Building Trust With the Injection Drug Community Megan Hatta, RN

Is Syringe Exchange for me?

Steps Toward Trust  Dignity and respect  Validate the stigma cycle  Remain direct and factual  Restore self worth

Dignity and Respect

Why do you use needle exchange?  They smile at me  They do not judge me  They are nice.  I can get the things I need without hassle  They listen to me

“You don’t have to feel ashamed that you do your drug that way. They don’t look down at you.”

“There is human contact. They will help you get better or feel better at least. They can help you change if you want it.”

Stigma

Why do you care?

Junkie Crack Head Diseased Criminal

“Once a Junkie, Always a Junkie”

Direct and Factual

Used Needle

Restore Self Worth

“I have changed my view from looking at myself as someone who doesn’t have anything to contribute or isn’t worth anything. I see myself as someone who can put back into the community and can contribute to the community. I can look for jobs, I can find a job and contribute; even with my drug use I can still do things. It has given me back my life.””

Why Trust Matters

Outcomes: Treatment Individuals using syringe exchange program 5 times more likely to seek treatment

The Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found syringe services programs: 25% more successful than the other programs Outcomes: Treatment

Outcomes: Harm Reduction  Decreased needle stick to law enforcement by two thirds in Connecticut.  Reduced rates of HIV in past 10 years among PWID

Outcomes: Hepatitis C  Portsmith, Ohio, reported near 55% decrease in one year of needle exchange.  Pittsburgh: 64% drop in needle sharing after 3 months of using syringe exchange

Outcomes: Naloxone  CDC: trained 53,032 people with 10,171 drug reversals.  Drop in mortality rates in San Francisco, Chicago, Massachusetts, New York City

You can’t lift someone up unless they trust you