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News and Announcements
The Harm Reduction Program Newsletter has a new name
The Harm Reduction Program Newsletter has officially changed its name to the Santa Clara County Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Newsletter. This newsletter name change reflects an evolution in the newsletter’s scope of content, which has grown beyond just the services of the Harm Reduction Program and now includes community-wide harm reduction and overdose prevention efforts that are implemented by the County and local community based organizations. While the newsletter will still be compiled by the Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program of the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department, we welcome harm reduction and overdose prevention announcements by other community organizations and agencies. Please email odfreescc@phd.sccgov.org if you would like to add to the newsletter and reach over 2000 newsletter recipients!
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grants
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) announced more than $281 million in funding opportunities to address addiction, overdose, and mental illness and promote recovery.
Deadline📅: July 27, 2026
 Harm reduction kit-making party
Learn about harm reduction supplies and services. Help us prepare for International Overdose Awareness Day and Pride by making overdose prevention and safer sex kits. Participants are welcome to take kits home. All materials will be provided along with pizza, snacks, sweet treats, and refreshments. Contact Roxanne Butterfield to RSVP at (669) 326-4406 or Roxanne.Butterfield@phd.sccgov.org.
When📅: August 5, 2026 3 to 6p.m.
Where📍: 976 Lenzen Ave, Park Alameda Conference Room, San Jose, CA 95126
You’re Invited to 2026 International Overdose Awareness Day
Join us for International Overdose Awareness Day, a free community event dedicated to remembering loved ones lost to overdose and strengthening community support.
This event will feature:
- Resource fair with housing, mental health, and substance use support
- Free naloxone, fentanyl test kits, and training
- Free harm reduction supplies
- Local speakers and a community open mic
- Opportunities to honor loved ones lost to overdose
- Food will be available on a first come first serve basis
Interested in volunteering at this event? Fill out the Volunteer Interest Form by Friday, June 26, 2026.
Join the Community Health Outreach Volunteer (CHOV) Program
Become a Community Health Outreach Volunteer (CHOV) in harm reduction. The 14-week program (August 19 to December 16) trains volunteers in harm reduction philosophy, harm reduction services and supplies, and safer use practices through online, in-person, and hands-on sessions. The program ends with a final project to showcase your skills. Email to learn more: scc.hr.volunteers@gmail.com.
Deadline to apply: Friday, July 31, 2026
Share your experience on overdose disparities in Santa Clara County
Roots Community Health is recruiting African and African Ancestry individuals in Santa Clara County with lived experience using drugs, in recovery, or supporting someone who uses to share their perspectives in a study on overdose disparities and structural barriers. Participants will join focus groups to help shape more equitable responses and will receive a $50 gift card plus food and drinks as a token of appreciation. Please help spread the word by sharing the sign up link below with your networks.
Questions? Call (510) 993-8215.
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Medication Assisted Treatment: Low Barrier Standards
Medications for opioid use disorder are effective at treating substance use disorders. It is essential to ensure that treatment programs are designed to have lower barriers to accessing care and are patient centered. Download the latest Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) protocol.
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 Get substance use support with CA Bridge Connect
CA Bridge Connect provides free, same-day substance use support across California. Navigators link you to local medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) providers and treatment with no waitlists.
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Hours⏰: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Harm Reduction Service Highlight
Get a free Naloxone Stand Box for your organization
Since launching in March 2026, the Naloxone Stand Box (NSB) Project has deployed 94 life-saving stations through strong community partnerships.
- 54 Private NSBs protect closed communities like housing residents.
- 40 Public NSBs offer anonymous access in food pantries, drop-in centers, and campuses.
With 40 mail-order requests in June alone, demand is surging. Soon, the Resource Map on ODFreeSCC.org will pinpoint every public box. We are expanding outreach to fire departments, faith groups, and many more community based organizations.
Get your free naloxone stand box
Is your organization ready to join the front lines of overdose prevention? Whether you manage a housing complex, lead a faith group, or run a community center, you can host a free NSB.
