MAP and Safer Supply
MAP has teamed up with the Nova Scotia Government to allow the NECHC to prescribe and provide alcohol beverages to those with Alcohol User Disorder (AUD).
Our team works to support and provide folks with prescribed medications as a safer supply alternative.
Managed Alcohol Program (MAP)
Our NECHC MAP is a medicalized harm reduction and nurse-led program that began in June 2020 and does essential outreach across the HRM. A consistent, safe supply of alcohol is prescribed by a physician through a permit provided by the provincial government of Nova Scotia to allow our team to distribute alcohol provided by the NSLC. Through daily outreach, and supportive, non-judgmental settings, we support 20-25 community members to reduce harms and stigma associated with severe AUD, and support clients with their primary health goals to live safer, healthier lives.
A Managed Alcohol Program (MAP) is an evidence-based, harm reduction program that is used to help reduce the social and physical harms associated with severe Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Alcohol related harms include withdrawal seizures, blackouts, delirium tremens, violence, criminalization and incarceration, Emergency Department (ED) visits, and non-beverage alcohol consumption. Almost 40 MAP’s exist across Canada, often focused on supporting socially complex individuals experiencing chronic homelessness who have not been successful with other treatment or harm reduction modalities. In each program, alcohol is prescribed according to the need of each client to prevent withdrawal and mitigate over-intoxication. NECHC’s MAP is currently the first and only MAP in Nova Scotia.
There are many different models for MAP, including residential fixed site, hospital based models, shelter based programs and scattered site model. Programs range from peer based delivery to medical based programs. Our NECHC MAP currently uses a mix of a supportive housing residential site, and a scattered site model that involves an outreach team delivering participants’ daily prescribed supply of alcohol to their place of residence. Our scattered site MAP is one important step towards our vision of a spectrum of mutually-reinforcing, addiction services for people with alcohol use disorder.
Safer Supply
The MOSH Safer Supply Project is an evidence-based, harm reduction program, that aims to provide registered participants with a pharmaceutical supply of opioids dispensed from community pharmacies. Its primary purpose is to reduce a participants’ risk of non-fatal and fatal overdose. In addition, the program aims to improve several other health and wellness outcomes, including housing, connection with primary care, involvement with law-enforcement and the carceral system, decreased rates of infection, and improved overall well-being.
The program was started out of necessity following a significant rise in fatal and non-fatal overdoses often involving illicit fentanyl-analogues in Halifax and Dartmouth. The call for a safer supply of drugs is not new. The increasing toxicity of the illicit-drug supply has greatly undermined standard harm reduction interventions, and the provision of a safer opioid supply is a great way to directly confront this new reality.
Location & Contact
Location
Martha Steeper, Harm Reduction Manager
Hours
Referrals
If you are looking to refer yourself or someone else to either the Managed Alcohol Program or be added to the Safer Supply Waitlist, please email map@nechc.com.
