II. PURPOSE The purpose of the Safe Tea Harm Reduction Project for LGBTQIA2-S+ Communities is to raise awareness about addiction prevention and harm reduction strategies using peer to peer networks and resources to prevent overdoses. Presently, there appears to be a degree of stigma for those who are affected by the harms of substance use that discourages them from seeking support from service providers. Many LGBTQIA2-S+ community members refuse to seek these services due to the stigma and potential consequences when working with service providers. This project will provide safer harm-reduction practices for participants by examining addiction-based coping mechanisms. The project's target population are LGBTQIA2-S+ people who have lived experience with substance use and addiction or loss as a result of these behaviors. III. OBJECTIVE A Facilitator will be hired to implement the Safe Tea Harm Reduction Project for LGBTQIA2-S+ Communities. The project will provide relief via a peer-to-peer service model that meets community members where they are at. This project will include: • Creation of a harm reduction resource guide with information including but not limited to where to find Narcan, needle exchange services, and Fentanyl testing strips. • Creation of six teams of three Safety Roamers, with a total of 18 participants. The goal of the teams will be to provide the resource guides and conduct outreach on the ground. o Participants without as much experience will be paired with an experienced Safety Roamer. o Facilitator to conduct an orientation with all 18 Safety Roamers. • The teams will engage in the following events: o Each team will conduct two live demonstrations for a total of 12 live demonstrations. These demos will include information on how to test various substances using testing kits and how to prevent overdoses including the signs of a possible overdose. The demos will take place in the locations where participants tend to gather so that this information is more readily available. o Each team will conduct two distribution events for a total of 12 distribution events. During these events, the teams will conduct on the ground outreach and testing including providing test strips and Narcan. o Following each of the live demonstrations and distribution events, the teams will meet with the Facilitator to debrief regarding their experiences.
