To the editor:
As the director of the Berkshire Harm Reduction program, I am incredibly proud of the services that my team provides to our community. Funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, we cross the county offering a variety of free clinical services, safe supplies, and education to care for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, including people who use substances, people with Hepatitis C or HIV, and people with other healthcare issues related to drug use or other high-risk behaviors.
I was disheartened to read Gary Pratt’s recent letter criticizing the closure of our Harm Reduction Office in Great Barrington. We work hard to meet our clients where they are—both literally and figuratively. We provide support in a nonjudgmental manner and give our community various ways to access our services so that they can seek our care in the method that is most comfortable for them. Clients can choose to engage with us by visiting a physical office location, connecting with our Berkshire Harm Reduction Mobile Van that is approved to make stops in 30 of the 32 cities and towns in the county, or anonymously texting us with a request for direct-to-home delivery of safe supplies and naloxone, the lifesaving, over-the-counter medication that is designed to rapidly reverse a drug overdose.
The recent change in our services in South County was based on the review of months of data that revealed that a very small number of walk-in clients were choosing to visit our Great Barrington location. In a collaborative decision with the Department of Public Health, we chose to close this location while we evaluate other methods for reaching our clients in South County. In preparation, we worked with each of our regular Great Barrington clients to ensure that they had a plan for continuing to receive our support during this transitional period, and we continue to provide direct-to-home delivery for anyone who needs it, anywhere in the county.
Just text or call (413) 822-6876 with your location (including address, city, and zip code) and a list of the supplies you need. A member of our team will coordinate with you and drop off a bag of supplies at your requested location. They will text you when they have arrived so you can pick up the items. The core of harm reduction is meeting people where they are at, and while we recognize there is a need for this service, the reality is that the landscape of southern Berkshire County allows us the flexibility to provide these services outside of the traditional healthcare office setting.
We are committed to reducing harm one client at a time and to building a safer and healthier community across the Berkshires. Please share more about our programming with your friends and neighbors—it might just save a life.
Sarah DeJesus
Pittsfield
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