Those struggling with substance use and addiction in Chatham-Kent’s smaller communities will soon have access harm reduction services.
R.O.C.K Missions (Reach Out Chatham-Kent) recently announced that it will be expanding its Peer-2-Peer Program outside of the Chatham city limits, thanks to a $710,000 grant from the Health Canada Substance Use and Addictions Program.
“In Chatham-Kent, we recognize that there are a lot of small communities that don’t have equal access to harm reduction and through the services we want to create a program that will bring it to them,” said Renee Geniole, operations coordinator with R.O.C.K. Missions. “We are looking at Tilbury, Thamesville and Bothwell and some of the smaller communities that just don’t have a reach into those supplies.”
The Peer-2-Peer program operates weekly, providing low-barrier access to information, harm reduction supplies, community-driven outreach, and support to hundreds of people who use substances and who are experiencing homelessness.
Geniole said the expansion is expected to begin on April 1 in Blenheim, before moving the program into the Bothwell area.
“There are a few communities where we are [already] engaging some peers and some people that we know who are using substances that need access to that harm reduction, so we will set them up on a more official capacity starting in April,” she said.
As the program grows, Geniole said R.O.C.K Missions will conduct further research on current needs within the municipality before deciding which community to expand to next.
“From there we will start to have bigger conversations,” she said. “We are excited to be able to stretch a little bit more and see how much more work we can do.”
According to R.O.C.K Missions, there was a 280 per cent increase in the number of opioid-related emergency department visits in Chatham-Kent between 2016-2020, as well as a 400 per cent increase in opioid poisoning-related deaths. As well, in 2020, Chatham-Kent saw the greatest increase in opioid-related events in more than five years.