Mobile drug safety workers

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Mobile drug safety workers provide education on drug safety, plus needle distribution, clean water, and sterile supplies in areas of high drug use. They are trained in resuscitation. They are able to refer users for treatment and rehabilitation.

Target group

The target group for this initiative are injecting drug users and clients of Needle and Syringe programs. Clients may be recruited through the Needle and Syringe Program site in the Region with posters inviting attendance at workshops and also workers asking users when they come in to collect injecting supplies.

Location

This service is based at a Needle and Syringe Programs, in drug ‘hot spots’ in each region or at a drug treatment service with outreach and NSP distribution functions in those rural regions where no NSP service exists.

Key service requirements

Mobile drug safety workers should:

• Provide services to injecting drug users in their own environment;
  
  
• Deal primarily with clients of the NSP and street based users in areas where high street drug use is occurring;
  
  
• Provide education to users on drug safety to help reduce harms from use and reduce drug demand;
  
  
• Supply needles and syringes and sterile supplies to injecting drug users and dispose of used syringes to reduce needle and syringe litter;
  
  
• Have training in resuscitation to enable workers to deal with overdose events and assist overdose victims while waiting for ambulance response;
  
  
• Communicate key messages about drug safety to users on the street to minimise harms resulting from overdose and help minimise overdose frequency;
  
  
• Provide contact details for emergency services and local drug treatment services and help with accessing these services;
  
  
• Assist users to access local health and welfare services;
  
  
• Be key to implementing local drug action plans;
  
  
• Have the ability to deal with overdose events with training in resuscitation and first aid;
  
  
• Have the ability to liaise effectively with street based users, local drug treatment service providers and other organisations;
  
  
• Have the ability to provide counselling and education to users on drug safety, the ability to refer users to other health services;
  
  
• Have the ability to work with existing youth networks in referring young injecting drug users to youth outreach services;
  
  
• Have the ability to communicate key messages about overdose to users;
  
  
• Have the ability to assist with the local syringe disposal strategy and clean up response.

More information

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