NASEN will only collaborate with researchers that adhere to the following criteria:
1) the research must contribute to and further the discourse regarding syringe exchange and Harm Reduction;
and 2) there must be a tangible benefit (i.e., compensation) provided to the individual(s) and/or the organizations that participate in the research.
NASEN does not require participation in research as a condition of Buyers Club membership or for listing on the NASEN SSP Directory. Participation is entirely voluntary.
Pictured from left to right first row: Dave Purchase, Rod Sorge, Dan Bigg, Stephanie Comer, Sara Kershnar, Charles Collins, Jon Paul Hammond second row: facilitator, Pat Garrett, Ricky Bluthenthal, Renee Edgington, Edith Springer, Joyce Rivera, Lisa Moore third row: Scott Stokes, George Clark, Delia Garcia, Heather Edney, Mark Gerse, Kevin Zeese, Gerald Lenoir
Dear SSP Partner,
Earlier this year, we sent you an email to announce two SSP survey opportunities. The 2022 Dave Purchase Memorial (DPM) Survey, to be administered in May, will be conducted by the University of Washington (UW), Dr. Don Des Jarlais, and NASEN. This annual survey aims to collect data on SSP program outcomes and operations; we highly encourage your SSP to participate.
We invite you and your SSP to join a pre-survey webinar to learn more about the DPM survey. During this webinar, we will speak more about the history of the DPM survey, its past data and results findings, an introduction to NASEN and the NASEN Directory, and what to expect in 2022, all followed by a Q&A.
Registration in advance is required to join this webinar. A separate link will be emailed to you after you have registered. Participation throughout the webinar is highly encouraged via phone or computer audio. The webinar will be recorded and available upon request.
Webinar date and time: Tuesday May 3, 2022, 9:00-10:00am PST / 12:00-1:00pm EST
How to register: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMpc-GgrTgrH90RsJ9n_vYjyOorpKGWoTgR
Thank you for your continued commitment to SSPs. We are looking forward to connecting with you and speaking about the 2022 DPM survey. We encourage your SSP to participate in the webinar and survey to make your voices heard!
Sincerely,
The University of Washington Team (UW), Dr. Don Des Jarlais, and NASEN
Project NEXUS is a survey of people who use drugs at 6 syringe services programs across the U.S. The aim of this survey is to learn more about the health, substance use behaviors, HIV/HCV prevalence, and access to and use of prevention services among people who use drugs – especially in non-urban areas of the country that are not typically included in large surveys. SSPs will be randomly selected and invited to participate. Project sites will enroll up to 300 participants in a 30-minute survey with HIV and HCV testing. SSPs will be financially supported to implement the survey, and all participants will receive an incentive for completing the survey and HIV/HCV testing.
Organized syringe service in the US began when Dave Purchase set a TV dinner table on a street in Tacoma, WA in 1988. The number of programs grew rapidly over the next several years and NASEN was founded in 1992. NASEN began holding an annual conference for information exchange and mutual support by programs. The plenary talk at these initial conferences was entitled “syringe exchange in the known universe,” and provided information on SEP activities in the US and both national and international research on SEPs.
With the continuing growth of SEPs in the US, it became clear that a formal mechanism for collecting information about SEPs in the country was needed to inform the SEP community, public health departments, and the US government. In 1994, NASEN and the Chemical Dependency research unit of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City initiated the first annual National Syringe Exchange Survey with funding from amFAR.
The survey has provided information on the numbers of syringe service programs, their organizational characteristics, the numbers of syringes distributed and other services provided by the programs. The information has been used to inform the public and public officials of the critical importance of the programs, and to obtain funding for the programs. One important function of the annual surveys has been to document the evolution of the programs into multi-service organizations that address the many health and social service needs of people who use drugs in the US.
The National Syringe Exchange Survey was renamed as the Dave Purchase Memorial Survey after Dave’s passing.
The opioid epidemic, the overdose epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing federal support for drug user health have created new challenges and opportunities for SSPs in the US. The Dave Purchase Memorial Survey will continue to collect, analyze and provide information to the SSP community and to public health officials during these interesting times.
Don Des Jarlais