NEED GEAR? - Somerset West Community Health Centre

NEED GEAR?
Need condoms?
The NESI team distributes kits for safer rock
smoking, fits, and all the stuff that goes with
them. We also have supplies for safer sex, and
provide education on safer use and referrals to a
bunch of services.
Here’s how to reach us:
NESI Drop In
Times: Mondays to Fridays 1pm-4pm
We’re at Somerset West Community Health
Centre (corner of Booth and Eccles). Drop-in
for support and advocacy in a non-judgmental
environment. Chat. Grab some gear. Use our
computer. Have a coffee. In a rush? You can
also grab a five pack of stems or fits from
reception or medical walk-in. Call us! We
accept collect calls. 613.238.8210 ext.2246
the NESI VAN
Just give us a call! (613)761-0003
We’re happy to deliver supplies to you
anywhere in the greater Ottawa Area. Got rigs
to return? Used Pipes? We'll come get'em!
We’re out on the road:
Friday to Tuesday: 5pm -11:30pm
Wednesdays: 5pm to 10pm
(Thursdays no service)
Foot Outreach!
Outreach & Peer workers are out on foot
throughout the week in different
neighborhoods. Need gear? Call‘em!
Lindsay 613.292.9119
Shannon 613.327.0002
Stan 613.295.4329
Art for Awareness Entry Winner:
“SurgEry”
December 2014
by: James X
Mixed media & found objects
NESI Peer Program
Looking to make a healthy connection with
other folks who use drugs? Looking to make
some extra cash? Come work with the NESI
program! Every Thursday, our peer program
compensates peers for 2 hours of work. Every
2nd Thursday of the month we do a Women’s
only day. Work ranges from preparing smoking
& injection supplies and gear, to workshops
and/or gardening! Interested? Call us to find
out how to join! (613)238.8210 ext 2246
I created this piece to express the pain and
despair that are part of living with mental
illness & diagnosed anxiety and depression.
The story of “Surgery” is that the girl has had
her heart broken so many times that she is
having an operation to have her heart cut out
so she doesn’t have to feel anymore.
“Surgery” was made after I was going through
the end of a romantic relationship with
someone I really thought I could trust and
who actually cared for me but didn’t. I was
using drugs to block out all the pain I was
feeling.
Have you
been a NESI peer with us in the last year? Join us
for a holiday celebration to celebrate all our
work together over the last year.
When? Thursday December 18th at 1:30pm
Where? 3rd floor of SWCHC
Space is limited so call or drop in to make sure
you’re on the list & we have a gift for ya!
NESI Van Holiday Schedule
During the holiday season the NESI van will be
operating on a modified schedule:
10am-3pm Wednesday, Dec-24th
No Service - Thursday, Dec 25th
10am-3pm - Wednesday Dec 31st
No Service - Thursday, Jan 1st
All other days, the van will run at the usual times.
Sorry for any inconvenience & happy holidays!
Morning NESI Van!
Heads up, NESI staff & a peer will
be hitting the road on Tuesday
mornings every month.
We will be in the market area &
responding calls and flag downs.
The piece gets its name from a song by the
band Jack off Jill, the song is about dealing
with these same feelings.
I chose the contrasting black and bright neon
colors to symbolize the extreme mood swings
that come with mental illness, of being so
happy and then so hurt the next.
Peer Holiday Party!
.
Fentanyl for Dummies:
Check out this month’s bilingual insert:
“FENTANYL FOR DUMMIES”: a helpful-how-to
on injecting Fentanyl safer! Big thanks to our
friends at L’injecteur in Montreal who put
together this helpful guide. Got your own tips
and knowledge when it comes to shooting
Fentanyl? Tell us about it & we’ll include it in
next month’s newsletter.
POPP
Get trained. Save a life. A naloxone kit could help
you prevent a loved one from overdosing. Get
your free training and Naloxone kit today through
Public Health’s SITE Peer Overdose Prevention
Program (POPP).
How & Where?
