News October 2021

10/29/2021

Decrim Poverty DC Launches

#DecrimPovertyDC is a grassroots advocacy coalition committed to decriminalizing poverty by working to end stigma, violence, criminalization, and other forms of oppression against people who are targeted by the state for ‘crimes of poverty,’ including drug use, sex work, housing insecurity, citizenship status, and incarceration history.
This campaign is a continuation of HIPS and DPA’s partnership in strengthening support systems for people who use drugs and people who are experiencing poverty. Our coalition is a diverse group of organizations and individuals who are committed to a community-led, and intersectional approach to decriminalization and envisioning new care systems.
The time is now. Last year, the number of overdose-related deaths almost doubled, robbing 511 people of their lives, and communities of their loved ones. Criminalization plays a key role in perpetuating these deaths because it prevents people from accessing harm reduction services and perpetuates the dangers of the toxic drug supply. Queen Adesuyi, Policy Manager at the Drug Policy Alliance describes the campaign as “a matter of life and death. It’s about human dignity and supporting our most vulnerable community members. We have provided the framework in the form of a proposal delivered to the council that does just this. Now, it’s time for our elected representatives to act. And with countless lives on the line, we cannot wait.”
By the end of this year, #DecrimPovertyDC aims to introduce the District of Columbia Drug Policy Reform Act of 2021 to the D.C. Council. The bill is an evidence-based proposal that seeks to end the War on Drugs in the District, and finally treat substance use as the public health imperative that it is.
The bill would remove criminal penalties for personal use and instead invest in harm reduction services. The coalition views decriminalization as a public health priority that is intrinsically linked to racial justice. In 2020, over 90% of the people who were arrested for drug possession in DC were Black. By decriminalizing personal use, public funds can be divested from racist policing, and instead be reallocated toward helping people live healthy, self-determined lives.
This goal is not only rooted in medical evidence, but in the hearts and minds of our community. This week, new polling data confirmed that more than four out of five (83%) of DC voters supports removing criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of drugs and investing in services. Click here to join our movement today.

Why MAT Matters

The HIPS MAT for OUD (Medically Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder)

The HIPS MAT for OUD (Medically Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder) program is known for taking the patients others won’t — whether they suffer from complex trauma, chronic homelessness, or years of mistrust of the medical establishment. HIPS MAT meets patients where they are and we get results that others don’t.

MAT uses drugs like Suboxone or Buprenorphine to help people who are trying to quit or reduce their use of opioids. Since 2016 HIPS has integrated MAT into our harm reduction education, syringe access, and overdose prevention programs as one more option for our drug using clients.
HIPS MAT is a truly transformative program. It is built on new systems of care for individuals who use drugs that for centers on dismantling the barriers caused by systemic racism as opposed to replicating them. HIPS does this by understanding that, for Black folks, the impacts of opioid use disorder are interconnected with issues of systemic racism such as housing instability.
Our MAT program works closely with other HIPS staff to ensure wrap-around services such as housing case management, syringe exchange, and mental health care are being provided to our patients. “I would not be alive if it weren’t for HIPS.” We hear this from many of our patients. Not only do we provide life-saving MAT for OUD, we also are known for “bending over backwards” to help our patients in any way we can.
This past year overdose deaths in DC were the highest they have been; nearly 25% higher than the prior year. Without the HIPS MAT clinic those rates would be even higher. The MAT clinic provides care to some of the most vulnerable individuals in the city. The MAT clinic continues transforming the systems of life saving care that prioritize affirming individuals humanity in the face of harmful systemic barriers.
Although other health care centers were overwhelmed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HIPS continued to provide care to people with OUD and was notably the only community-based MAT clinic in the DC metro area to induct new patients between March and December 2020, initiating 111 new patients during that time.
A large proportion of our clients have no insurance, leaving the MAT Clinic uncompensated for our work. These clients would face massive barriers to receiving care from most clinics, but at HIPS their insurance status is not a prerequisite.
HIPS MAT retention rates are substantially higher than national rates and highlight the success of our low-threshold model of care, especially when viewed in light of the fact that two thirds of our patients are homeless, and many have been kicked out of other programs.
One of the questions that we ask when speaking with clients is: who do you have for social support? Who can you turn to when you’re struggling with your recovery? An answer that we often receive is: “I have HIPS.” It’s typical for our patients to live in environments where drug use is all around them. To be able to speak with them and provide support is often what keeps them from resuming drug use.
Simply put, MAT is a lifeline to those who need it most.

