►
From YouTube: ARC: OnPoint NYC - An in-depth look into the first sanctioned Overdose Prevention Centers in the US
Description
From Ed Baker:
Kailin See is the Senior Director of Programs for both the Washington Heights CORNER Project and the New York Harm Reduction Education Project, serving Washington Heights, East Harlem and the Bronx in New York City. She was the program and development lead for the historic opening of the first two sanctioned Overdose Prevention Centers in the United States.
Kailin explains, in detail, what these Overdose Prevention Centers are, how they work, who they serve, and what their accomplishments have been over their first six months in NYC.
6/24/2022
https://linktr.ee/townmeetingtv
Town Meeting TV is a free speech forum and the ideas expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Town Meeting TV trustees and staff. If you have a different perspective to share, we invite you to join the conversation! Create your own program or cover a community meeting or event. Contact maketv@cctv.org or call 862-3966.
Thank you for tuning into Town Meeting TV! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and visit our website for more videos and information about how we open the doors to local government using community media. www.Ch17.TV
This video belongs to http://www.cctv.org and published with permission under Creative Commons License CCTV Center for Media & Democracy Programming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A
A
Yes,
kalyn
is
the
senior
director
of
programs
for
both
the
washington
heights
corner
project
and
the
new
york
harm
reduction
education
project
serving
washington
heights
east,
harlem
and
the
bronx
in
new
york
city.
She
was
the
program
and
development
lead
for
the
historic
opening
of
the
first
two
sanctioned
overdose
prevention
centers
in
the
united
states.
Congratulations,
kailyn,.
A
A
B
So
if
my
mother
and
I
going
through
what
we
went
through
struggled
to
get
care
that
was
relevant
to
us
and
helpful
to
us
in
in
a
country
with
universal
health
care,
what
must
other
people
go
through?
Who
have
more
stigmatized
challenges
than
even
my
mother,
and
I
had
marching
forward
in
time
a
little
bit
to
when
I
was
a
working
adult
and
and
really
had
kind
of
come
through.
B
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
Generally
speaking,
these
sites
provide
the
supplies
required
to
consume
the
drugs
and
keep
them
in
the
site.
That's
one
of
the
number
one
benefits
of
an
overdose
prevention
center.
None
of
the
paraphernalia
that's
used
for
the
consumption
leaves
the
site,
so
they
have
a
really
immediate
and
tangible
impact
on
improperly
discarded
drug
use,
equipment
in
parks
and
public
spaces
in
the
neighborhoods,
where
they're
located
two,
they
really
focus
on
safety,
stabilization
and
education.
B
B
B
When
that
pressure
is
off,
suddenly
you
have
a
captive
audience
and
our
case
managers
can
get
in
there
and
our
health
educators
can
get
in
there
and
our
social
workers
can
get
in
there
and
do
all
of
that
beautiful
work
to
advance
people
to
their
goals.
Many
of
their
goals
are
treatment.
Some
goals
are
housing.
B
Some
goals
are
employment
or
reunification
or
family,
whatever
they
may
be,
but
overdose
prevention,
centers
are
proven
to
be
a
very
great
conduit
for
that
additional
care
care
and
furthering
those
that
that
kind
of
work,
three
fundamentally
absolutely
without
question.
They
save
lives,
so
they
pick
up
the
entire
instance
of
drug
use
from
an
unsafe,
often
public
setting
and
they
transport
it
into
a
safe,
controlled
and
private
environment.
B
This
takes
into
account
the
needs
of
the
community
right.
The
community
doesn't
want
to
see
public
drug
use.
The
community
doesn't
want
to
see
people,
you
know
sort
of
under
the
influence
and
perhaps
in
danger
in
the
community.
They
don't
want
to
see
discarded.
Paraphernalia
all
of
the
instance
of
use
happens
in
a
controlled
environment
and
our
staff
is
trained
to
respond
at
the
level
of
a
registered
nurse,
allowing
us
to
give
a
very
high
level
of
care
and
resolve
the
medical
issue,
whether
it
be
an
overdose
or
something
else
ourselves
in
the
site.
