The Center for Justice Innovation last month unveiled its new Bronx Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE) mobile outreach van, designed to address drug addiction and overdoses on the spot, at any time, in any Bronx neighborhood.
The custom van was designed by HOPE, an initiative of Bronx Community Solutions, which joins organizations such as the nonprofit Acacia Network to provide “substance use treatment on wheels.”
Magaly Melendez, senior program manager for Bronx Community Solutions, told the Bronx Times that the van “started from a need” to help Bronxites address drug abuse and stay out of incarceration.
The HOPE program, established in 2022, was already helping residents arrested on drug charges, some of whom are referred to HOPE by the District Attorney’s office for participation in the program in lieu of jail time. But it quickly became apparent that they needed new ways to find people.
“Addiction doesn’t stop at 5:00,” Melendez said. “We wanted our office to be in real time, on wheels, going out to the community.”
The project was a long time coming. Even after being awarded $100,000 in funding from State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, it still took two and a half years to actually get the van, Melendez said.
Now that it’s here, she hopes it will be seen as a normal safety measure, such as wearing a seatbelt or bike helmet. It’s not about enabling drug use but “how do I reduce the harm,” Melendez added.
The van, which hit the road in late September, is staffed by people who have their own past experience with drug addiction and understand what those in the midst of it are going through. “You don’t have to explain that you’re shivering because you’re in active withdrawal,” Melendez said.
That empathy from lived experience is the “secret sauce” that makes mobile outreach work, she added.
It was challenging for HOPE to establish trust in the community and show that although the organization is in constant communication with the NYPD, they are not the police. Going fully mobile was a way to show HOPE’s commitment, Melendez said. “We want the NYPD to use us as a tool, but how can we do that if we’re not there all the time?”
Staffers rotate through day and night shifts in the van “like a relay race,” Melendez said. They visit hotspots, such as St. Mary’s Park, Echo Park and other high-traffic areas to look for people needing help. They take referrals from other agencies and police.
Staff also work during the week with other partners — especially the District Attorney’s office and the South Bronx’s 40th precinct, which has the highest number of referrals to HOPE — to understand where help is most needed.
The lines of communication must always be open because a drug crisis can happen in the least expected moments, Melendez said.
One of those moments happened immediately after the ribbon-cutting event for the new van at Poe Park on Sept. 26. As staffers were preparing to leave, they saw someone on the ground and administered Narcan. The person regained consciousness soon after, according to Melendez. “This happens anytime, any day to anyone,” she said.
When an overdose does happen, staff in the van are ready to respond. The van’s cabinets hold several “crisis bags,” which not only includes Narcan and fentanyl test strips, but also has snacks, water, toiletries and other essentials. The van also has a sink, first aid kit, menstrual supplies, condoms and a supply of other items.
Melendez said her organization constantly adapts to meet the circumstances, such as providing blankets once the temperatures drop and ponchos when it rains. “We have to change with the times. We have to change with the needs.”
Staff in the van can address people’s immediate needs and help them with a longer-term plan to get off drugs.
According to Melendez, even if a person needs drug treatment but will only commit to taking a flyer, the van provides the flexibility to meet them where they are and offer support. “You’re not walking this alone,” she said. “This is for the community.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
