APB Archives

NEEDLE EXCHANGE (Part II) (Apr 15, 02)

STATUS (Mar 21, 02)

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[Note: this material was transferred directly from the old CHAPC website that we used to have. No changes have been made, so it will sound a little funny here on this website.]
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I agreed at the January, 2002 meeting of the CHAPC to calendar a discussion of the Needle Exchange program for February. Councilmember Atkins asked us to delay that. She assured us that the community would be engaged in the detailed decisions. On those assurances, I did not calendar the item for February.
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Despite that, the CHAPC directed the chair in February to schedule the item for March. Instead, I invoked the chair's prerogative to discuss that action with the Councilmember before I put the Committee's direction into effect. After discussing the matter with the Councilmember, I was inclined to respect her wish to maintain control, and I recommended that the Committee take no independent action about Needle Exchange at that time (Feb 02).
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In March I discovered that three items important to us had been decided: 1) the choice of a study contractor; 2) the study parameters themselves; and 3) where the needle exchanges will occur. I finally had had enough of stalling, double-talk, and closed door dealing. I went to the March 18 City Council meeting to complain that we had been kept in the dark and out of the decision making process for Needle Exchange. I regret that it embarrassed the Council member and her staff publicly, but I don't think anything else would have worked. It did focus everyone's attention on bow badly we have been treated, and I hope it convinced the councilmember's staff that we mean business about controlling the needle exchange process.
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Although the Alliance Healthcare Foundation which funds the whole thing has contracted with a study agency, I think needle exchange can still be brought under our control. I hope we can exercise that control with the cooperation of Alliance Healthcare Foundation, its contractor, and our councilmember; but I'm prepared to recommend stronger action if we have to convince the others that City Heights is a force to be reckoned with.
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The Councilmember promised to take personal action. I believe she'll do that, and I believe she's taken this item away from the staff and put it on her own work list. I hope that leads to a serious discussion with our community leadership about who decides needle exchange matters in City Heights, and then to an information presentation for the wider community.
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UPDATE (Apr 5, 02)

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The Councilmember convened a meeting on April 4 at the City Administration building to review needle exchange. Mark Kassab, Ricardo Castillo, and I were invited, as were representatives from North Park and Hillcrest. The Alliance Healthcare Foundation, which is funding the project, and the Family Health Centers, which has been chosen as the contractor to conduct the program, were invited. Kim Craig and Steve Russell were also present.
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The Foundation and the contractor discussed their version of the needle exchange program and answered questions. The community members brought their issues for discussion, and there was a wide-ranging give-and-take about the program. In the end I was convinced that the Foundation had not been playing straight with the community or the city or the councilmember in a number of important ways. It had been deliberately keeping this program as far below the community radar as possible, to prevent backlash. It has structured the original Task Force to avoid community participation. It had chosen a contractor without either city participation or community knowledge. It had, in my opinion, gone to great lengths to get needle exchange without letting us know.
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I asked for some changes in the program to preserve community control to the degree possible, and I believe we have agreement from the councilmember about them. First, I asked that ONLY the five objectives listed in the Task Force report be studied, and that crime data be used ONLY to evaluate the objective to measure crime reduction. I believe that will be the case. Second, I asked that the independent evaluators' reports be thorough reports, not summaries, and that there be enough data to have independent evaluations of the fairness and accuracy of the program evaluations. Finally, I asked for community representation on the Program Facilitation Committee, which will supervise the program, and I asked that there be inclusive representation, not tokenism. We need voices enough on the supervisory committee to prevent damage to the communities, in the face of what I believe is Alliance Healthcare Foundation's effort to use poor communities to advance its own goals and enhance its reputation.
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ANOTHER VIEW (Apr 15, 02)

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Some in our community correctly point out that needle exchange is not a matter for the CHAPC because needle exchange is not a land use or land use related matter. I acknowledge that. My counter suggestion is that the matter was completely out of our control and action was needed.
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Others, including some on the CHAPC, think the issue is important enough to use what resources we have to get out the word. For the moment, pending finding some other way to keep everyone up to date on needle exchange, I'll continue to post relevant information here at the CHAPC pages.
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