• URGENT: Supervised injection services are suspended until further notice. Click to read more.

    To the Sandy Hill Community:



    We regret to advise you that due to a recent health and safety issue that has occurred at our CTS, we must unfortunately suspend supervised injection services for the foreseeable future while we investigate next steps.



    The health and safety of our clients, staff members and neighbours has always been and will always be our top priority.



    This was not an easy decision. We are doing our best to minimize disruption. The following Oasis / Consumption and Treatment Site services remain open:

    · The drop-in

    · The medical clinic

    · Outreach

    · Distribution of harm reduction equipment

    · Drug checking



    All other Centre programs and services remain open and are not impacted.



    We are acutely aware of the impact this situation will have on clients and our community, and are exploring options to redeploy staff to do outreach and engagement in the neighbourhood and overdose response outside.



    We will provide updates on next steps as quickly as they become available. Please direct any inquiries to info@sandyhillchc.on.ca



    Thank you for your understanding,



    Your team at the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre


Oasis Program

Oasis Program

Oasis provides harm reduction based health and social services (including HIV and Hep C treatment) for people who use drugs and experience barriers to health and recovery due to stigma, poverty, criminalization and mental illness.

Related News

By Christian Prevost 08 Aug, 2023
How to administer NALOXONE nasal spray
By Rob Boyd 15 Aug, 2022
By Rob Boyd 04 Aug, 2022
Improving the Safety of People Who Use Drugs in Ottawa
Show More

FAQ

  • What is harm reduction?

    Harm reduction is a set of strategies and approaches that decrease the negative consequences associated with substance use.  Harm reduction facilitates change based on the individual’s desire for change, sense of self efficacy and internal and external resources.


    It is important to note that most of the harms associated with drug use come from drug policies that lead people to use drugs in more dangerous ways.

  • Who is eligible for the Oasis Program?

    Oasis services are available to people who inject or smoke drugs or who are involved in survival sex work.  

  • Why do people take drugs?

    In general, people take drugs because of the way they make them feel (seek pleasure), the way they make them not feel (avoid pain) and to create connections with others (sense of belonging).


    Drug use can become problematic when there are pre-existing problems with the way people feel or how they connect with other people.


    Adverse Childhood Experiences are positively corelated with problematic substance use as is social dislocation either through criminalization, job loss or traumatic community events.

  • Why not just offer substance use treatment?

    At Sandy Hill CHC, we consider harm reduction to be an integral part of our treatment of substance use disorder.


    The treatment goals for any chronic condition are to improve daily function, mitigate risks, including hospitalizations, improve quality of life and increase capacity to live a self directed life. 


    We work with people at all stages of substance use and substance use disorder to help them to achieve their goals and optimize their health.



Share by: