional medical modalities. Drop in center: the drop-in center is a relaxing and safe environment where engagement with our participants occurs in a communal space. The drop-in center was created by and for our diverse membership. A wide range of activities are offered on a scheduled basis, including groups, community meals, use of a bank of computers with internet connection, and small group seating. 2,564 unique individuals served in both syringe and non-syringe programs 255,854 sterile syringes were distributed 244,338 used syringes were collected (not including kiosk) our syringe return rate was 95.4% (not including kiosk) 322 individuals were trained in overdose prevention and overdose reversal with narcan (naloxone) 43 lives were saved through the reversal of opioid overdoses with narcan 1,475 meals were served: 967 breakfasts, 470 community meals, and 38 meals at a special barbecue event 78 individuals were treated with the opioid substitution medication suboxone (buprenorphine) 2,891 individual counseling sessions took place 539 hiv tests were conductedthere were a total of 20,442 outreach encounters. 31% were with youth age 13 to 24, 50% were with males, 33% were with females, 16% were with transgender individuals.208,000 male condoms were distributed. Of this number, 85,000 condoms were distributed through outreach. 4,200 female condoms were distributed. Of this number, 2,387 were distributed on outreach. Demographics for all participants:race: asian 3%, black/african 19%, more than one race 2%, native american 0.3%, native hawaiian / pacific 0.7%, some other race 18%, white 56%ethnicity: hispanic 32%, non-hispanic 68%gender: female 28%, male 64%, transgender identifying as female 8%, transgender identifying as male 0.4%age: age 0-19 1%, age 20-29 20%, age 30-39 19%, age 40-49 25%, age 50+ 35%geography: manhattan 58%, brooklyn 18%, queens 8%, the bronx 5%, staten island 4%, other 8%43% of participants are from union sq./lower east side 754 individuals accessed the full leshrc array of services (may or may not include syringe exchange); this represents 29% of all those servedof those accessing the full array of services, characteristics identified includeda. Active or recovering alcohol or drug user: over 95%b. Homeless in a shelter or on the street 15% c. Living with relations/friends 12% d. Received mental health services 31% e. Same sex contacts 8%f. Transgender 5%g. <$10,000 annual income 94%h. Covered by medicaid/medicare 51%i. Insurance status not reported 43%j. Hiv negative, at risk 67%k. Hiv positive 22%l. Hiv status unknown 11%m. The harm reduction group and women's group were the two best attended with 13% for the harm reduction group and 5% for the women's group.n. Referrals were highest for mental health/psychosocial 14%, alcohol/substance use services 11%, housing 10%, and case management 9%

Filer

EIN

13-3727641