NHRC addresses National Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Center changes
By NHRC Executive Director, Laura Guzman
As you may be aware, National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC) is no longer affiliated with the National Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Center (NHRTAC). NHRC was previously funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directly to be part of the NHRTAC, though that ended on November 30, 2023.
NHRC chose not to proceed with entering into a subcontract agreement with the CDC new contractor, despite engaging in negotiations in good faith over a few months. NHRC could not, in good conscience, enter into an agreement that could have an adverse impact on our harm reduction community, mission, and our organization. Additionally, our collaborative NHRTAC partners, NASTAD and the University of Washington (UW), also opted not to proceed with subcontracts to the new organization.
The success of NHRTAC can be attributed to the exceptional collaboration of the NASTAD/NHRC/UW team over the past four years. Working closely with our community and federal partners, this team provided webinars, toolkits, key resources, support, and a deep respect for the diverse communities we serve. We recognized then, as we do now, that harm reduction workers deserve safety, resources, and respect. Access to our services must be provided confidentially and safely, and our NHRTAC effectively achieved this goal.
NHRC remains steadfast in our commitment to our mission. This includes convening and providing capacity building, technical assistance, and resource sharing within our community-based harm reduction expertise. We will continue to collaborate with Syringe Services Programs (SSPs), public health departments, and community-based organizations led by and serving individuals who use drugs, guided by the values of solidarity, respect, trust, and mutual aid.
Looking ahead to the new year, we are strategically and actively planning on sustaining and supporting our national harm reduction initiatives. We want to express our love and appreciation for your dedication and support. We see and acknowledge your efforts and are committed to ensuring harm reduction work is recognized and valued. We will keep you informed on new developments as we enter 2024.
Wishing you and yours a safe and peaceful holiday season!
More info and support:
We hope to have more information soon on the status of the NHRTAC and what this transition means for you as community members requesting trusted harm reduction technical assistance and resources. In the meantime, we at NHRC remain committed to providing assistance to SSPs/community-based harm reduction programs, people who use drugs, and health departments supporting these efforts across the country. Given this reality, NHRC is currently undergoing transitions in our capacity building team and our response rate will take a little longer while we work through these changes through the end of the calendar year.
Please read the following options carefully:
-If your request is for information, connection to resources, or local contacts, we will be able to respond in the next 7 days.
-For more substantive TA support, we are currently on pause until January of 2024.
-If you are writing from California, please forward your message to California@harmreduction.org
-If you are reaching out from San Francisco, CA, please forward your message to DOPE@harmreduction.org.
-If you have a training or technical assistance budget and/or funding and would like to set up a fee for service request, please let us know as part of your request. We will then work with you to set up a time to speak further.
-For national training and TA, please email training@harmreduction.org.