STREET UNIT

Camper

A day at the Central Railway Square

The Outreach service of Villa Maraini is called “Unità di Strada” -Street Unit. It is the service of the Foundation that is present on the streets.

It is stationed  at strategic points  in Rome where addicts choose to get high, thereby saving the life of many from the risk of overdose, mainly related to the use of heroin and cocaine.

 

Camper

Rome, December, 1 2007, The President  of the Italian
Red Cross Rome Province Committee handing over
a new camper to the Villa Maraini Foundation
for outreach activities

Its duty is to create a contact with hard- to- reach drug users who have high risk behaviour, and to bridge the gap with a wide range of services.

The Street Unit started its activity at Termini, the central railway station of Rome, in March 1992, and later, in October 1998, established another reference point on the outskirts of Rome

– Tor Bella Monaca - with a well-equipped mobile unit (camper) and since then has never interrupted its daily presence.

Our campers, the fruits of donations, are equipped with mobile phones and are part of the municipal emergency system and the Villa Maraini emergency service.
Camper
Giving a syringe is an act of solidarity
and not of complicity
Camper

The basic team consists of a doctor, a psychologist, two social workers (ex-drug users) and two Italian Red Cross volunteers.

The campers are present from 6 pm to 12 pm at the Termini railway station site and from 10 am to 8 pm at the Tor Bella Monaca, providing:

 
Street Unit at Termini Railway Station
 
•
syringe and needle exchange and distilled water so as to eliminate dangerous vehicles of infection from the streets;
•
life-saving interventions in case of overdose;
•
prevention of overdose through naloxone distribution and information;
•
distribution of condoms;
•
 on-site support talks;
•
professional counselling to users from every part of the world even through targeted leaflets
•
 referrals to public health centres and drop-in centres;
•
 first aid interventions;
•
 a cup of hot tea;
•
 accommodation solutions for those who do not have permanent place to stay.

The main objectives of this type of harm reduction activities are:
•
to reduce the number of deaths caused by drug-related overdose;
•
to approach and help drug users who have no contact with rehabilitation structures and who, at that time, do not want to change their behaviour;
•
to reduce the risks of transmission of the HIV virus and of other infectious diseases connected with the use of drugs through veins.

ANNEX 1: Street Units figures 1992 - 2007
Villa Maraini Street Unit Interventions:
period from 25/03/1992 to 30/07/2007
Total
INTERVENTIONS
745.169
with drug users
669.999
with male drug users
567.689
with female drug users
102.310
Drug users newly contacted
14.209
Foreign drus users
2.218
with non drug users
7.5170
Drug/Aids informations
143.346
Counseling
26.778
Condoms
224.110
Syringes distributed
745.844
Syringes received
399.010
Overdoses
1.443
Medical Emergencies
10.497
Referrals to public health centers
1.965
Referrals to drop-in centres
8.402
Referrals to night shelters
3.687
Vials of distilled water
356.205
Informative and preventive leaflets
352.477
Naloxone distributed to drug users
10.602
from 1/10/1998 to 31/01/2007

Street Units – Overdose Interventions 1992 – 2007
Location
Year
Overdoses
Termini Station
from 25/03 to 31/12/92
11
Termini Station
1993
32
Termini Station
1994
48
Termini Station
1995
119
Termini Station
1996
95
Termini Station
1997
89
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
1998
96
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
1999
231
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2000
155
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2001
116
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2002
51
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2003
30
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2004
72
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2005
76
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2006
169
Termini + Tor Bella Monaca
2007
53
 
 
Total
1.443

Grafico

PDFSTREET UNITS
PDFOPERATION SHEETS
PDFPRESENTATION LETTER TO VILLA MARAINI
PDFOVERDOSE SHEET
PDFVILLA MARAINI STREET UNITS' CONTACTS MATRIX

HOME MINISTRY’S ANNUAL REPORT TO THE ITALIAN PARLIAMENT
ON THE STATE OF DRUG ADDICTION IN ITALY – DATA AST 30 June 2007
Total number of drug addicts cared for by Villa Maraini
and other Therapeutic Structures in Italy,
Lazio Region and Province of Rome - full assistance
IVDUs Assisted in
TOTAL
VILLA MARAINI
VILLA MARAINI %
ITALY
18.311
5,5%
CENTRAL ITALY
4.552
22%
LAZIO
1.996
51%
ROME PROVINCE
1.662
61,0%
Total number of drug addicts cared for by Villa Maraini
and other Therapeutic Structures in Italy,
Lazio Region and Province of Rome- basic medical treatment only
IVDUs Assisted in
TOTAL
VILLA MARAINI
VILLA MARAINI %
ITALY
4.384
20,0%
CENTRAL ITALY
1.338
66%
LAZIO
957
91,7%
ROME PROVINCE
955
91,9%