Center for Harm
Reduction Services
The Maryland Department of Health Center for Harm Reduction Services (CHRS) was established in 2019 to centralize harm reduction activities across the Department. The Center is housed with the
Infectious Disease Prevention and Health Services Bureau in the
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration. The Center oversees the
Overdose Response Program,
Syringe Services Program,
naloxone distribution,
harm reduction grants, and various workforce development, training, and
technical assistance activities.
CHRS Strategic Goal and Vision
The Center's strategic goal is to reduce substance-related morbidity and mortality by optimizing services for people who use drugs. The Center for Harm Reduction Services envisions a Maryland where:
- People who use drugs have access to compassionate, quality care that is free from stigma;
- Services are low-barrier, community-based, and comprehensive; and
- Experiences of past trauma, criminal legal involvement, and racism do not determine one’s health outcomes or quality of life.
The SFY23 ACCESS Harm Reduction Grant Request for Applications is open for submissions until
2:00PM on April 25, 2022. 501(c)(3) nonprofits may apply.
Please note: grants we be made available to Local Health Departments through a separate solicitation-- stay tuned!
This solicitation will fund
direct services and capacity-building initiatives that use a harm reduction framework to address adverse health outcomes for people who use drugs.
Allowable Costs
Naloxone kit materials such as bags, face shields, & brochures
| Rapid tests for HIV, HCV, syphilis, and COVID-19
|
| Safer injection supplies | Fentanyl test strips |
| Wound care supplies | Staff salary and training |
| Syringe disposal kiosks | And more!
|
Important Dates
April 12, 2022, 9:30-11:00AM
Join the pre-application webinar by
Google Meet or
by phone: 1(405)-355-2356, PIN: 424 182 039#
2:00PM April 25, 2022
Submissions due.
SFY23 - SFY24
The funding period will be July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 with optional extension period July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024.
Links
New Statewide Standing Order for Pharmacy Dispensing
The
statewide standing order issued by Dr. Jinlene Chan, MD, MPH, Deputy Secretary for Public Health, Maryland Department of Health (MDH), allows all Maryland licensed pharmacists to dispense naloxone, including any necessary supplies for administration, to any individual.
Pharmacists may dispense naloxone to anyone, regardless of whether the person has previously been trained under ORP or received training in opioid overdose response.
The standing order issued June 1, 2021 is effective until June 1, 2023, at which time a new order will be issued.
Download the
naloxone standing order for pharmacy dispensing.
Please
click here for COVID-19 resources and information for harm reduction programs.
The Center for Harm Reduction Services authorizes government agencies and community-based organizations as
Overdose Response Programs, allowing them to provide overdose education and dispense naloxone to the community. Please contact
mdh.naloxone@maryland.gov with any questions.
The Center for Harm Reduction administers the Maryland
Syringe Services Program, reviewing new applications, managing program reporting, issuing program guidance, and providing TA and support to approved programs. The Center for Harm Reduction Services also holds quarterly meetings of the Standing Advisory Committee on Opioid-Associated Disease Prevention and Outreach. These meetings are open to the public. Please contact
mdh.syringeservices@maryland.gov with any questions.
Through our
grant programs, the Center for Harm Reduction Services supports the local implementation of harm reduction programs and ensures statewide access to resources for harm reduction activities including naloxone. These grants support the CHRS goals of reducing substance-related morbidity and mortality by optimizing services for people who use drugs. Please contact
mdh.access@maryland.gov with any questions.
The Maryland Department of Health, Center for Harm Reduction Services partners with the
Maryland Harm Reduction Training Institute (MaHRTI) to build the capacity of Maryland's harm reduction workforce to provide optimal services to people who use drugs. For more information, visit
mahrti.thinkific.com or contact
mahrti@bhsbaltimore.org. The Center also provides other workforce development and training, including the Regrounding Our Response initiative and Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion training.
Additional Resources
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