New program is part of larger harm reduction initiative by Gaudenzia to provide kits, education, and referral services to Maryland residents impacted by substance use disorder and co-occurring conditions.
Glen Burnie, MD (October 18, 2023) – Gaudenzia, Inc., the largest nonprofit treatment provider for people with substance use- and co-occurring conditions in MD, has launched a backpack-based syringe service program (SSP) for Baltimore County residents impacted by substance use disorder (SUD) with the help of funding from Baltimore County’s Harm Reduction Expansion program.
Through the SSP, Gaudenzia will conduct community outreach services in Baltimore County, provide sterile syringes, collect used syringes, and provide harm reduction education and resource navigation in an effort to save lives and reduce transmission of diseases including HIV and viral hepatitis.
Harm reduction methods offer a practical, compassionate and transformative approach that incorporates proven strategies that include prevention, risk reduction and health promotion aimed at reducing, or preventing overdose deaths, and other adverse health outcomes. This is increasingly a vital and proven method of keeping people who use drugs alive, especially in underserved communities.
“This innovative initiative is absolutely vital in helping save lives,” notes Dr. Dale Klatzker, President and CEO of Gaudenzia. “SSPs are an example of meeting people where they are in their journey toward recovery while working to keep individuals with SUD alive and as safe and healthy as possible until they are ready to seek treatment.”
The team of Gaudenzia staff who will conduct the outreach in Baltimore County includes a full-time care coordinator who will provide linkage to community services and a full-time peer support specialist and part-time nurse who will motivate and educate individuals on safe practices. Gaudenzia’s outreach team will be accessible Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with times subject to change based on community needs. Staff will be trained on protocols and procedures in accordance with the Maryland Department of Health.
Gaudenzia intends to serve a minimum of 500 Baltimore County residents per year through the SSP initiative. While the team has been providing harm reduction outreach, the syringe service program component begins this week.
Gaudenzia’s SSP is part of its larger, two-pronged Harm Reduction Expansion Program in Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County, which provides naloxone training, harm reduction kits and safe sex kits in an effort to keep residents with SUD as healthy as possible. The program’s community-based outreach component will involve Gaudenzia professionals visiting underserved, data-identified hotspots in the two counties. Gaudenzia will also leverage shelter partnerships, inspired by its past partnership with St. Vincent De Paul’s Greenspring Men’s Shelter in Northwest Baltimore, to provide harm reduction and overdose response training to shelter staff and residents.
Substance use disorder continues to negatively impact communities within Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties. In the year ended June 30, 1,806 Anne Arundel County residents were served by Gaudenzia, as were 1,738 Baltimore City residents, according to the 2023 Gaudenzia Frontline Report.
“Gaudenzia is proud to work with state and community partners to implement such a critical program in Maryland during this time of great need,” said Dr. Klatzker. “We realize not everyone is ready to commit to treatment, which is the premise behind harm reduction efforts. But we also realize the necessity of using proven methods to keep people alive until they’re ready to take the next step.”
Gaudenzia continues to expand its programming in Maryland to meet the needs of individuals at any stage in recovery. Earlier this year, Gaudenzia was selected by the Anne Arundel County Department of Health (AACDOH) as its vendor for State Care Coordination (SCC) and Maryland RecoveryNet (MDRN) services, helping residents access resources within the community to meet their needs throughout their recovery journey. In Park Heights, the organization recently implemented its Withdrawal Assessment and Recovery Management Services (WARMS) program to provide 24/7 on-demand access to crisis stabilization, screening, assessment, buprenorphine induction, and community resources referrals for Baltimore City adults with SUD and complex behavioral health needs.
“The launch of our latest initiative expanding our footprint for harm reduction services puts Maryland one more step forward in the fight against substance use disorder, while also serving as a reminder that we can’t win the fight alone – it takes a team,” said Kristy Blalock, Gaudenzia’s Executive Director for Chesapeake Region. “We at Gaudenzia are so thankful for our partners that help make this possible.”
For more information about Gaudenzia, visit www.Gaudenzia.org.
ABOUT GAUDENZIA, INC.
Gaudenzia, Inc. is one of the largest nonprofit providers of treatment for people with substance use and co-occurring disorders in the United States, with over 50 facilities operating in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. The agency serves about 15,000 individuals annually and operates 120 programs providing a full continuum of care. Since 1968, Gaudenzia has provided specialized services and programs for all demographics, including pregnant and parenting women, adolescents, people with substance use and co-occurring disorders, and more. Those seeking help can call Gaudenzia’s 24/7 Treatment and Referral HelpLine at 833-976-HELP (4357). For more information, visit www.Gaudenzia.org.