Hosted by the Drug Policy Alliance, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR), and NYU School of Global Public Health
Sam Rivera, Executive Director of OnPoint NYC, will speak about the organization's diverse range of services. OnPoint NYC is dedicated to improving the health, safety, and well-being of marginalized people who use drugs or engage in sex work, their loved ones, and their communities. Their work addresses the intersection of stigma, policies, and practices that harm our participants. As the largest harm reduction service provider on the east coast, OnPoint NYC offers lifesaving safer drug use and overdose training to those who need it most. They also distribute and clean up more syringes and other paraphernalia than any other provider. Most recently, they opened the U.S.'s first two Overdose Prevention Centers which have been an incredible success, diverting public drug use, increasing participants' connections to other wrap around services, and keeping our communities clean. Additionally, their innovative overdose prevention programs in Washington Heights, East Harlem, and the Bronx save hundreds of lives each year.