Resources in

Columbia County

In Columbia County, community-based organizations and civic groups have come together with the goal of eliminating opioid overdose mortality. Reported opioid overdose incidents in the county increased in 2020, compared to 2019; fentanyl-involved overdose deaths grew by 197%. More than 80% of opioid overdose deaths in Columbia county occur in a private residence. This underscores the importance of having naloxone (brand name nasal spray: Narcan) in the home and access to a broad array of [education opportunities, resources and support services] for people who use drugs and their loved ones. We’ve worked to consolidate some of these resources here. For questions or more information on our work in Columbia county please contact jamie@nextdistro.org

In addition, we have a helpful FAQ and are constantly updating it with questions from our site visitors. NEXT’s drug user health Resource Page can help you find general information related to substance use and our Social Support Guide is also a helpful resource guide for people who use drugs. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, let us know.

Get Naloxone Mailed To You

In Columbia County, you can have free Narcan nasal spray mailed discretely to your door. There is no insurance requirement and you will not be contacted for follow-up services or any other reason.

In-person Harm Reduction Services

Project Safe Point provides a variety of mobile and peer-delivered services in Columbia and surrounding counties. They offer screening and testing for HIV and Hepatitis C out of their mobile locations in Troy and Schenectady, as well as opioid overdose prevention response training including naloxone distribution, recovery readiness counseling, treatment referrals and many other services through in-person, virtual, and phone-based support. Project Safe Point also hosts a Drug User Health Hub in Albany which includes a low barrier Buprenorphine clinic, HCV Patient Navigation Services, and Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program.

Mail-based Harm Reduction in Columbia County

If you are unable to access in-person syringe services or harm reduction programming, you can apply for free mail-based harm reduction support through NEXT Distro. NEXT also has a useful drug user health Resource Page.

MAIL-BASED testing strips IN columbia county

Free FTS by mail in Columbia County. Test strips are an excellent tool but need to be part of an overall harm reduction strategy. Use this button if you already have naloxone. Choose Get Naloxone Mailed to You if you would like naloxone and FTS.

GREENER PATHWAYS

Greener Pathways is the mobile-outreach program of Twin County Recovery Services, Inc. Among the variety of services available, Greener Pathways provides peer support, linkage to community resources, a mobile health clinic, support for individuals and families, referrals to medication assisted treatment, and personalized treatment and recovery plans. Greener Pathways staff are committed to helping individuals and families who are struggling with substance use by “meeting them where they are” and are on-hand to connect individuals with services and supports or to simply explore needs and the options available.

Columbia-Greene Addiction Coalition

The mission of the Columbia-Greene Addiction Coalition is to address addiction in our community by ensuring our residents have access to information, education, treatment options, and recovery supports. Check out the helpful resource map located at the bottom of their homepage.

TREATMENT LOCATOR

Atlas is an addiction treatment locator, assessment, and standards platform being piloted in New York. You can use this resource to search for and compare treatment facilities near you using trustworthy information on treatment quality.

Other treatment resources including some guides for managing withdrawal at home can be found on our Resource Page.

Columbia County Mental Health Center

Columbia County Mental Health Center is dedicated to serving residents struggling with a variety of mental health disorders. Our compassionate, experienced team provides the highest level of care in a relaxing, encouraging and patient-centered environment. CCMHC also runs the county’s 24-hour crisis line.

Community ORGANIZING

VOCAL-NY is a statewide grassroots community organizing powerhouse. Learn more about their work and how to get involved using the button below.

END OVERDOSE NEW YORK

End Overdose New York is a campaign to support evidence-based harm reduction and public health centered responses to opioid overdose.

PHARMACY-BASED NALOXONE ACCESS

New York State has more than 2,000 pharmacies that provide naloxone to individuals without a prescription. To support pharmacy-based access, New York State has created the Naloxone Co-payment Assistance Program (N-CAP). Through N-CAP, individuals who have prescription drug coverage can have up to $40 of the cost of naloxone co-payments covered. For more information, please visit the N-CAP site at NYSDOH. You can browse an online directory of participating pharmacies below.