Services

Harm reduction, refers to a range of public health policies or programs designed to lessen the negative health complications, and social and economic consequences resulting from the use of and dependence on drugs and psychotropic substances. Harm Reduction Center is a place for drug users who are unable or unwilling to achieve permanent withdrawal from drugs. Since drug users manifest high risk behaviors, these centers operate to control and reduce their harm to society and other people, and seek to encourage them to receive treatment. "Noor Sepid Hedayat" Comprehensive Harm Reduction Center was established by “Noor Sepid Hedayat” Harm Reduction Institute, with the cooperation of Tehran Municipality and the Welfare Organization, and this Center started its activity specific for harmed women in August 2017. This center was named “Comprehensive Harm Reduction Center” in order to integrate several harm reduction service centers in one place and facilitate patients' access to harm reduction services. The center is specific to socially harmed women and is open round-the-clock. With the emphasis of the institute's board of directors on corporate social responsibility, and by obtaining the support of the organizations and attracting the help of donors, all services of this center are provided to patients free of charge.

Mobile relief team is one of the services associated with drop-in center which is known as “Out Reach” and it means providing harm reduction services too hard to reach people outside the center who do not have access to the social health care network for any reason and do not go to the center. Mobile relief team is a team of at least two people recovered from addiction (as equals) who visit the neighborhoods around the drop-in center and the hangouts of drug addicts.

• Distributing harm reduction and hygiene items.
• Collecting used needles and syringes.
• Educating injecting drug users about safe injection.
• Training on how to use condoms properly.
• Introducing the center and its services.

Overnight shelters have been set up for temporary and night accommodation of homeless addicts with high-risk behaviors. The center is open from 5:00 pm to 8:00 am the next day and a hot dinner and breakfast are served to help-seekers.

• Providing a good place and bathing facilities.
• Providing at least two sets of clothes per year.
• Referral to hygiene centers.
• Holding training classes on harm reduction.
• Providing sterile syringes, needles and hygiene items.
• Providing social work services and group counseling.