Harm Reduction Spotlight
Raj Gill in her own words: A journey through harm reduction
As the Program Manager overseeing the harm reduction wing of the Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program, I came into this specific field in 2013 through an internal program transition. At the time, I had no background in harm reduction and felt I had no real choice about taking on the work. I was nervous, unsure how to support people who use drugs, and uncertain whether I could lead a team in an area that felt so different from my previous public health experience and life. What I didn’t know then was that this transition would become one of the most meaningful turning points of my life, a role that grounded me in my core values, expanded my understanding of dignity and equity, and ultimately inspired me to pursue my Doctorate in Public Health.
Over the years, the most rewarding part of this work has been witnessing the passion, creativity, and resilience of our team as they navigate the complex realities faced by the people we serve, many of whom are unhoused and confronting multiple layers of structural barriers. Our staff bring empathy, strategy, and a growth mindset to every interaction, and their stories, both the uplifting ones and the challenging ones, reflect a deep commitment to learning and adapting in service of community safety and wellbeing. Through them, I’ve gained a profound understanding of how stigma, policy, and social determinants of health shape people’s lives, and how harm reduction offers a path toward compassion, accountability, and systemic change.
I’m also deeply grateful for the support I’ve received from colleagues throughout the county, public health managers and executive leadership as our program has grown to serve more than 3,500 people who use drugs. We’ve had the autonomy to innovate, the resources to expand, and the encouragement to keep learning, including the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department’s strong support for continuing education, which made it possible for me to complete my DrPH in Leadership, Advocacy, and Equity at Tulane University. Above all, I wish more people understood that treating individuals with dignity is non‑negotiable. It is the foundation of harm reduction, the heart of public health, and the principle that has guided every step of my journey in this work.
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Trainings and Conferences
Conferences
In-person:
Virtual trainings
Live webinars:
Recorded webinars:
Self-paced courses:
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Free Harm Reduction Training for CA Residents: Get free online courses (Foundations, Overdose Prevention, Engaging Drug Users) from the National Harm Reduction Coalition. Enroll at their Online Training Institute and click “Are you a California resident? Click here for a free course bundle” or use code california100 at checkout.
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Trauma-Informed Care for Post-Overdose Outreach: Learn to apply trauma-informed approaches in post-overdose outreach. CEUs available.
Funding Opportunities
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) announced more than $281 million in funding opportunities to address addiction, overdose, and mental illness and promote recovery.
Deadline📅: July 27, 2026
Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder Prevention and Education
The California Department of Health Care Services, in partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, has a new funding opportunity, Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder Prevention and Education. This opportunity offers a 12-month contract for up to $200,000. Contracts will run from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027.
Deadline📅: July 22, 2026
Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Community Grants Program
Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is seeking applications from nonprofits, community-based organizations, and schools in its service territory for the Community Grants Program. SVCE is offering $3.2 million in capital funding to support building electrification, transportation electrification, and energy resilience projects.
Deadline📅: July 22, 2026
Points of Distribution Fiscal Sponsorship
Points of Distribution (POD) offers fiscal sponsorship to harm reduction organizations who do not already have 501(c)(3) status and deliver physical harm reduction resources to people who use drugs. There are no no fees on the first $25,000 of funding, followed by a 5% administrative fee on subsequent funds.
Deadline📅: Funding provided on a case-by-case basis
Comer Family Foundation
The Comer Family Foundation offers grants for syringe services and community-based harm reduction programs that provide safer use supplies, education, and wraparound services to reduce opioid overdoses and the spread of HIV and viral hepatitis. Applications are accepted annually on May 1 and November 1. Grants range from $2,500 to $20,000 and support organizations with budgets under $600,000, especially those led by people who use drugs or from communities disproportionately impacted by drug criminalization and health disparities.
Deadline📅: November 1, 2026
The Health Trust
The Health Trust offers three funding pathways for harm reduction work: Health Partnership Grants and the Health Equity Fund accept Concept Forms year-round with no deadlines (decisions made quarterly), while Community Grants (up to $5,000) are available on a rolling basis and require applications at least 60 days before your event or project start date.
Deadline📅: Concept Forms and applications accepted on a rolling basis
The Awesome Foundation
The Awesome Foundation awards $1,000 monthly grants with no strings attached to creative, community-focused projects worldwide. Individuals, groups, or organizations can apply, and funding decisions are made by local or thematic chapters independently.
Deadline📅: Applications are accepted year-round.
