Stories of Service and Outreach by Safe Point
The Safe Point syringe service program, operated by Equitas Health and located at 1267 West Broad Street in Franklinton, was one of several Franklin County agencies provided funding through the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) grant awarded to Franklin County Public Health by CDC from 2019 to 2023. Safe Point is also one of the recipients of the next iteration of the OD2A grant, OD2A: LOCAL, awarded by CDC to Franklin County Public Health from 2023 through 2028. The following stories highlight notable connections and stories of triumph that Safe Point was able to facilitate through their work in harm reduction, street outreach, and compassionate care during these OD2A grants.
"...access care, soothe trauma, and educate the community at large that every single life matters."
The team provided assistance to a young woman during one [Center for Medical Services] CMS visit that was both tragically overwhelming and triumphant. The woman was suffering from severe psychosis, had a history of sexual assault and was possibly in active miscarriage. As she met with the team for services, she was experiencing dystonia (inability to control the body), trichotillomania (hair-pulling), auditory hallucinations, and a painful case of MRSA. She was in need of Ohio Medicaid, having active Medicaid only in her former residence of Kansas. Over the course of five hours, the Outreach Team and our partner at CMS worked to terminate the woman’s existing coverage in Kansas and enroll her in Ohio Medicaid. The staff involved did everything possible to achieve such a successful outcome, including helping the client to stay focused, offering breaks, and providing additional support/supplies as needed.
This is just one example of many that the Equitas Health OD2A Outreach Team experiences in our work. To those we fight for, this grant specifically provides the ability to access care, soothe trauma, and educate the community at large that every single life matters – and this requires significant time and dedication. It is without a doubt that this young woman would have never been able to navigate the multiple steps required on her own. We all worked to remove the barriers to care that were in her way that day.
"...how to be supportive of someone in recovery. "
The Equitas Health OD2A Outreach Team has encountered some newfound success on the North side of Columbus. The first positive encounter came from a request one of our federal work-study students received from a private business owner... The young woman shared her story with us that surrounded a past partner whom she did not know was addicted to heroin and fentanyl. She discussed the challenges she faced due to a lack of addiction knowledge in general, as well as how to be supportive of someone in recovery. The beauty that this grant has provided is the ability to reach groups which otherwise are often overlooked.
Between other partners that were with us during the outreach who identify as in recovery, along with myself, a licensed Social
Worker, we were able to provide her with support, a place she was able to be vulnerable to share her story. She was comfortable enough to ask all the questions she had including those surrounding Narcan, how to use it, as well as informing her of various apps that notify the community of overdose surges. She was able to obtain Narcan, Fentanyl test strips, and other valuable resources for her journey to becoming an ally for those struggling with addiction.
"...the test strips we had given them saved their son’s life."
Having the ability to test one’s daily supply is truly a step forward to saving lives in Franklin County. In one instance, an individual came up to the team at our McGuffey Market outreach event to find a particular outreach staff member. They proceeded to tell us that the test strips we had given them saved their son’s life. They had received 7 fentanyl test strips at a prior event, as their son who lives with them is actively using meth. They sat them out in the hopes he would take and use them.
Soon later, he and his friend purchased from the same dealer, his friend overdosed and passed away. Their son had decided to test his substance and it was positive for fentanyl. Had this young man not had our supplies he could have very well ended up just like his friend. They told us he tests any new purchase, which requires multiple test strips each week. This grant allocation made that possible and truly saved his life.
"When we hugged her, she said she couldn’t remember the last time she had been hugged."
During outreach at the [Lutheran Social Services] LSS Health Center... the Equitas Health OD2A Outreach Team handed out Narcan and fentanyl test strips to several LSS clients while providing education on what Narcan does and how to use it. We made a particular connection with one resident of the shelter who was so grateful for our presence and to have a healthy, supportive human interaction. She was incredibly emotional, so we talked to her for a long time and offered her a shoulder to cry on. When we hugged her, she said she couldn’t remember the last time she had been hugged. She expressed that she was feeling really isolated and disillusioned, so we told her that she now had us on her team and that we would go to bat for her.
She also informed us that it had been years since she had received any kind of healthcare, so we invited her to come to Safe Point’s brick and mortar location... to take advantage of Equitas Health’s mobile medical unit. Additionally, we gave her the contact information for Safe Point’s Health Navigator to help her navigate the system and receive her benefits. Without this grant, we would not have been able to make this connection with someone who really needed it.