Site Office
Site Van
179 Clarence St.
613.232-3232
Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm
Daily 5pm–11:30pm
Showers…
Need a warm shower? Don’t have one? Don’t
want to use the shitty one your landlord
provides you with? Remember, SWCHC has a
private shower available for you to use!
Come by any weekday, between 1pm-4pm &
lather up! Come to the NESI room and we’ll
hook you up a towel & soap.
“OUT OF THE COLD”
FREE Weekend Suppers
Get a hot & healthy supper every weekend
at the following Locations. All welcome!
Every Saturday 4pm till 6pm…
South Minister United Church
15 Aylmer Ave
613-730-6874
Knox Church
120 Lisgar St
613-238-4774
Every Saturday 2pm – 5pm
Parkdale United Church
429 Parkdale Ave
613-728-8656
Sunday 4pm till 6pm
St. Margaret Mary’s
7 Fairbairn St
613-730-5265
Peer Women Reflect on
Mental Health & Peer Work
Last month the Women’s NESI peer group,
talked about mental health and peer work.
Here’s what they came up with.
People are dealing with:
LIFE, anxiety, depression, loneliness,
isolation, hopelessness, distress, lack of
services, lack of knowledge, often people
don’t understand or get freaked out by
mental health issues.
Peer women talk about peer
support – what is it?
 Peer support is someone who’s been there
 It’s not a recent grad who read it in a book
but someone who’s lived it
 Peer support is comfortable with what you
are going through.
 Peer support gives guidance, as in a
listening ear when you need it, shares
their story when you need it – but they
never force help on you because that just
doesn’t work.
 Peer support is based on trust and respect.
Some peers said they had a good
experience speaking with their Doctor
about their mental health. They said that
their doctors didn’t judge them and that
speaking with someone about their mental
health really was helpful.
Thanks to the Peer Women’s Group for
taking the time to talk about mental
health!
The women’s NESI peer group takes place
the 2nd Thursday of every month and is
open to all women who identify as active or
former drug users.
Thanks to all the Peers who are doing Peer
Support!
Dental Dams!
How to make a dam:
What is a dental dam?
A dental dam is a thin square of latex that can
be used to prevent the spread of sexually
transmitted infections during oral sex. The
dental dam is placed over a woman’s vulva
before her partner performs oral sex on her,
and acts as a barrier between her partner’s
mouth and her genitals. This helps to prevent
sexually transmitted infections from
spreading. They can also be used by men or
women to prevent STIs while “rimming”,
which is oral sex performed on a partners’
anus.
Performing oral sex on a woman carries lower
STI risks than vaginal sex, anal sex or
performing oral sex on a man, but there are
still risks of transmitting several STIs.
Rimming, by contrast, is much more
dangerous, as it carries STI risks (including a
risk of Hepatitis A), and can cause several
other illnesses because of bacteria or parasite
infections.
Remember, sexually transmitted infections
can be passed from mouth-to-penis and
penis-to-mouth too, so men should wear
condoms during oral sex for protection.
Where can I get dental dams?
Because dental dams are still a relatively new
safer-sex method, so they are not widely
available yet. Look for dental dams at your
local drugstore, pharmacy or sexual health
clinic/SITE van. The NESI van buys a limited
supply, ask if we have any. Some sex shops
may also carry them. Just like condoms,
dental dams come in a wide range of flavours
and colours, so do some experimenting.
If you can’t find them in stores, don’t sweat
it. They are incredibly easy to make, and the
homemade versions work just as well as the
real deal! You can make your own using a
condom or a latex glove.
And that’s it! You now have a highly effective
dental dam!
Hint: For the best results, use non-lubed
condoms that haven’t been treated with a
spermicide (they tend to taste bad), and
you might want to try out flavored, thinlatex condoms. These days, condoms come
in a wide variety of flavors - so shop around
and see which ones taste best!
Take control of your HIV status. Get Tested! Free anonymous testing is available at
designated sites including Somerset West Community Health Centre. To find out more about
SWCHC’s anonymous HIV testing outreach sites call 613.295.9574 or visit:
www.swchc.ca/anonymous-hiv-testing -program