B
A
You
know
I
I
wondered
about
the
because
it
seems
to
be
it's
a
medical
procedure
and
ethically
you
know,
it
would
seem
that
your
staff
would
have
to
be
adequately
trained,
so
you're
saying
that
the
staff
is
trained
sort
of
along
the
at
the
same
level
as
a
registered
nurse.
Is
that
what
I
heard
you
say.
B
Yes,
so
this
is
something
very
unique
about
our
program
and
something
that
we
would
hope
should
this
intervention
be
replicated
across
the
country
which
we
hope
it
will
be.
We
would
hope
that
this
is
a
standard
of
training
that
the
other
safe
consumption
sites
or
overdose
prevention
centers
will
adopt.
B
So
I'm
not
saying
that
every
staff
is
a
registered
nurse.
I'm
saying
that
we
train
our
staff
to
respond
in
the
same
way
and
to
the
same
level
as
a
registered
nurse,
but
we
are
relying
heavily
on
oxygenation,
oxygen
therapy,
agitation
and
other
interventions,
and
we
are
de-emphasizing
the
use
of
naloxone
we're
able
to
do
that
because
we're
there
at
the
onset
of
the
medical
emergency
to
sort
of
drive
the
point
home.
I
reviewed
our
most
recent
set
of
data
just
a
few
days
ago.
I
think
we're
sitting
at
roughly
360
overdose
interventions.
A
A
A
It
seems
to
me
that
what
you're
saying
is
the
self-administration
of
drugs
is
a
point
to
connect
with
the
whole
person
and
then
move
from
there.
What
at
one
point
isolated
the
person
and
caused
the
person?
Great
shame
because
of
an
overdose
prevention
center
is
that
same
point
is
a
place
where
someone's
dignity
is
recognized.
A
B
B
We're
having
a
back
and
forth
here
ed
the
idea
of
the
safe
injection
site,
so
the
movement
has
moved
past
injection
and
the
reason
that's
happened
is
largely
because
we
acknowledge
that
people
consume
drugs.
The
root
of
administration
is
more
varied.
You
can
smoke
snort
drink.
There
are
lots
of
inject.
There
are
lots
of
ways
to
consume
drugs.
B
B
You
can't
reconnect
with
your
children
nothing,
but
we
have
a
responsibility
to
work
with
all
drug
users,
not
just
injection
drug
users
and,
and
so
our
sites
are
poly
modality
sites
you
can
smoke,
snort,
sniff,
swallow
or
otherwise
inject
any
drug,
not
just
heroin
and
cocaine.
Anything
k2
crack
morphine
psych
medication,
whatever
it
is,
that's
so
important,
because
the
drug
supply
in
this
nation,
more
so
than
almost
any
other,
is
incredibly
dangerous.
B
An
example
would
be
somebody
comes
in.
They
have
an
overdose.
They
come
in
the
next
day.
We
check
in.
How
are
you
feeling
do
you
need
anything?
Do
you
want
to
talk
before
you
do
your
dose?
Do
you
have
any
questions
how's
that
abscess
doing?
I
know
you
had
that
housing
appointment.
Did
it
go
okay,
but
really
like
we
would
with
friends
or
family,
so
inviting
them
into
a
community
to
create
that
sense
of
belonging.
B
The
other
thing
I
would
say
about
our
sites
is
that
our
overdose
prevention,
centers,
are
co-located
within
our
larger
program,
so
they're
not
just
stand-alone
sites.
We
have
really
comprehensive
programs
with
harm
reduction,
mental
health
units,
social
workers
that
do
sessions
boothside
with
participants
in
the
opc
offering
one-on-one
counseling.
We
have
medical
care,
nursing
care.
B
B
B
This
also
means
that,
when
somebody
is
finished
in
our
overdose
prevention,
centers
we're
not
discharging
to
the
street
we're
discharging
into
one
of
our
other
program
elements
and
that's
really
a
thoughtful
and
intentional
and
strategic
design
element
of
our
programs,
because
we
design
programs
for
the
participants
that
use
them.
But
we
also
design
them
keeping
in
mind
the
needs
of
the
community
where
they're
located
any
smart
program
designed
for
people
who
use
drugs
takes
into
account
those
two
stakeholders,
not
just
the
one.
B
Yeah,
you
know,
and
that's
that's
a
thing-
that's
sort
of
a
hill
that
I
like
to
die
on
these
days.
