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Harm Reduction Health Center reports higher reach, naloxone distribution and fewer fatal overdoses in 2024
Summary
Program staff said the Harm Reduction Health Center expanded services, distributed thousands of naloxone doses and supplied wound care and test strips; county overdose surveillance showed a 33% decline in fatal overdoses from 2023 to 2024.
Siri Forsman Sims, program lead for the Harm Reduction Health Center (HRHC), and Lisa Bridge, HHS communications specialist, briefed the Board of Health on March 8 about service expansion, participant counts and overdose surveillance.
Siri reported that the HRHC’s reach increased substantially in 2024. The program served about 371 participants in January 2024 and finished the year “just under 7,000 participants,” she said. Monthly counts peaked near 970 participants in January 2025 and dropped to around 600 in February 2025 after the program staffed additional warming-center days during a cold snap. Staff noted that expanded fixed hours in Port Angeles and more consistent coverage in Forks contributed to higher and steadier engagement.
The HRHC distributes naloxone via nine county-maintained public boxes and outreach: staff reported roughly 50 naloxone kits removed from stationary boxes per month and many more doses handed directly to participants — the program reported nearly 6,000 naloxone boxes distributed in 2024 (two doses per box), which the presenters said equates to more than 10,000 doses deployed into the community.
Siri and data presented by the county epidemiologist showed a 33% decrease in confirmed fatal overdoses from 2023 to 2024. The presenters emphasized that the decline is a correlation associated with expanded harm-reduction services and improved data-sharing, not a proof of causation: “We would call it a correlation. We wouldn't say that this is a 1 to 1 where we know for a fact that as participants increase, fatal overdoses decrease,” Siri said, adding that the county’s combined surveillance (coroner, HRHC, epidemiology) provides tailored context for outreach.
The HRHC reported other services and indicators: wound care (about 120 visits in 2024, roughly 10 per month), distribution of fentanyl, xylazine and benzodiazepine test strips, nicotine-replacement therapy, and partnerships to begin immunizations at HRHC twice monthly (flu, Tdap/other routinely-needed shots and hepatitis vaccines were cited). Staff described improved participant trust after moving into a dedicated, client-facing space with private rooms and a memorial/quiet space for people mourning losses. The program also reported outreach with a mobile van, coordination with rediscovery and other treatment partners, and a pilot of a test kiosk at the college (state-funded kiosk functionality is in flux pending state funding decisions).
Presenters described training and partner services that help link people to wound care, primary care navigation, syphilis/HIV testing and post-detection follow-up (staff said they can help locate and treat people who test positive for syphilis and have difficulty being reached). The board and staff discussed expanding HRHC presence to additional West End locations; county staff said they will coordinate community meetings for siting mobile outreach.
Ending: The board thanked staff and asked HRHC to return with updates; members requested staff engagement with local community meetings when outreach is proposed in Clallam Bay and other West End communities.
