Hep C Prevention in Youth Initiative
Overview
The mission of Hep C Prevention in Youth is to assist and empower youth and community organizations to prevent Hepatitis C infection among young people.
The initiative is composed of two working groups: 1) a network of community partners from harm reduction and youth organizations 2) an internship program with ten interns from NYC colleges.
A powerful student PSA about the prescription drug and heroin epidemic. The face of today’s heroin addict is quite different from years ago. The national age of overdosing is between 18-25. The impact of Hep C is emerging.
Resources
Tools & Interventions
- Rapid Teen Substance Use Screening Tool for Clinicians. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
- Staying Safe. National Development Research Institutes. Reducing HCV infection in injection drug users.
- Safety First: A Reality-Based Approach to Teens and Drugs. Drug Policy Alliance. Provides parents with the tools needed to evaluate and discuss strategies for protecting their teenagers from drug abuse.
- Opioid Analgesic Action Kit. NYC Health Dept. Provider and patient resources to help health care providers decrease opioid analgesic misuse and its health consequences.
- NYC Youth Addiction Treatment. NYC Health Dept. Pharmacotherapy sites offering buprenorphine or methadone treatment for young people ages 14-24.
Site Locators
- 1-800-LIFENET offer a 24-hour crisis hotline and referrals for mental health and substance abuse treatment in NYC.
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator (SAMHSA) National Database
- Buprenorphine Physician and Treatment Locator (SAMHSA)
- Expanded Syringe Access Program Pharmacies (ESAP)
Programs & Coalitions
- Injection Drug Users Health Alliance
- Safe Horizon: Street Works. Syringe exchange program for youth
- User to User: Peer Delivered Syringe Exchange NYC. Harm Reduction Coalition
- Tackling Youth Substance Abuse Initiative (Staten Island)
Research & Presentations
- Hepatitis C Surveillance among Youth and Young Adults in NYC, 2009–2013. J Urban Health, 2014.
- Injection Risk Behaviors Associated with Non-medical Use of Prescription Opioids Among Young Adults in NYC. Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, PhD, National Development and Research Institutes.
- Strategies for Preventing HCV among Persons Who Inject Drugs. Focus on prescription opioid analgesics. Jon E. Zibbell, PhD, CDC.
- Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Young Drug Users. What Can Viral Hepatitis Coordinators and Health Departments Do? Dan Church, Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
- Hepatitis C Among Youth in NYC: The Pharmacist’s Role in Prevention About ESAP and risks of Hep C in youth.
- Characterizing adolescent prescription misusers: a population-based study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. Jul 2008.
- Increasing Hepatitis C Prevalence and Associated Risk Behaviors among Incarcerated Young Adults. J Urban Health. Apr 2014.
Reports & Fact Sheets
- Technical Consultation Report | HCV in Young Persons Who Inject Drugs. HHS.
- MMWR | Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Adolescents and Young Adults — Massachusetts, 2002—2009. CDC MMWR.
- Clinical Guidelines | Primary Care Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Illicit Drug and Nonmedical Pharmaceutical Use in Children and Adolescents: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.
- Fact Sheet | Young people who inject drugs are increasing in the United States. Center for Drug Use & HIV Research (CDUHR).
- CDC | Viral Hepatitis and Young Persons Who Inject Prescription Opioids and Heroin
Select Publications
Technical Consultation Report
Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Young Persons Who Inject Drugs
February 26-27, 2013
Palm Card
Palm Card | Reduce Your Risk of Overdose, Hep C and HIV (PDF) [Español] [Русский]
Advocacy & Outreach Projects
Blood to Blood PSA: NYS DOH Campaign Targeting Youth. Video PSA & printed material available to order for free.
PSA | Hep C Prevention for Young People Who Inject. Harm Reduction Coalition. (Watch more videos on user health here).
PSA | “Didn’t Think It Could Happen To You.” NY State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
Social Media Postings
If you snort or inject drugs, you can get Hep C. Learn how to protect yourself.
Poster
New Works Are Free of Hepatitis C (PDF)
Participants
Community Partners
Betty Kolod, SUNY Downstate, Medical Student Leader, bettykolod@gmail.com
Brian Crozier, Safe Horizon – Streetwork Project, Brian.Crozier@safehorizon.org
Brian Tang, Charles B. Wang Teen Resource Center, Program Coordinator btang@cbwchc.org
Henrich Boahene, Bronxworks , Program Coordinator, hboahene@bronxworks.org
Leanne Demery, Bronxworks, Program Specialist, Targeted Prevention and Supportive Services, ldemery@bronxworks.org
Melissa Osborne, Center for Community Alternatives, Project Coordinator, New Roads To Health, mosborne@communityalternatives.org
Mike Selick, Harm Reduction Coalition, Hepatitis C Coordinator, selick@harmreduction.org
Jazmin Rivera, Tackling Youth Substance Abuse – CHASI, Program Manager, natalie@sipcw.org
Paula Wong, Project H+AL, Program Coordinator, paula.w.wong@gmail.com
Vivienne Felix, Health Education & Research Occupations High School (H.E.R.O.), Employer Partnerships Developer, Vivienne.Felix@cuny.edu
Wendy Ledesma,BOOM Health, Prevention Program Coordinator, wledesma@boomhealth.org
Interns
Angela Dellarocca, CUNY Brooklyn College, angeladellarocca@gmail.com
Elyas Amin, CUNY Hunter College Macaulay Honors College, elyas.amin@macaulay.cuny.edu
John Wetmore, CUNY Hunter College Macaulay Honors College, johnwetmore826@gmail.com
Mariam Steinblatt, CUNY Hunter College Macaulay Honors College, mjsteinblatt@gmail.com
Markella Tranquillus, CUNY Brooklyn College, mtranquillus@yahoo.com
Mitsuka Attys, CUNY Brooklyn College, mitsuka.attys@gmail.com
Mora Rizk, CUNY Hunter College Macaulay Honors College, rizk.mora@gmail.com
Prima Manandhar, CUNY Hunter College Macaulay Honors College, prima.manandhar@gmail.com
Saumik Islam, CUNY Brooklyn College Macaulay Honors College, saumikislam4@gmail.com
Shanaz Hosein, CUNY Brooklyn College, hoseinshanaz@gmail.com