This
is
this
is
the
thing
that
really
gets
me
going.
You
know
we
have
all
these
buzzwords,
don't
we
especially
in
healthcare.
You
know,
trauma
informed
care,
downstream
health
impacts
and
patient
centered
care
or
patient
direct
center
care
is
kind
of
one
of
the
buzzwords
of
the
moment.
B
What
does
patient-centered
care
look
like
for
people
who
actively
use
illicit
drugs?
It's
a
thought
exercise.
I
challenge
us
all
to
do
it's
a
tough
one,
because
patient-centered
care
for
people
who
use
drugs
necessarily
requires
employing
harm
reduction
practices,
and
I'm
really
proud
of
the
work
that
onpoint
is
doing
because
we're
really
putting
our
money
where
our
mouth
is
and
doing
authentic,
patient
directed
care
for
people
who
use
drugs
with
outcomes
that
are
blowing
projections
out
of
the
water.
B
Already
at
six
months
in
when
we
first
opened
the
sites,
the
department
of
health
in
new
york
city
projected
that
one
overdose
prevention
center
operating
for
one
year
in
new
york
city
would
save
130
lives.
We've
opened
two
sites:
we've
saved
a
hundred
or
360
interventions
so
far,
and
we've
only
been
open
for
six
months.
A
It's
incredible
it's
incredible
and
as
far
as
outcomes
go,
I
know
that
there
were,
I
think
you
had
said.
It's
probably
changed
now
since
our
last
conversation,
but
I
think
there
were
1400
participants
at
your
programs.
That's
an
incredible
number
of
people
who
had
been
using
drugs
alone
with
no
one
with.
B
A
B
A
B
That
is
the
million-dollar
question,
no
pun
intended.
We
don't
have
the
exact
number,
but
it's
it's
in
it's
in
the
millions.
At
this
point,
an
ambulance
ride
a
hospital
stay,
a
dispatching
of
a
detective
team.
That's
expensive!
That's
in
the
hundred
thousands
per
person
we
we
are
projecting
we're
working
with
the
health
health
department
and
the
nypd
and
the
hospital
system
to
determine
the
amount,
but
it's
projected
to
be
in
the
millions
so
far
to
say
nothing
of
the
system.
B
Log
jam
that
were
that
we're
really
preventing
you
know.
The
emergency
rooms
are
really
in
a
phase
of
recovery.
Postcovid
the
healthcare
system,
as
we
all
know,
because
we
all
live
through
it
together,
took
an
incredible
beating
during
covid.
That
system
is
tired
and
healing
the
emergency
services.
Ambulance,
care
workers,
same
thing
really
really
went
through
it
during
covet
and
need
a
break
in
our
recovery
and
our
short
staff
and
then
the
police.
You
know
the
police
do
not
want
to
be
responding
to
overdose
calls.
B
B
B
We
went
to
the
nypd
at
a
very
senior
level
to
discuss
with
them
that
this
was
going
to
happen
fully
expecting
pushback
and
that's
not
what
we
got.
We
got
thoughtful
and
intelligent
questions
about
how
the
police
could
partner
with
us
questions
from
the
police
on
what
do
you
want
us
to
do
in
relation
to
the
site?
B
B
What
we
do
understand
is
that
you
have
a
duty
to
police
the
neighborhoods
where
our
sites
operate
and
to
respond
to
the
citizens
needs
when
they
call
you.
So
we
want
a
symbiotic
relationship
with
you.
We
are
going
to
do
our
best
to
not
call
you,
but
if
we
do,
we
want
you
to
understand
that
we've
called
you,
because
we
do
need
you
on
the
flip
side.
B
What
would
be
really
helpful
for
us
is,
if
you
see
people
in
the
neighborhood
who
are
using
or
who
are
in
distress
instead
of
picking
them
up,
call
us
and
we'll
come
and
get
them
the
nypd.
Took
it
a
step
further
and
said:
can
you
make
us
a
card
so
that,
when
we're
talking
to
those
folks-
and
they
see
the
card
with
your
branding
and
your
logo,
they
know
that
we're
serious
and
that
it's
not
a
trick?
They
asked
us
to
create
a
resource
so
that
they
could
help
get
people
into
the
site.
B
For
us.
