Syme-Woolner Harm Reduction Program Syme-Woolner's Harm Reduction Program is a peer driven, non-clinical, confidential, client-oriented program that is responsive to client-identified needs. This means that everything we do is based upon what the clients tell us. To do this, we have to be non-judgmental, and the clients determine the direction that the program moves. It also means that when we work with clients we do only what is asked of us; we don't try to push clients in directions that "are good for them," and we have to be very good listeners. It also means that we have to "meet clients where they're at." The non-clinical part means that we don’t deal with substance use within a medical model of program delivery. This is not to suggest that we don’t consider drug use as a medical issue, but there are many agencies and institutions that deal with substance use this way. Instead, as part of the continuum of care, we choose to deal with the social aspects of substance use, not in opposition to the medical model but as a supplement with it. We believe that substance use is "normal," that everyone uses substances (not only tobacco or alcohol, but even chocolate or vitamins), and that it is purely moral distinctions that are responsible for isolating and oppressing people, putting them down, worsening, and even in some cases creating, medical and social disruptions and problems in their lives. A downwards spiral happens when these attitudes are present; it is well documented that discrimination and prejudice can create self-fulfilling prophecies having effects ranging from health, education, and housing, to institutional and systemic issues. These issues can range from hospital care to child custody to policing and jail; as well as job loss, travel restrictions, shunning and banning, etc. All of the above issues are social, not medical, and derive, as does the prejudice, discrimination and moralism that caused them, from ignorance and isolation. We attempt to stir the community's critical consciousness towards substance use and users, stripping prejudices caused by myths that construct substance users as crazy, violent, schized-out drug addict. Aside from the necessity of deconstructing myths which have created barriers up against serve. Rather, we attempt to provide services, as requested, in the client centered manner identified above. Its weird at first, substance using conversations and behaviors, stripped of the usual social stigmas, in an agency/ drop-in environment. But it works! And it works cause we use a peer model of service delivery and reinforce it by operating within a community development model. The Mutual Aid Model has long been recognized as the most appropriate vehicle to create the trust, empathy, and honesty required to discuss topics as sex and substance use, just look at the success of self help groups. Also, behavior change has been demonstrated when peers take on leadership and educator roles in their own target populations. All these models function to support the community, including substance use communities, promoting leaders from within, increasing the awareness within the community and moving it along the long road towards towards tolerance and legitimation. The peers also ensure that the very stigmatization that incriminates substance users does not fulfil its narrow prophecies of substance users being unhoused, unemployed, “losers” or criminals but rather erudite professionals capable of providing services to and reaching out to people that the rest of society can’t. Peers are hired to increase the comfort of first time contacts within their particular subcultural group, but that is only a small component of their job. They become a team, participating in the design of outreach routes and outreach practices, designing kits, presenting workshops, writing articles for a community newsletter and the Syme website. They will contribute to a harm reduction/safer sex cd-rom. They attend workshops and seminars to increase their knowledge and skills. Peers participate in and help deliver needs assessments, peers in school provide outreach to their schools, and, as a team, all do outreach to their neighbourhoods, developing and building permanent relations with the communities and institutions, developing a network of community partners, and with the development of educational and other resources, inform and support (workshop presentations, CD-ROM, newsletter, outreach, fixed site and off-site locations and a website) residents and workers in the former City of York. ‘So what?” you ask. “Sounds real pretty, but what are you actually doing?” Well,… We really started to build this program mid-Jan. 2003. We have 4 peers -unfortunately no funding for more, some know IDU’s (and crack) users, some just crack users. The program serves over 300 members, giving out 1600 fits/mnth, 300-400 safer crack kits/mnth and 3-4000 condom/ mnths. We do all this within the boundaries of the former City of York, roughly St.Clair to Humber River, Lawrence to Oakwood/Vaughn. Before you start thinking that this program (or Harm Reduction!) is just about material delivery and syringes, let me say that we also provide workshops, seminars, basic counseling, referrals. We’ll advocate for persons or ideas - this job requires us to be ready to do anything. Hey, we’ ve even moved furniture. We are extending our outreach, reaching new clients, and it looks like its time to harden up our partnerships with other agencies, creating networks, working through media vehicles and working on advocacy to give a voice to the community, as well as a more substantial presence. No matter what, - “This program will build capacity by hiring from within the community” and “will address social and economic factors related to discrimination, poverty, race, sexual orientation, culture, gender, language skills, and age.” We will do it with humor, appreciation, and friendship. Best Regards, Gordon Wilkes, Harm Reduction Outreach Worker |
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