Press release: Nation's first state-regulated overdose prevention center secures location

The center, which will save lives from overdose, opens in 2024 in Providence

From a press release:

Project Weber/RENEW and clinical partner VICTA have secured a location for the country’s first state-regulated overdose prevention center at 45 Willard Avenue next to the Rhode Island Hospital Campus in Providence. 

The 20,500-square-foot space will allow for the delivery of comprehensive medical, clinical, and social support services. Project Weber/RENEW will relocate its current operations at 640 Broad Street to this new location. The strategic proximity to the hospital campus presents opportunities for seamless medical integration. The center is slated to open in Summer 2024. 

"In 2022, Rhode Island lost 434 lives to the overdose epidemic. This overdose prevention center is a pivotal element in the state's comprehensive efforts to combat this crisis," states Colleen Daley Ndoye, Executive Director of Project Weber/RENEW. "It's imperative to take decisive action to save lives,” continued Daley Ndoye. 

At the center, people will be able to safely use pre-obtained substances under the supervision of trained professionals. The staff will ensure that each individual has the opportunity to test their drugs for fentanyl and other substances, and will also be readily available to prevent overdose or to facilitate the reversal of an overdose. When a potential overdose is spotted early, it can be quickly and effectively reversed. 

Overdose prevention centers, also known as “safe consumption sites” or “harm reduction centers,” provide a range of services all in one location. These services, most of which are already available at Project Weber/RENEW’s current drop-in centers in Providence and Pawtucket, include access to basic needs such as food, water, and hygiene products; safer use supplies and Narcan/naloxone; case-management services, HIV and hepatitis C testing and linkage to care; housing support; peer recovery coaching; and support groups; among others. The new location will also include laundry and showers. 

VICTA will have medical providers, nurses, and counselors on-site to provide immediate access to services when an individual is ready for treatment. By offering ‘treatment on demand’, people using the overdose prevention center can act on their key moment of readiness to initiate change. VICTA’s Chief Operating Officer Lisa Peterson reflected on the value of this program and partnership: “We know that motivation can be fleeting and that recovery is not linear; we are committed to helping people stay as healthy as possible through every stage in their process.” Research shows that people who use overdose prevention centers are 30% more likely to access substance use treatment.

Legislation authorizing the establishment of an overdose prevention center in Rhode Island was passed by the state legislature in 2021. These bills were sponsored by State Senator Joshua Miller (Democrat, District 28, Cranston) and Representative John Edwards (Democrat, District 70, Tiverton). That law is set to sunset in March 2026, providing the necessary time for the facility to be opened, operationalized, and evaluated. The center's operations are funded by opioid settlement funds designated for Rhode Island, administered by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). 

Data has shown that no one has ever died at an overdose prevention center worldwide throughout the many decades of their existence. Recent data from the two overdose prevention centers operating in New York City indicates that they successfully reversed more than 1,300 overdoses in their two years of operation, with only a handful requiring emergency medical services. 

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) will regulate the overdose prevention center. A rigorous evaluation will be conducted by The People, Place & Health Collective (PPHC) at Brown University’s School of Public Health to measure the program’s individual and community outcomes. Researchers at the PPHC bring decades of combined experience in evaluating harm reduction interventions, including overdose prevention centers in other countries. 

The center, operational on weekdays, will have staffing provided by Project Weber/RENEW and VICTA, an organization providing integrated behavioral health and medical services. The staff will include experts with lived experience with substance use and recovery, including peer recovery specialists, counselors, and prescribers who can initiate medication for substance use disorder(s). Project Weber/RENEW Deputy Director Ashley Perry and Overdose Prevention Program Director Dennis Bailer, both people with lived experience, will be the overall co-directors of the space. 

Project Weber/RENEW and VICTA are reaching out to residents and stakeholders regarding the project, including canvassing residents and businesses in the area. Both organizations are committed to working closely with state, local, and community leaders before and during the center’s operation. The Providence City Council has provided public support for the project and will formally vote on the location on February 1. 

ABOUT PROJECT WEBER/RENEW 

Project Weber/RENEW is a peer-led harm reduction and recovery support organization that operates drop-in centers in Pawtucket and Providence, as well as daily outreach services in Kennedy Plaza in Providence and via street outreach. In 2023, Project Weber/RENEW provided services to 6,000 individuals, including case management, harm reduction supply distribution, support groups, basic needs, linkage to treatment and housing, and HIV/hep C testing and linkage to care. Project Weber/RENEW distributes more than 10,000 doses of Narcan every year.