nothin Outreach Workers Blast Needle Exchange… | New Haven Independent

Outreach Workers Blast Needle Exchange Transfer

Allan Appel Photo

Dismissed needle exchange veterans Myers and Bucheli.

There won’t be the same one-on-one attention. Or the same compassionate touch. And the benefits to the city at large — like picking up needles from parks — will be far less. And it’s a short-sighted thing to be doing in the midst of an opiate crisis.

Those were some of the arguments offered by Ambritt Myers and George Bucheli, two of the three recently laid off city workers of the now closed Syringe Exchange Services program, and by their AFSCME Local 3144 union supporters.

The remarks were made at a press conference held Friday afternoon in the union offices at 129 Church St.

Bucheli and Myers are members of the union.

New Haven launched the needle exchange program 26 years ago in a pioneering effort during the height of the AIDS crisis, and was emulated nationwide.

However, over the years all of the programs in the state that copied New Haven’s model have closed down, moving the service to more comprehensive non-government providers.

As of Dec. 31 the New Haven program was for all practical purposes shut down when the city declined to accept the state funds which had been supporting it.

Instead the funds are to be transferred to the Yale School of Medicine, which is negotiating continue the program folded into other services it already provides in a 40-foot mobile clinic. (Yale’s Dr. Frederick Altice said as of mid-week last week the contract hadn’t yet been finalized. But he said Yale has begun providing services to drug users who had depended on the city service; see more at the bottom of this article.)

Local 3144 President Cherlyn Poindexter urged the city’s health commission not to retreat from its historical obligation to run the Syringe Exchange Services, especially in light of the opioid crisis currently experienced in this city and the state.”

Poindexter characterized the Yale plan as outsourcing” and deemed it unconscionable” to proceed with no real plan in place for the continuation of services, posing, as a result, a serious public health danger to the New Haven community.

A lot of these people are going back to their rooms. Yale doesn’t have the compassion we have,” she added.

Union Vice Prez Harold Brooks.

Union Vice President Harold Brooks said, These [Myers and Bucheli] are individuals who dedicated their lives to this [work]. You bring something different to the table. They built a trust, a bond.”

Yale is Yale. Yale doesn’t have the compassion we have. This is my purpose. I’m scared a lot of people [we have helped get back on their feet] are going to fail,” said Myers.

City officials in making this decision to change the syringe program remain confident its clients will remain better served by a provider using a community health model, because it can be more responsive to their needs; and because it provides comprehensive services including mental health and substance abuse counseling,” responded mayoral spokesman Laurence Grotheer. This is New Haven’s effort to provide for that segment of the population in line with the state Department of Public Health and its vision.”

Grotheer said the three eliminated city positions — two general fund and one special fund jobs — won’t result in any savings to the city’s exchequer because state money paid the salaries.

Meanwhile, Yale’s Altice emailed this update on services Yale has begun providing before the final contract is signed:

Even though we do not yet have a signed contract, we are already doing the necessary work. For example, people who want NSP services and go to the Health Department are referred immediately to the CHCV [community health care van] or our storefront drop in center. The CHCV schedule and the storefront address are posted at the NH Health Dept.

The NH Health Department has transferred all of their NSP supplies to us and everyone is receiving services. Our staff are all trained and experienced in the distribution and use of Narcan and all drug injectors who receive services are provided a Narcan kit and trained in how to use it for themselves or friends. Our hours of operations are also more expanded than at the Health Department with more sites to receive services. In addition, anyone who wants treatment for opioid addiction can be enrolled on treatment IMMEDIATELY (on demand) using buprenorphine or extended release naltrexone that we prescribe on the CHCV.

For those who want drug treatment elsewhere, we have multiple opportunities for treatment referral with same day treatment provided at our referral sites. We also voluntarily screen the patients for STIs, HIV, HCV and provide vaccination for Hepatitis A and B. Additionally, we can provide onsite treatment for HIV and HCV, thereby improving access to treatment without patients having to go elsewhere for treatment. For clients who are HIV negative, we can also provide onsite pre-exposure (PrEP and post-exposure (PEP) services to prevent HIV transmission. Hence, there are new opportunities that are present in the transfer to the CHCV. ”

Tags:

Sign up for our morning newsletter

Don't want to miss a single Independent article? Sign up for our daily email newsletter! Click here for more info.


Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

Avatar for Doppleganger

Avatar for Dominick Maldonado

Avatar for robn

Avatar for 17-25