RFP-UC23-085 - STREET OUTREACH HARM REDUCTION & SUPPORT SERVICES

The purpose of this RFP is to obtain proposals for street outreach, including harm reduction and other supportive services to provide direct intervention for individuals using opioids and other drugs to reduce overdose and fatalities.

Background: The need for street outreach harm reduction services has been made evident by gap analysis of the Opioid Strategic Action Team, and further supported by findings of the HEALing Communities Study and Ulster County Behavioral Health Task Force. Harm reduction programs take a person-centered approach in reducing the negative health effects, and potentially fatal outcomes for people who use drugs. These programs are essential to decreasing overdose fatalities, life-threatening infections, and diseases such as HIV/HCV. Compared to 2018, there has been a 30% decrease in the number of fatalities compared to total overdoses. This decrease in fatalities results from the increase in harm reduction efforts, peer programming, and naloxone education and distribution within the county.