Resources for Community Organizations
Overdose prevention social media toolkit
The Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s Overdose Prevention Hub (ODFreeSCC.org in English and SCCSinSobredosis.org in Spanish) is dedicated to ending overdoses and connecting people to life-saving resources. We launched a new social media toolkit this year to help raise awareness about these resources, including free naloxone, treatment options, safer use supplies, support groups, and more. The toolkit includes ready-to-share graphics and messages in English and Spanish. Download the materials and help spread the word!
Aware and Prepare: A Comprehensive Curriculum for Fentanyl and Other Opioid Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction
Equip your community with Stanford REACH Lab’s free Aware and Prepare curriculum, a comprehensive two-lesson resource designed to prevent opioid overdoses and save lives. Fully compliant with California AB2429, this toolkit provides essential education on the dangers of illicit fentanyl, practical harm-reduction strategies like using test strips and naloxone, and ready-to-use videos and infographics for educators, parents, and youth. Access these life-saving materials today to foster safety and awareness in your organization.
City of San José Homeless Services Guide
The City of San José Homeless Services Guide helps connect individuals with the right government agencies and nonprofits. Visit the Homeless Services Guide page to download a digital version in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
New Harm Reduction Health Ed Materials Available for Download
Two new harm reduction resources are now available for download! The brochure "How to Use More Safely and Reduce Overdose Risks" offers practical tips for safer substance use and information on where to access free harm reduction supplies. Also available is the easy-to-carry card "How to Save a Life with Naloxone," which outlines overdose signs and where to get free naloxone.
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Toolkit: Naloxone and fentanyl test strip distribution for CBOs and clinics
The Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) has released a comprehensive toolkit for community-based organizations (CBOs) and clinics outlining how to request and distribute free naloxone and fentanyl test strips. This toolkit includes guidance on inventory tracking, storage, distribution policies, and best practices for low-barrier, needs-based harm reduction services.
Access the toolkit here:
NDP Toolkit 👈
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Overdose prevention and harm reduction trainings
Santa Clara County Public Health Department's Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program (SHHRP) offers local organizations free trainings and technical assistance on overdose prevention and harm reduction.
Trainings include:
•Naloxone Distribution Program Overview •Harm Reduction Principles and Practices •Overdose Prevention •Recognizing the Signs of Overdose •Stigma Reduction •Other overdose prevention topics
Technical Assistance for: • Overdose prevention activities • Ordering and distributing supplies through the Naloxone Distribution Project
Stay connected: Follow us on LinkedIn for harm reduction updates.
Free technical assistance from the Opioid Response Network
The Opioid Response Network (ORN) offers free, tailored education and technical assistance on preventing, treating, and supporting recovery from opioid and other substance use disorders.
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Free safer sex supplies for organizations
In partnership with the California Department of Public Health's Condom Distribution Program, the Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program offers community organizations free condoms, lube, and dispensers to help reduce HIV transmission. Get your free safer sex supplies today.
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Get Involved
Join the Drug User Health Advisory Committee (DUHAC)
DUHAC is a collaborative space for people who use drugs and community partners to shape harm reduction services in Santa Clara County. Share feedback, offer recommendations, and help improve support for the community.
Meetings: Every 4th Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. on Zoom.
Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date or contact us below to join the next meeting.
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Join the ODFree SCC Coalition
ODFree SCC (formerly known as "SCCOOPP") is a coalition of community members and volunteers, healthcare providers, and professionals working to reduce overdoses in Santa Clara County through equity, community, and collaboration. The coalition's vision is to create a Santa Clara County free from fatal and non-fatal overdoses and other harms of drug use through the mobilization of multi-sectoral partnerships and the use of data to inform action.
Meetings: Last Tuesday of each month from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom and in-person.
Questions? Contact us at ODFreeSCC@phd.sccgov.org.
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Tell us what you think
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About the Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Newsletter
The Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Newsletter is compiled by the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program. The newsletter elevates various harm reduction and overdose prevention initiatives occurring throughout Santa Clara County, in an effort to build partnerships, awareness, and engagement. Please email odfreescc@phd.sccgov.org if you have a harm reduction and overdose prevention initiative that you would like to share with the newsletter's members!
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