THRA's Overdose Prevention Services is a mobile-and-street-based outreach team serving people at risk of opioid overdose in the metropolitan Austin area. We also operate a drop-in center. We provide the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone to people who use drugs, as well point-of-care Hepatitis C testing and direct linkage to medication-based treatment for opioid use disorders upon request.
Our outreach team is composed entirely of people with lived experience of opioid use disorders and recovery; each team member has years of experience successfully delivering person-centered harm reduction services alongside drug-using communities.
Austin OPS is made possible by a state grant administered through the University of Texas - San Antonio.
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2019 Programming Objectives
1
Provision of/training on naloxone (Intranasal/Intramuscular doses)
Targeted outreach to areas, participants, & communities without access to similar, established services
Culturally aware, peer-based education & training provided during each encounter
Managed cache of overdose reversal medication provided on needs-based basis
2
Overdose prevention & safer drug use education
Provide safer drug use education and literature during outreach
Identify community 'gatekeepers' and secondary educators to expand reach of drug use safety education
3
Point-of-care Hepatitis C testing with referral to confirmation & treatment
Conduct and evaluate regional needs assessment on rolling basis using target populations as primary sources
Offer and provide initial HCV testing during outreach
Identify/refer participants to partners in follow-up HCV care
4
Assertive linkage & referral to pharmacological OUD treatments
Provide on-demand, direct linkage to partnered providers of medication-based opioid use disorder treatments using treatment slots paid for by Austin OPS
5
Participant Transportation
(based on need)
Offer multiple options for no-cost transportation to medical appointments according to individual participant need