The Grand Rapids Red Project

THE GRAND RAPIDS RED PROJECT IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING HEALTH, REDUCING RISK AND PREVENTING HIV BY EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.

HIV PROGRAMS INCLUDE PREVENTION AND TESTING SUPPLIES. GRRP OFFERS FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL RAPID HIV TESTING BY QUALIFIED COUNSELORS AT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT GRAND RAPIDS. IN 2021, THE ORGANIZATION TESTED OVER 450 INDIVIDUALS FOR HIV AND/OR HEPATITIS C. THE CLEAN WORKS PROGRAM OFFERS A NEEDLE EXCHANGE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HIV AND OTHER INFECTIONS THROUGH USED NEEDLES; OVER 2,000,000 STERILE SYRINGES WERE PROVIDED IN OVER 17,000 INTERACTIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THIS PROGRAM HAS REDUCED THE SPREAD OF HIV BY NEEDLES FROM 25% TO 10%. IN 2021, THROUGH OUR HIV CARE PROGRAM, 81 PEOPLE WERE SERVED WITH MEDICAL CASE MANAGEMENT, 34 PEOPLE WERE SERVED BY EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES AND 7 PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED THROUGH NON- MEDICAL CASE MANAGEMENT. THIS IS A FREE SERVICE AND INCLUDES ADVOCATING AND COORDINATING MEDICAL CARE, EDUCATION AND REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES. RED PROJECT ALSO PROVIDES RECOVERY COACHING AND ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS FOR THOSE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE USE. RED PROJECT PROVIDES COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES; HIV CASE MANAGERS AND RECOVERY COACHES MEET PARTICIPANTS WHERE THEY ARE IN THE COMMUNITY. HIV AND HCV TESTING SERVICES ARE OFFERED AT COMMUNITY LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE CONGREGATE. DROP-IN SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR TWO FIXED SITE LOCATIONS IN MUSKEGON AND GRAND RAPIDS, AND 8 MOBILE HEALTH UNIT SITES LOCATED THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. RED PROJECT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE DIRECT CLIENT SERVICES IN THE FOLLOWING 9 COUNTIES IN WEST MICHIGAN; LAKE, MASON, OCEANA, NEWAYGO, MUSKEGON, OTTAWA, ALLEGAN, MONTCALM AND KENT. OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS, RED PROJECT HAS BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN STARTING NEW SYRINGE ACCESS PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE. WITH OUR SUPPORT, THE STATE HAS EXPANDED THEIR PROGRAMS FROM 5 TO 30 IN OVER 60 LOCATIONS. IN ADDITION TO SUPPLIES PROVIDED DIRECTLY TO PARTICIPANTS IN WEST MICHIGAN, RED PROJECT ALSO PROVIDES SUPPORT TO OTHER SYRINGE ACCESS PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THROUGH PURCHASING SUPPLIES FOR THEM TO DISTRIBUTE IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. IN 2021, THROUGH RED PROJECT'S DIRECT SERVICE IN WEST MICHIGAN, COMBINED WITH SUPPLY SUPPORT TO OTHER AGENCIES, RED PROJECT ACCOUNTED FOR 82% OF ALL SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED THROUGH DISTRIBUTED BUT ALSO PARTICIPANTS REACHED- PROVIDING ACCESS TO MORE SUPPLIES AND REACHING MORE PARTICIPANTS THAN ALL THE OTHER 29 PROGRAMS IN THE STATE COMBINED. STRONG SERVICE DELIVERY PROVIDED THROUGH RED PROJECT IS A MAJOR REASON WHY KENT COUNTY, AND SURROUNDING AREAS, HAVE SEEN A LESSENED PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT FROM SUBSTANCE USE THAN MANY OF THE OTHER MOST POPULOUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE.

RED PROJECT HAVE BEEN INNOVATORS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN IN REDUCING OPIOID FATALITY THROUGH THE USE OF NALOXONE RESCUE KITS. IN 2021, 32,396 DOSES OF NALOXONE HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN WEST MICHIGAN- EACH OF THESE DOSES HAVING THE POTENTIAL TO SAVE A LIFE. RED PROJECT IS ALSO THE LARGEST DISTRIBUTOR OF NALOXONE RESCUE KITS IN THE STATE. MOST OF THESE KITS ARE PROVIDED DIRECTLY TO PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS, AS THEY ARE MOST LIKELY TO REVERSE AN OPIOID OVERDOSE. TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION HAPPEN THROUGH OUR CLEAN WORKS PROGRAM, THROUGH OUR MOBILE HEALTH UNIT SITES, THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AGENCIES, THROUGH A VENDING MACHINE LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS AND ALSO DIRECTLY TO FIRST RESPONDERS. RED PROJECT HAS BEEN PROVIDING THIS SERVICE SINCE 2008, THE LONGEST OF ANY ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT WITHOUT RED PROJECT'S IMPACT ON THE GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY, THERE WOULD BE 100-200 MORE DEATHS EVERY YEAR FROM OPIOID OVERDOSE. RED PROJECT ALSO PROVIDES RECOVERY COACHING AND ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS FOR THOSE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE USE. RECOVERY COACHES PROVIDE POST OVERDOSE WELLNESS VISITS IN KENT COUNTY, AS WELL AS RECOVERY COACHING TO INDIVIDUALS BEING RELEASED THROUGH THE KENT COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.