Welcome to New Staff Members

Amy Ciciora
Director of Development
(She/Her/Hers)
More about Amy

Jeremiah-Anthony Righteous-Rogers
Community Organizer
(Mx./They/Them)
More about Jeremiah-Anthony

Anna Reed
Public Policy Legal Fellow
(She/Her/Hers)
More about Anna

HIPStar
Shane Sullivan
(They/Them/Theirs)
)

Shane started at HIPS in 2013 as an overnight outreach volunteer and Mobile Services Intern, and joined the Outreach department staff in 2019. In addition to managing outreach shifts, they facilitate trainings on topics such as Narcan/overdose response and harm reduction/safer use strategies, cultivate relationships with HIPS’s organizational partners through community events and outreach, and are passionate about advocacy to support drug user health and liberation through decriminalization, safe supply, and OPSs.

We asked Shane a few questions...
When and where were you the happiest?
There's a lot that comes to mind - I was blissed out for my brother's entire wedding weekend to the point of annoying everyone there - but probably a memory from years ago when a close friend and I visited our friend living in LA at the time. We visited Venice Beach around midnight, and the streets were empty while we sat there in the sand, mostly in silence and sipping vodka from a water bottle (as an early 20 year old tend to do...). It felt like the world was just there for us and that anything was possible. It's probably the freest I've ever felt.
Which talent would you most like to have?
It would be amazing to remember where the hell I parked my car on any given day or anything remotely practical like that, but at the moment and because I'm me it would be archery. (We're not dreaming big here, don't judge me.) Maybe I've just watched too much of The Walking Dead but it's something I've been interested in taking up for a while, and given the looming dystopian possibilities it might actually come in handy. TL;DR If the apocalypse comes, we're going full Legolas up in this bitch.
What is your most treasured possession?
This photo of my friend Kelsey and I from the day we met Tori Amos (a close second for happiest memory). She introduced me to Tori's music when we became friends at age 12 and were such hype fans we'd travel to New York to see her on top of her DC shows. Kelsey was one of my closest friends, and the longest-term friend I had. She died of an overdose in 2019 and a lot of the harm reduction work I do now is driven by honoring her life and memory. This day was probably the happiest I ever saw her and I'm so grateful to have a physical record that makes it tangible again.
Thank you for sharing Shane. HIPS appreciates your candor and authenticity.

Halloween Slash Run Variety Show
Thank you to everyone who attended the Halloween Slash Run last week to benefit HIPS Outreach!

Look at all the candy your generosity provided! Thank you.

Get Involved
Halloween Candy Drive Happening Now!

We are collecting candy for the outreach van. Drop off your candy at 906 H Street NE or any of these locations.
Thank you to our H Street neighbors for volunteering their businesses as drop off locations!

Community Clean-up
Saturday November 6th 2:00 at Triangle Park at Florida Ave & West Virginia Ave. HIPS will be joining in to help the clean-up, will you?
Questions? Email ANC commissioner Peter Wood 1C03@anc.dc.gov

Plant Medicine and Recovery

6:00 pm Thursday November 18th
Hole in the Sky Collective 2110 5th St NE
Listen to a knowledgeable panel followed by open discussion.
The Panel will feature:
Bella LeBlanc discussing recovery, depression, and Psilocybin.
Roxy La'Chatte discussion cannabis and recovery
Skarlet Havoc discussing Kratom and recovery, and using Kratom as MAT for opioids.
HIPS staffers Alexander/a Bradley moderating and a presentation from Johnny Bailey
For more details email: Johnny@HIPS.org