Lifeworks: A harm reduction strategy to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Camden City, through the distribution of sterile syringes and offering a helping hand for those in need of overcoming addition. Lifeworks is a new program of the Camden Area Health Education Center.
According to the New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services as of December 2006, forty-five percent of HIV/AIDS in Camden City are transmitted through intravenous drug use and/or unprotected sex with an intravenous drug user. In addition, the highest rate of increase in HIV/AIDS transmission is through heterosexual contact. These two factors have devastating impact on Camden City families leaving the city in a major health crisis.
Harm-Reduction: The concept of harm reduction is to encourage people in a step-by-step process, to reduce life-threatening risks in their lives. It is founded on the principle of taking a client from “where they are at” to the next safer stage of development. An intravenous drug user may not be ready to tackle the problem of addiction but may still be concern about contracting and transmitting disease to his/her family and therefore may choose to participate in the program.
Ongoing contact with Lifeline creates an opportunity to further explore other harm reduction measures such as drug rehabilitation and other needed social services.
The Program: Lifeworks is a pilot program, operating three hours a week on Tuesdays 12:00 Noon- 3:00 PM at Broadway and Fairview Avenues in Camden. This program teams up with the Camden Area Health Education’s mobile health van offering a combination of services:
· HIV and Syphilis Screenings
· Blood Pressure and Diabetes Screening
· Sterile Syringe Exchange
· Wound Care
· Information and Referrals to other Social Services
Lifeworks is a collaborative effort including the following organizations:
· AIDS Coalition of Southern New Jersey
· Camden Area Health Education Center
· Camden City AIDS Advisory Council
· Camden County Health Department
· City Of Camden, Human Services Department
· City of Camden Police Department
· Dooley House, Inc.
· New Jersey State Department Of Health and Senior Services
· University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey-School of Pubic Health
· New Jersey Drug Policy Alliance
Volunteers and Linkages: The Camden Area Health Education Center is actively recruiting volunteers for Lifeworks and is interested in developing linkage agreements with local social service agencies to expand referrals for clients. For further information on the program please Contact: Genny Fulco or Kim McCargo at (856) 963-AHEC.
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