Portland Hotel Society (PHS) is an established Vancouver nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safety net to many of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) area’s most vulnerable residents, including those addicted to drugs. Alongside the Portland Hotel Society, the Drug Users Resource Centre ((DURC), launched in 2003, provides DTES community members with a full range of practical, user-focused services, including a methadone clinic and on-site primary care. Empowerment and peer engagement are the foundations of the DURC program, which provides education designed for specific groups. Participants engage with peer staff members in areas such as therapeutic interventions and barrier-free health. In addition, volunteer opportunities are encouraged and prevocational skills training is provided. Among the ongoing DURC programs are Acupuncture, Young Users Unite, and Women’s Action Group. Participants can also take part in Music Workshop, Recording Studio, and First Nations Sacred Space and Drum Group. The full schedule of current programming can be accessed at www.phs.ca.
The Portland Hotel Society upholds a commitment to providing safe housing and ancillary services for individuals in need. The Portland Hotel Society co-manages the InSite Supervised Injection Facility as one of these services, in keeping with the society's dedication to respectful services for those struggling with addiction.At a supervised injection facility, individuals with drug addictions can inject self-owned substances under the watchful eyes of health care professionals. Individuals can use the facility without risking arrest and with the knowledge that if an overdose occurs, help is immediately available.Cities have been introducing such sites in response to widespread opiate addiction and the associated stigma. Because many individuals with addictions also face homelessness or uncertain housing, they frequently inject on the streets or in public restrooms, and they often risk overdose as well as in infection from reused or dirty needles. By providing these individuals with a safe space, supervised injection facility staff can not only reduce these risks but also offer treatment referrals and increase the rate at which individuals with addictions enter treatment.