We
and,
of
course
we
did
that
we
did
roll
calls
at
both
of
the
precincts
in
both
of
our
neighborhoods
and
those
were
tough
rooms.
We
were
a
little
nervous,
you
know
very
stiff.
You
know
the
officers
all
in
in
formation
fully
expecting
not
a
single
question
and
that
none
of
the
officers
would
visit
the
site.
Of
course,
the
opposite
happened.
A
B
B
B
The
burden
of
opening
these
sites
and
for
advocating
for
these
sites
should
not
be
on
the
providers
alone.
This
is
a
public
health
issue
and
the
health
departments
do
need
to
come
out
of
the
shadows
and
say
we're
going
to
do
our
part
to
support
these
providers
to
do
this
important
work
on
the
ground.
A
B
This
is
the
path
forward.
So,
as
as
a
provider
as
a
harm
reduction
agency,
we
took
a
seat
at
the
table
and,
I
think
sometimes
as
providers
as
cbo's
as
harm
reduction
agencies.
We
we
sometimes
feel
that
we,
we
don't
have
a
stake
in
the
game,
we're
sort
of
in
the
margins
a
little
bit,
and
I
would
encourage
providers
to
to
stand
up
a
little
taller
and
and
take
on
a
leadership
role
with
their
health
departments.
B
B
A
A
A
Yeah,
well,
that's
I
mean
that's
encouraging
we've
had
you
know
and
to
see
that
commitment
that
stick-to-itiveness
that
fire
in
the
belly
you
know
for
for
for
decades,
it's
beautiful,
nothing
happens
overnight,
and
this
is
very
controversial,
but
it
looks
like
it's
worth
it
for
what's
happening.
You
know
because
of
what's
happening
in
new
york.
Your
experience
is
so
rich.
Thank
you
for
sharing
it.
You
know
in
vermont
and
what.
B
A
B
B
We
have
to
act
now,
and
the
amazing
thing
about
a
safe
consumption
site
is
that
at
its
most
simple
it's
a
table
and
two
people-
that's
it
yeah.
It
doesn't
have
to
be
anything
complicated.
If
we
wanted
to
open
consumption
sites
tomorrow
across
the
country,
we
could.
We
have
to
build
anything
and
in
our
story
in
the
new
york
story-
and
I
wonder
if
sam
my
boss
is
going
to
kill
me
for
saying
this-
I
don't
think
he
would
the
window
in
which
we
decided
sam,
and
I
decided
we
were
going
to
do
this.
B
A
A
B
A
There's
been
advocates,
you
know
raising
public
consciousness
in
vermont,
we
have
our
health
department
and
the
you
know
the
government,
the
the
state
administration,
the
the
governor
on
down,
has
embraced
fentanyl
test
strips
safe,
syringe
programs,
we've
decriminalized,
the
possession
of
small
amounts
of
buprenorphine
we've.
We've
embraced.
You
know
every
harm,
reduction,
intervention
and
funded
them.
We
have
programs,
we
have
mobile
units
naloxone.
A
We
have
a
lot
of
things
going
on
that
are
very,
very
positive.
The
justice
involved
population
has,
you,
know:
medication
phobia
use
disorder
while,
while
incarcerated,
I
mean-
we've
come
a
long
way
over
the
years,
but
it's
this
last
piece,
this
overdose
prevention
center
or
overdose
prevention
site
piece.
A
That
seems
to
be
standing
alone.
We
had
a
bill
two
weeks
ago,
h728
and
there
were
you-
know,
harm
reduction
measures,
and
there
was
also
a
the
creation
of
a
study
group
to
review
the
literature.
The
research
to
have
expert
testimony
and,
to
you
know,
document
recommendations
as
to
whether
or
not
an
overdose
prevention
site
would
be
feasible
in
vermont.
We
would
be
able
to
scale
it
to
vermont.
How
much
would
it
cost?
Where
would
would
it
be
located?
A
We
know
in
my
area,
chittenden
county,
we
have
heat
maps
showing
where
death
is
concentrated.
We
have
the
mayor,
who's
come
out
in
favor
of
an
overdose
prevention
site.
We
have
the
city
council
who's
in
a
series
of
resolutions
in
support
of
an
overdose
prevention
site.
We
have
our
state's
attorney
sarah
george
in
support.
