Reducing risk and increasing health: effective policies and procedures for a community based harm reduction program in rural northern California

Author

Ronni Duncan

Graduation Date

2016

Document Type

Project

Program

Other

Program

Project (M.S.W.)--Humboldt State University, Social Work, 2016

Committee Chair Name

Jennifer Maguire

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Rural, Syringe exchange, Needle exchange, Overdose prevention, Substance use, Opioid, Naloxone, Drug use, Syringe access, Narcan, Harm reduction, Outreach, Humboldt State University -- Projects -- Social Work

Abstract

The bio-psycho-social consequences of drug use for the individuals who use drugs, their family and the community in Redwood County, CA is a complex problem. In addition, the stigma, shame and guilt associated with drug use and the negative bio- psycho-social outcomes on the individual are what continue to perpetuate drug user's decreased desire to engage in supportive services. Every year the State of California conducts a county health assessment to gauge the health of all of the counties in the state of California. The 2014 report shows that California's (CA) crude death rate for cirrhosis of the liver was 12.3:100,000 and 24.6; 100,000 for Redwood County. In addition, drug induced deaths for CA is 11.5: 100,000 while Redwood County the rate is 36.2drug induced deaths per 100,000 people. The conclusions of the report show that Redwood County is the fourth unhealthiest county in the California (Greene, Badley, Bilot, Davis., 2015). The Redwood Area Center for Harm Reduction (RACHR) is a newly established non-profit harm reduction program in Redwood County, CA. RACHR's stated goals are, Practicing in a socially just manner, we intend to provide comprehensive community-wide education programs, trainings workshops; advocacy, empowerment, and support for drug users and other high-risk communities; overdose prevention; direct services, counseling, and referrals; safe injection supplies; and advocate for more humane drug policy (HACHR, , Mission Statement, 2014.) RACHR is currently in the process of expanding their programs and volunteer base. With program and volunteer expansion RACHR is in need of a thorough policy and procedure manual to use in their program. RACHR is currently using interventions such as street outreach for syringe exchange and access, clean use and hygiene supplies, overdose prevention materials and overdose reversal kits. In addition they provide community outreach in the form of Hepatitis C and HIV education and the overdose prevention trainings. This project addresses the current local crisis of injection drug use (IDU), drug abuse and deaths along with the public health crisis resulting from it and other high risk behaviors, specifically in Humboldt County. In addition, it reviews the concepts and models of harm reduction, the current problem in Redwood County associated with drug use and how harm reduction is being utilized locally in Redwood County. This project is the development of a policy and procedure manual for a Community Based Harm Reduction Program in Redwood County to use to train staff and volunteers on best practices of harm reduction procedures. By reviewing policy and procedure manuals of established and successful harm reduction programs throughout the country and gleaning the most common policies and procedures guided the development of this manual. In order to gain a better understanding of best practices in the field of harm reduction. Experts who work in harm reduction programs locally and nationally were interviewed.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/m900nw724

Share

 
COinS