News and Announcements
 Volunteer for International Overdose Awareness Day 2025!
Get involved to spread overdose awareness and prevention education, support those affected by overdose, and honor lives lost. Be part of a global movement that saves lives and spreads hope!
Roles/Responsibilities:
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Greeters (Welcome attendees and assist with registration, check-in, pass out event resources, T-shirts, bags)
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Resource Fair (Support organizations with tabling set-up)
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Event Navigators (Assist guests in finding their seats, support Open Mic session)
Questions?
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📢 New Harm Reduction Service Site at Senter Road
The Harm Reduction Program has changed its Monday service site from the Tully Library location to Senter Road. You can now access services at:
📍 Senter Road (1888 Senter Rd., San José)
🕤 Mondays, 2 to 4 p.m
Please note: All Harm Reduction service locations are closed on weekends and County holidays.
➡️ View the full schedule below to find other locations and times.
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Navigator's Corner: Navigator Collective Community of Practice
Santa Clara County Public Health is partnering with county agencies and community health organizations to build a platform for navigators with the goal to improve access to essential services for people who use drugs. Through the Navigator Collective Community of Practice, we hope to mobilize the navigator community, establish a navigator-led collective, and address gaps to linkages in care and community resources.
Join us for our second virtual quarterly meeting on Thursday, June 26th from 1 to 2 p.m.!
Meet with other navigators in a collaborative space to share tips, best practices, and network with colleagues from across the county.
Virtual Meeting Schedule:
- 📅Thursday, June 26, 2025 at 1 p.m.
- 📅Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 1 p.m.
- 📅Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 1 p.m.
In-Person Meeting:
- 📌Fall 2025 – Day & Time TBD
Navigator Collective Topics and Goals for 2025:
☑️ Collaborative discussions on navigator best practices and create partnerships.
☑️ Hear from subject matter experts in substance use, healthcare, housing access, mental health, and other navigator related work.
☑️ Trainings relevant to navigators’ work in linkage to care for people who use substances.
☑️ Build a navigator-centered platform with tools and resources to improve access and coordination to treatment and other services.
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Celebrate Juneteenth in Santa Clara County!
 Juneteenth is a federal and county holiday that honors the history, resilience, and contributions of African and African Ancestry communities. Celebrations vary—from parades and block parties to job fairs and award ceremonies.
👇 Check out these local Juneteenth events:
Non-Substance-Related Mental Health Disorders and Drug Overdose Deaths in 2022
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 22% of overdose deaths in 2022 involved individuals with non-substance-related mental health disorders, most commonly depression and anxiety. Nearly one-quarter had recent intervention opportunities, highlighting the need to integrate mental health and substance use care to prevent overdoses. |
Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) – 24/7 Crisis Support in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County residents in crisis can access immediate support through the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT). Services are available 24/7 to all residents, regardless of insurance status.
📞 How to Contact MCRT:
- Dial 9-8-8 from local area codes (408, 650, and 669).
- Call (800) 704-0900, then select option 1.
What MCRT Provides:
- Crisis screening and assessment over the phone.
- On-site intervention wherever the crisis occurs.
- Services for individuals experiencing mental health symptoms, suicidal ideation, or at-risk behavior.
- Crisis de-escalation and referrals to community resources.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, do not hesitate to reach out. Help is available.
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Harm Reduction Program Services Highlight
🩹 Wound Care Kits
Prompt wound care is critical in preventing infections and serious complications — especially for people who use drugs and may experience injection-related wounds. That is why our Harm Reduction Program provides free wound care kits to all participants.
These kits are more than just supplies — they are a vital tool for staying safe and reducing harm. By offering sterile equipment and early wound care intervention, we help prevent skin and soft tissue infections, reduce the need for hospital admissions, and ultimately lower healthcare costs.
🧰 Need a kit? You can pick one up — along with other harm reduction supplies — at any of our service sites.
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Harm Reduction Program Staff Spotlight 🔦
Meet Harm Reduction: The Friend Who’s Always Got Your Back
How would you introduce harm reduction to a friend?
At a recent team collaboration meeting, Marissa Gutierrez, Health Education Specialist with the Harm Reduction Program, kicked things off with an unforgettable icebreaker: "If you were going to introduce harm reduction to a friend at a party, how would you do it?"
Markis Derr, a Harm Reduction Program Community Outreach Specialist, had the room leaning in with his answer.
“Hey, I want you to meet someone really important. This is Harm Reduction. They’re the kind of person who meets people exactly where they are—without judgment, without shame.
They’re not here to tell you what to do or force change. They’re more like a steady friend who says, ‘Okay, you’re doing what you’re doing—but let’s figure out how to keep you safer while you’re at it.’
They carry clean supplies in one hand and Narcan in the other. They sit in shelters, clinics, parks, and back alleys—always listening, always looking out. They know real change takes time, trust, and compassion. And they believe every life is worth protecting, no matter what.