We
have
our
attorney
general
t.j
donovan
in
support.
We
have
a
whole.
We
have
a
whole
avenue,
that's
stacked
up.
A
The
governor
vetoed
the
bill,
saying
that
it
was
counterintuitive
to
divert
money
from
proven
programs
to
something,
as
you
know,
controversial
and
unproven
as
and
he
called
it
an
injection
site.
He
didn't
even
call
it
an
overdose
prevention
site
and
we
have
the
health
commissioner
right
with
him.
On
that
saying
things
like
the
research
doesn't
support
it.
A
A
When
you
came
up
with
this
idea
and
you
actually
implemented
it,
you
did
it
even
with
the
department
of
justice,
you
know
and
this
whole
safehouse,
you
know
a
predicament
you
you,
you
took
a
risk
that
you
would
be
prosecuted.
How
did
you?
How
did
you
manage
that?
I
mean
because
that's
one
of
the
things
that's
holding
us
back
here.
B
B
B
All
of
this
with
an
eye
to
that
108,
000
fatalities,
number
and
really
thinking
is.
Is
this
the
time
there
were
a
couple
precedents
that
we
looked
at
as
well
before
we
made
the
decision
to
go
forward
and
open
the
sites?
It's
probably
very
obvious
to
you
what
those
precedents
are.
One
is
rhode,
island
and
the
other
was
philadelphia.
The
safe
house
case
both
under
trump.
B
They
were
not
as
far
along
as
we
were,
they
didn't
have
sites
picked
out.
They
hadn't
built
anything.
They
hadn't
hired
staff,
no
policies
and
procedures
written
and
one
of
course,
as
we
well
know
very
famously
the
safe
house
folks
received
a
cease
and
desist
letter
from
doj
and
they're.
Now,
in
in
the
midst
of
of
a
legal
dispute
and
the
rhode
island
crew
was
visited
by
the
fbi
and
was
sort
of
had
some
other
kind
of
like
threatening,
I
guess
actions
from
a
federal
level.
B
B
B
B
B
B
We
have
had
an
open
door
policy
and
what
that
means
is
anyone
who
is
not
a
hundred
percent
behind
us
has
questions,
has
concerns
or
is
critical
of
these
sites.
We
made
them
a
priority
to
come
in
and
see
the
sites,
and
I
want
to
state
this
very
clearly
for
your
audience
ed.
This
is
an
open
invitation
to
anyone
from
vermont
government
or
from
the
vermont
health
departments
to
please
come
and
see
our
sites
we'd
love
to
host
you
and
show
you
around,
but
that
was
very
deliberate
too.
B
There
are
very
deeply
held.
Each
of
us
has
very
deeply
held
feelings
about
drugs.
People
who
use
them
the
drug
war
and
and
our
biases
around
around
this
are
are
really
really
driving
the
bus
in
terms
of
what
we
think
about
safe
consumption
and
we
fill
in
the
blanks
ourselves
right
and
and
usually
to
the
negative.
We
picture
shooting
galleries,
people
flopped
out
everywhere.
B
The
southern
district
of
new
york
has
been
through.
Caroline
maloney
has
been
through
senior
officials
at
the
o
and
dcp
have
been
through.
All
of
this
signals
to
us
as
well.
The
conversation
is
happening
at
a
federal
level.
Arm
reduction
was
uttered
for
the
very
first
time
in
a
state
of
the
union
address
by
president
biden.
The
conversation
is
happening.
B
The
safe
house
ruling
being
delayed
as
many
times
as
it
has.
We
feel,
and
and
so
does
the
safe
house
legal
team
that
that
has
a
lot
to
do
with
our
opening
the
sites.
Doj
is
rethinking
the
way
they're
going
to
rule
on
that
case
because
of
the
early
positive
outcomes
from
the
new
york
overdose
prevention
sites.
A
Wow,
thank
you
so
much.
I
can't
even
thank
you
enough
for
blazing
the
trail
and
it's
my
fondest
hope
that
that
vermont
will
get
right
behind
you
and
I'm
going
to
take
up
your
offer
on
visiting
I'll,
be
trying
to
put
together
a
team
I'll,
let
you
know
to
come
down
there.
