Rebuilding a Safe Haven for Future Crises

Our project La Movil has been providing mobile comprehensive mental and physical health harm reduction services to the most vulnerable populations in the communities we serve in eastern of Puerto Rico: people who use drugs and homeless individuals along with the community at large. In the last two years, the mobile unit carried out over 33 community events where they provided COVID-19 vaccinations, health prevention services, distribution of food, and participated in the carrying out of the national homeless individual local survey. Furthermore the mobile team carried out 28 community/organizational training events on overdose prevention, HIV and Hep-C prevention, and access to humanized treatment.  La Movil and our other community-based services have carried out over 700 HIV tests and opened individualized clinical files for approximately 300 participants.

In the last few months La Movil has attained certifications to provide life-saving treatment with buprenorphine, a prescribed medication that helps individuals transition from high-risk fentanyl to medical care in our brick-and-mortar clinic. Participants will soon be able to access overdose prevention services, evidence-based medical treatment for opiate use, and highly specialized mental health services in a welcoming, come-as-you are location (and mobile unit!). We are also happy to share that our harm-reduction clinic and outreach services are being brought together to provide more streamlined integrated care to make sure we tend to participants’ needs.

La Movil and our highly specialized harm reduction services are also being updated to not only focus on mental health care, but also on drug checking service and peer-based interventions (receiving assistance from people who have experienced substance use themselves who are now case managers!). With your continued support, we will be able to expand our peer-driven outreach services and increase the number of people we are able to provide life-saving services based on human rights and mutual respect.

Thank you for your support!

Our proyect La Movil has been providing mobile comprehensive mental and physical health services to the most vulnerable populations in the communities we served in the eastern side of Puerto Rico: people who use drugs and homeless individuals along with the community at large. In the las year and half, the mobile unit carried out at least 31 community events were they provided vaccinations, health prevention services, distribution of food, and participated in the carrying out of the national homeless individual local survey. It carried out 25 community/organizational training events on overdose prevention, HIV, and access to treatment and Medication First Model.  La Movil carried out 644 HIV tests and open clinical files for 263 participants.

Along with providing essential physical and mental health services, the proyect implemented a program to integrate Clinical Social Work and Psychology interns as part of our team creating a pipeline for future clinical professionals to understand harm reduction practices and model.  We instituted a program to provide psychological services, case management and medical attention for open wounds, one of the most common problems identified among the population we served.  In the process of doing this work, we developed a plan for creating a Mental and Health Clinic with a Harm Reduction Model that meets drugs users and homeless individuals where are at in the lives, and does not expect them to stop using sustances in order to provide them with life saving and quality of life services.

With la Movil we served a total of 117 new participants.  56% of the population we served at la Movil were drug users of cocaine and heroine and at least 75% had a mental health diagnosis.  We your continued support, will be able to expand our reach and increased the number of people we are able to provide services to with dignity and without enduring stigma for their conditions.

Thank you for your continued support!