Building TrustWith 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 CPortsmith, 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: NaloxoneCDC: 1996-2010 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