Hopefully,
the
governor
and
the
health
commissioner
and
some
key
legislators
along
with
some
providers,
and
we
would
love
to
to
to
see
you
know
what
you're
doing
more
more
close
up
caitlyn.
Thank
you
so
much
the
time.
A
The
time
is
now
and
you
know
mentioning
the
108
000
lost
ones.
Last
year
I
mean
once
you
begin
to
focus
on
that
you,
you
can't
really
focus
on
anything
else
that
we
do
have
and
you've
said
it.
You
said
the
word
you
said
a
moral
obligation
and
that
that
ring
was
so
true
to
me
that
this
goes
beyond
anything
to
that
deepest
moral
place.
One
one
last
question
about:
like
the
community
itself,
you
know
like
the
building
next
door.
You
know
the
apartment,
building
next
door,
the
the
bodega
you
know
across
the
street.
A
B
Having
said
that,
the
majority
of
the
stakeholders,
in
both
of
the
neighborhoods,
where
we
work,
have
have
come
on
this
journey
with
us.
I'm
not
going
to
sit
here
and
say
everyone
lined
up
and
said
sign
me
on.
As
an
ardent
there
was,
there
were
definitely
pockets
of
real
resistance
in
both
of
our
neighborhoods.
B
Our
responsibility
is
to
stay
the
course
with
those
folks
and
and
walk
them
through
it.
That's
patience,
lots
of
conversations,
lots
of
transparency,
making
sure
they
know
the
team
inviting
them
to
the
spaces,
undoing
some
myths
and
some
misperceptions
about
the
sites
and
also
knowing
that
there
is
common
ground.
We
might
not
agree
on
everything,
but
there
there
is
common
ground
to
be
found.
B
B
Washington
heights
had
been
working
in
washington
heights
corner
project
has
been
operating
in
washington
heights
since
2005.,
so
we
were
long-standing
trusted
providers
working
with
this
population
in
our
neighborhoods
for
a
long
time,
and
that
went
a
long
way
to
helping
us
gain
the
trust
of
the
community
around
some
of
these
newer,
newer
interventions,
but
community
engagement
around
programs
for
people
who
use
drugs
is
never
going
to
be
simple.
It's
never
going
to
be
easy.
If
it
were,
there
would
be
a
manual
on
it
and
everyone
would
do
it.
B
A
A
You
know
so
we're
about
to
wrap
up
now,
and
I
just
want
to
I
want
to
thank
you.
You
know
from
the
bottom
of
my
heart.
I
want
to
extend
an
invitation
to
you
to
come
back
at
some
future
point.
Maybe
when
we
have
some
research
data,
you
know
that
we
can.
We
can
discuss,
and
you
know
some
more.
You
know
firsthand
lived
experience
of.
What's
going
on
there
in
new
york
to
the
viewing
audience
to
my
audience,
I
mean
it
seems
to
me
clear
that
you
know
our
marching.
A
Orders
are
very
very
clear
that
we
have
to
stay
focused
on
this.
We
have
to
learn
about
this.
We
have
to
talk
to
each
other
about
this.
We
have
to
talk
to
our
neighbors
about
this
you'll.
Have
access
to
this
show
share.
This
show
widely
share
it
with
legislators,
with
neighbors
with
family
members,
with
people
who
use
drugs
share
with
everybody
and
let's
raise
our
consciousness
and
not
give
up.
A
A
A
A
Those
are
the
people
that
I
hear
that
you
are
touching,
that
you
are
having
gentle
curiosity
or
you
know
those
are
the
people
who
really
matter
to
you,
and
this
is
what
has
to
happen
in
vermont,
where
we're
just
below
the
necessary
level
of
motivation
right
now,
but
we
can
feel
it
in
the
air
we're
approaching
it.
So
your
contributions,
I'm
sure,
I'm
sure,
will
help
us
once
again.
Thank
you.
B
B
This
is
one
intervention
that
seeks
to
redress
a
needless
loss
of
life,
and
it's
very,
very
good
at
doing
that.
Overdose
prevention,
centers
do
not
create
drug
users;
they
don't
they
don't
they're,
not
enticing
to
youth
they're
for
a
very
specific
population
who
have
chronic
and
relapsing
addiction
issues,
and
they
work
very
well
at
stabilizing
that
population
and
connecting
them
to
care.