Squamish Overdose Prevention Site

A safe, warm, supervised space to use substances

37930 Third Avenue, Squamish

Located at the old firehall/shelter

604-849-1991

Open 7 days a week

12:00 - 10:00 pm

Key services:

• peer and staff observation of those who come to use substances so they can intervene in overdose events
• harm reduction supplies
• drug checking
• education on safer consumption practices
• referrals to treatment and services
• social support and connection
• peer training

The site will also offer snacks and laundry machines.

The Overdose Prevention Site is a response to the ongoing and worsening overdose crisis. We aim to treat people with dignity, compassion and respect. It embraces harm reduction approach that aims to reduce the harms associated with substance use such as HIV, Hepatitis C, infections, injuries. It also aims to reduce health care, social, legal, and incarceration costs associated with drug use.

Goals:

• Reduce overdose fatalities
• Improve the overall health of people who use drugs by
  • trained intervention in the event of an overdose
  • providing a safe space without stigma to prevent people from using alone
  • providing clean consumption supplies
  • appropriate disposal of consumption supplies
  • checking drugs for toxins
  • helping people to access health care, services and supports such as opioid agonist therapy
  • providing training, purpose and connection for people with lived experience
• Improve community outcomes by reducing public consumption, reducing crime, discarded needles etc.

The Squamish Overdose Prevention Site is a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health and Squamish Helping Hands, as an initiative of the Sea to Sky Community Action Team.

Peer Engagement

The Squamish Overdose Prevention Site also uses a peer engagement model. People with lived experience of substance use receive training on overdose prevention and response and will work shifts monitoring their peers at the site, alongside trained staff.

Good Neighbour Agreement

Squamish Helping Hands and Vancouver Coastal health aim to provide life-saving overdose prevention services in a safe and effective way that is respectful of the needs of people who use drugs and the larger community as a whole.

The agreement includes the roles of the partners, strategies to mitigate community concerns, and a complaint resolution process.

For general questions, inquires, and to provide feedback: contact Maureen Mackell at Squamish Helping Hands Society @ 604.390.3000 or info@shhs.ca or maureen@shhs.ca

Read the Agreement