HEPPACs Drop-in-Center. HEPPAC provides basic needs services including showers, laundry service, food pantry and a safe environment for our community to get a rest from the streets. General referral services are offered without a lengthy intake process.
Community Outreach: HEPPACs outreach team canvasses areas in Oakland where our population frequents. We distribute harm reduction supplies including condoms, safer crack smoke kits and conduct syringe exchange help. Educational materials include safer injection information and overdose prevention. HEPPACs outreach services is inclusive of collaborations with local service providers to extend the reach of harm reduction based services.
Syringe Exchange Program: located throughout the city of Oakland (Fruitvale District, Deep East Oakland and West Oakland). Located in Contra Costa County (Richmond, Pittsburg and Bay Point) Some services provided at our exchange sites include:
- overdose prevention training,
- HIV and Hepatitis C counseling,
- testing & referral,
- herbal/acupuncture services,
- mobile abscess/wound care,
- unstructured harm reduction workshops,
- individual risk reduction counseling and hot cooked meals.
HEPPACs exchanges operate at two hours per site.
Mobile Syringe Exchange: We’ve added mobile exchange to further increase access to sterile syringes for IDUs who choose not to and/or are unable to access fixed exchange sites. HEPPACs Mobile Exchange program operates 20 hours per week within the city of Oakland.
Syringe Drop Box: A secured, steel drop box is located in two Oakland public areas where IDUs are known to convene/socialize. They place their used syringes in the drop box and HEPPACs outreach team educates provides them with sterile syringes.
Education
Overdose Prevention Education & Naloxone Distribution (OPEND): include providing training and technical assistance for effectively using Naloxone to reverse an opiate overdose.
We conduct one-on-one trainings to People Who Use Drugs (PWUD), Train the trainer workshops for agencies working with that population. And also provide TA for external agencies becoming Naloxone distribution sites.
Education & Prevention Services: HEPPAC provides HIV and Hepatitis C education & prevention services at our exchange sites, drop-in center, and at community-based organizations and at outreach sites.
HEPPACs education & prevention services include: weekly educational HIV and Hepatitis C counseling at HEPPAC site consisting of individual risk reduction sessions, unstructured harm reduction workshops and HIV 101 groups which are also conducted at various community-based organizations.
Harm reduction awareness/education training for local political and public health officials occur quarterly. We provide free condoms and information on methods to increase safer sexual behavior.
Testing services.
HIV and Hepatitis C Counseling, Testing, Referrals (CTR): HEPPACs state certified HIV/HCV testing counselors provide Rapid HIV/HCV testing. You will get your results within 20 minutes following confirmatory and viral load testing.
Linkage to Care & Treatment Services: HEPPAC believes in establishing effective service networks with other agencies to expand services available to our clients in need of linkage to care for their HIV/HCV follow up hepl.
HEPPAC also encourages clients to enroll in ACA and access a medical home within six months of enrollment.