Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Texas Harm Reduction Alliance details services, asks commission to help secure funding, beds and data support
Summary
Texas Harm Reduction Alliance described its drop-in center, outreach and reentry services, legal funding constraints around safe-supply materials, and specific needs including more outreach vans, more beds for people exiting incarceration, staff capacity and a replacement for a lost hot-meals contract.
Maggie Luna, executive director of Texas Harm Reduction Alliance (THRA), and Steven Smith, THRA reentry lead, described the organization’s services, outreach model and urgent needs during a presentation to the Austin–Travis County Public Health Commission.
THRA’s work and model: Luna said THRA grew from efforts to address rising opioid overdose rates and now operates a drop-in center at 1803 East Cesar Chavez, a mobile clinic with showers and a multi-person outreach team. "Those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution," Luna said, describing THRA’s peer‑led staffing and the organization’s focus on providing nonjudgmental services, overdose prevention training and wound care. Smith described reentry work that connects people leaving jail to housing and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
