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Harm Reduction

For over 60 years, Samaritan Daytop Village has helped New Yorkers find recovery through treatment for addiction. Throughout the decades, our mission has remained the same – to save lives. In keeping with that objective, we have integrated Harm Reduction strategies into our services.

Harm Reduction helps individuals improve their health and wellness with the information they need to make healthy choices about their substance use habits.

Our approach to Harm Reduction is simple: Share strategies that help reduce the harms associated with substance use. With this knowledge, one adjustment can help avoid infection and save lives.

Tips and Resources to Stay Safe

Individuals who use drugs and alcohol are at risk of harming their health and wellness and possibly death. Harm Reduction helps avert those risks with ways to modify, moderate, or abstain from use.

Following are five safe strategies to reduce the dangers associated with substance use:

  1. Never Use Alone.
    Drug use is dangerous. If you choose to use drugs, stay safe. Commit to never use alone. For more info, visit Never Use Alone Inc. or call 800-484-3731.
  2. Use Fentanyl Test Strips.
    Deadly fentanyl is now found widely in illicit drug supplies. Before using, test your supply for any trace of it. Our PARC (Peer Alliance Recovery Center) programs in Queens and the Bronx as well as our Residential and Outpatient treatment programs offer free fentanyl test strips. You can also order test strips with instructions at https://mattersnetwork.org/harmreduction/.

  3. Get Narcan.
    Always have Narcan (naloxone) on hand. Free Narcan kits are available at our PARC programs and treatment locations. To order a free supply and learn how to administer Narcan, visit https://mattersnetwork.org/harmreduction/. 

    Learn more about Samaritan Daytop Village’s history with Narcan training.
  4. Commit to Using Less.
    Commit to reducing usage. Avoid drugs or alcohol when driving, operating machinery, or caring for a child or dependent adult. Keep track of alcohol intake. Offset possible intoxication by ordering a soft drink in between drinks of alcohol. For more tips on moderating alcohol intake, visit https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/.

  5. Get Medication for Addiction Treatment.
    When abstinence, modification, or moderation seem difficult, Medications for Addiction Treatment (MATs) provide the safest answer to manage substance use. MATs reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings, ultimately improving quality of life. Clients report a positive experience when their MAT prescriptions are paired with other supportive treatments and interventions. MAT helps people build the capacity to abstain from the drugs causing the most harm and recover from addiction.

Learn more about our Medically Assisted Treatment.

For More Info on Harm Reduction

Whether you need support for the path of recovery you are on or want some help to decide your way, Samaritan Daytop Village has services to support you. Contact us for more information:

PARC Queens (for post-treatment recovery programs and services) – Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
929-244-1445 or parc@samaritanvillage.org

PARC Bronx (for post-treatment recovery programs and services) – Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
929-244-1500 or parcbronx@samaritanvillage.org

 

For info on substance use, opioid use, and mental health treatment, contact Central Admissions – 24/7 at (855) 322-4357 (HELP) or visit https://samaritanvillage.org/admissions.

Narcan Training for More Than a Decade

In 2012, Samaritan Daytop Village began training Residential Treatment staff and clients in Narcan administration. The initiative was part of New York State’s Overdose Prevention Program.

Our Narcan training expanded to our Outpatient and Shelter programs. Today all staff members, including our Administrative teams, receive free Narcan training and supplies.

In 2020, we began offering free training to the communities we serve:

  • Certified trainers at PARC in Queens and the Bronx offer online and in-person classes. Upon completion, students receive a Narcan kit. To sign up, call 929-244-1500 or 929-244-1500. Download the training schedule to view upcoming class dates.

  • Our Outreach teams take Narcan instruction to the streets and communities of New York City. Teams from our Outpatient Programs and the Citywide Addiction Support Network educate individuals and community groups and pass out free Narcan kits.

The goal of our Narcan training initiative remains the same as our mission – to save lives.