The First Year of Operations

On November 2021, OnPoint NYC opened the United States’ first Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) as a response to New York and the nation’s overdose epidemic. Since launching, the OPCs have saved countless lives and directed thousands of community members to vital services to improve the quality of their lives. Learn more about the first year of operations and the incredible impact in helping tackle the overdose crisis.

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Voices from the community

Impact Stories

  • “At times I struggled, but throughout the process, it gave me opportunity and it gave me the resources I needed by not judging me throughout my addiction to heroin and crack cocaine... wasn’t a lot of resources out there but the OPC, and they really gave me the opportunity to transition, to being sober and met me where I was at, and I’m very appreciative to that.”

    Brian, Former OPC Participant

  • “This place means a lot to me but one of the things that is a big plus is that they have staff for everything like... on-site medical staff like nurses. That’s a very big plus because to have somebody just walk up to you and tell you hey you know I’m here for you... you feel like you’ve been missed... having a nurse tell you that, you feel big... she’s a professional. I don’t feel like a participant. I’m a member of the Washington Heights OPC.”

    Los, OPC Participant

  • “Ever since I was young, I’ve had a lot of trauma. I’ve been arrested 33 times... nobody should be arrested for spitting on a floor or jaywalking... since I’ve been here I feel way better about certain things. Not only did I stop getting arrested but things in this center helped me so much from acupuncture to chiropractor to even the food services. The showers, I’m in a shelter now so nobody wants to go outside smelling dirty or anything... the laundry services help a lot and the staff, they treat you like a human being."

    Steven, OPC Participant

  • “I’ve been in this business a long time... Maybe 5 years from now, we will be reacting to OPCs like we do safe syringe exchanges. That’s where we are heading. It’s going to be a no-brainer shortly.”

    Theresa Tobin, Chief of Interagency Operations, NYPD

  • “I also use the DIC to get food, get out of the rain, the snow, the cold, the warmth, whichever, you know, whatever you get. Housing, food stamps, insurance, I mean anything that you really need in life, you can get here. You don’t have to worry about using outside, getting arrested, dying. It’s the one place that we have for us.”

    Will, OPC Participant

  • "Thanks to the OPC I have managed to focus more on the OPC and the participants and my job because it's much more gratifying and I have left my use more to the side. Thank God I can start working and go home and not use. Today I can do that. A year and a half ago I had to use something, two, three, four times a day. And it's because there's so much to do at the OPC, so much to give, the connection we have with participants... You do it with love, especially when I was in their shoes. And I know what it feels like."

    Clara, Staff and Participant

  • "Because of this place, I've never been in no central booking. I never got locked up out here for drugs and nothing like that. Or use of the drugs in the street and all that… I call this home on the low. You know what I mean? I call it home. This is my safe haven, you know what I mean?"

    Luis, OPC Participant and Staff Member

  • “I’m from Washington Heights. I slept in a park for like four years. Nobody don’t see you for who you are, you’re just a homeless person. [A staff member] talked me into coming here... and I got the best treatment. I got treated like I was human. This place actually sees you... they try to help you the most. That’s a good feeling... being a part of society.”

    Shawn, Participant

Who is OnPoint nyc?

OnPoint NYC was born out of the merger (completed in 2022) between New York Harm Reduction Educators (founded in 1992) and Washington Heights Corner Project (founded in 2005). OnPoint NYC vigorously advocates for social justice and addresses adverse outcomes among people who use drugs (PWUD) or engage in sex work (PWESW) in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. We combat stigma and embrace PWUD and PWESW instead of pushing them to the margins. 

What are Overdose Prevention Centers?

OPCs are safe spaces for people who actively use drugs, are at-risk of overdose death, and lack access to critical health and stabilization services. Inside OPCs, people can consume pre-obtained substances and be supervised post-consumption by personnel trained to identify and respond to the earliest signs of overdose.

prevent overdose death and other health risks associated with drug use

facilitate connection to care

reduce public drug use and hazardous waste in public spaces

OPCs primarily serve deeply marginalized and stigmatized people who are disconnected from traditional services. As such, OPCs are a necessary part of a comprehensive solution to the overdose crisis and overall health and wellbeing.

How do they work?

Our OPCs are a low-threshold service, meaning they are designed to remove barriers to care often faced by people actively using drugs and lacking health and stabilization services. An essential part of this approach is creating a safe and loving environment for the beautiful mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents we serve. Consent and intake forms are short and easy to administer. Information on individual visits is collected conversationally by Overdose Prevention Specialists, reducing wait times and focusing on meaningful information to provide adequate care during the visit (such as drug(s) to be used, modality, and recent changes in drug use). Year 1 operational priorities: 

Engagement and Safety 

Relationship and Rapport Building

prevent overdose death and other health risks associated with drug use

Efficiency

Year 1 OPC Baseline Findings and Impacts*

2841

unique participants served

48533

OPC utilizations to prevent public drug use

636

Interventions to prevent overdose death

435078

Units of hazardous waste kept from public parks, streets, and buildings

*(November 30, 2021 – November 29, 2022)

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No One Has To Die of An Overdose.

Through our compassionate and effective approach, we’ve saved over 1,000 lives. With your support, we can save many more. 

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