Welcome Home Of Chattanooga Announces Spring Programming In Partnership With The Chattery Thursday, January 28, 2021
Welcome Home of Chattanooga announces their Spring Enrichment Program, Demystifying Death and Dying, which will be presented in partnership with learning nonprofit The Chattery.
The Demystifying Death and Dying program will take place online and provides the Chattanooga area with opportunities to learn and talk about death and dying. Each month is themed. February is a series on homelessness, presented by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. In March, the program will be focused on hospice care, and in April, the series will be focused on “The Practice of Compassion” presented by Zen Caregiving Project.
Portland stands by strict rules for needle exchange despite warnings of higher risk
The city s health and human services director says the program has maintained access to clean syringes without relaxing its exchange rules, but public health experts say the more restrictive approach can put people at risk during the pandemic.
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The city of Portland issued a lengthy defense of its needle exchange program on Friday after advocates criticized officials for maintaining restrictive policies during the coronavirus pandemic.
City officials say there has been no need to drop its policy restricting the number of syringes provided to people enrolled in the program despite guidance from public health experts that it is limiting access to clean needles and putting people at risk of contracting COVID-19.
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The city of Portland issued a lengthy defense of its needle exchange program on Friday after advocates criticized officials for maintaining restrictive policies during the coronavirus pandemic.
City officials say there has been no need to drop its policy restricting the number of syringes provided to people enrolled in the program despite guidance from public health experts that it is limiting access to clean needles and putting people at risk of contracting COVID-19.
The statement issued Friday also expressed concern that some people who had been exchanging needles through the program run out of its India Street Clinic were using them “to facilitate the operation of unsanctioned needle exchange programs, something that is not permitted under the state’s program rules.”
Portland council holds private meeting with attorney over needle exchange rules
The vote to meet behind closed doors was unanimous despite objections by the Press Herald that the council had not provided a sufficient reason.
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The Portland City Council met behind closed doors with its top attorney Wednesday night to discuss its legal rights and duties regarding the city-run Needle Exchange Program that provides clean syringes, overdose reversal drugs and other harm-reduction services to intravenous drug users.
The council’s vote to hold an executive session was unanimous. The Press Herald objected, both in writing before the meeting and verbally during the meeting, because the city’s notice was too vague and lacked sufficient explanation about why it could not be discussed in public.
Portland’s needle exchange program stands alone in keeping strict rules
With overdose deaths on record pace during the pandemic, city officials are urged to take advantage of state waivers intended to ensure that drug users have access to clean needles and overdose reversal drugs.
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Advocates in the recovery community are urging Portland city officials to end restrictive policies that make it harder for intravenous drug users to get clean needles and support services during the pandemic.
The city is the only organization in the state to not ease restrictions and expand services under an executive order issued by Gov. Janet Mills in April. That order allows state-certified syringe services programs to provide clients with a larger number of clean syringes to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.