They’re not flashy, but they’re saving lives every day. You might not always notice them, but you’ll feel their impact when someone gets another chance to live, to heal, to hope. That’s Harm Reduction.”
This moment was a powerful reminder that harm reduction is not just a set of practices—it is a philosophy grounded in empathy, dignity, and love.
How would you introduce harm reduction? We would love to hear your version.
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Trainings
In-Person Trainings
Virtual Trainings
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Building Safer Spaces: Harm Reduction in Action Series
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June 24, 2025: Working with Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence: Redefining Trauma through a Harm Reduction Framework
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June 26, 2025: MAT Case Management and Aftercare Planning in Corrections - (ATTC) Network
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June 27, 2025: LGB/TGNC 101
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July 8, 2025: Harm Reduction Supplies Distribution Overview (CDPH Office of Aids)
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July 16, 2025: Role of Structural Determinants of Health on Access and Availability to Services
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Behavioral Health Services Department Trainings from The Q Corner: View trainings for 2025 and register using the appropriate link:
- Recorded Webinar: Brain injury after non-fatal overdose: A rising concern
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Earn Free CME/CE Credits with CA Bridge Academy: CA Bridge Academy offers free online courses for health care providers, covering opioid and alcohol use disorder treatment, pain management alternatives, and more. Courses fulfill DEA’s 8-hour SUD training requirement for prescribers.
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Harm Reduction Training Modules: Self-paced courses covering overdose prevention, harm reduction principles, and engaging people who use drugs.
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Trauma-Informed Care for Post-Overdose Outreach: Learn to apply trauma-informed approaches in post-overdose outreach.
Funding Opportunities
Cal Wellness Sabbatical Grants
The Be Well, Lead Well Sabbatical Award Program offers up to $60,000 to nonprofit health equity organizations in California. This unique opportunity supports senior leaders with a restorative sabbatical while investing in staff development and organizational resilience. Applications are open through June 20, 2025.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
RWJF is offering a grant opportunity focused on advancing health equity through research and community-led initiatives called Exploring Equitable Futures. The purpose of this call for proposals is to support projects that seed new and unconventional ideas that could radically advance health equity for generations to come. Deadline October 15, 2025.
Health Partnership Grants – The Health Trust
The Health Trust is offering grants for projects aligned with their focus areas: Food & Nutrition, Chronic Disease Prevention & Management, and Supportive Housing. Priority will be given to Policy, Systems, Practice-Change, and Programmatic Support projects. The Health Equity Fund supports projects outside these areas that address health disparities. General Operating Support is not available under this fund. For more details, visit The Health Trust’s website.
📅Application Deadline: Ongoing. Funding decisions are made quarterly, in September, December, March, and June.
Resources for Community Organizations
 Free Period Products and Outreach Kits for Community Partners
Order free period products and educational kits through Planned Parenthood for your organization.
Available Kits:
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Middle School Kit: Includes sex ed resources and puberty info.
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High School and College Kit: Features STI prevention and relationship guidance, plus condoms and lube.
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Adult Kit: Contains information on pregnancy options.
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Parent and Caring Adult Kit: Offers guidance on discussing relationships and consent.
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Period Products Kit: Includes tampons, pads, and PPMM service info.
Requests are fulfilled based on availability and shipped at no cost.
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Request Harm Reduction Services and Supplies
If you are a community based organization or business in Santa Clara County and would like harm reduction services or supplies, please complete the Harm Reduction Program's request form. This includes requests for outreach events, training sessions, health education materials, and presentations.
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Free Condoms for Santa Clara County Organizations
Get Involved
Join the Santa Clara County Drug User Health Advisory Committee (DUHAC)
The Drug User Health Advisory Committee (DUHAC), is a collaborative harm reduction initiative designed to empower drug users and community stakeholders in guiding harm reduction services. This partnership offers a platform for you to provide meaningful recommendations, share feedback, and support the development of services that benefit drug users and their communities.
Meetings: Held every fourth Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. on Zoom.
For more information or to get involved, email duhac.scc@gmail.com or join our mailing list. Let's work together to make a difference!
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Join the Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project (SCCOOPP)
SCCOOPP is a coalition of health care professionals and volunteers dedicated to promoting opioid safety in Santa Clara County. As part of the California Opioid Prevention Network, we provide education on safe opioid use, improve access to treatment for opioid use disorder, and distribute naloxone kits to reverse opioid overdoses.
Meetings: Held virtually every fourth Tuesday noon to 1:30 p.m.
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About the Harm Reduction Program
For the past three decades, the Harm Reduction Program has been at the forefront of public health efforts to promote safer behaviors proven to control the spread of blood borne viruses, such as HIV and Hepatitis C. The program is also playing a vital role in helping to decrease opioid overdose deaths and serve as a bridge to other health and social services.
The Harm Reduction Program is housed within the Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program of the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department.
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