How to talk to the police.

Last week I started a pamphlet on how to talk to the police and what your rights are concerning being stopped. This week I finished that pamphlet. With the current political atmosphere around the United States, I feel like this is a very important pamphlet. It does not insight violence or aggression it just states what is legal and what is not and what you are legally allowed to do when you are stopped by an officer of the law.

Review of webinar

Last week I went to two webinars. One was in conversation with a medical provider about how to make drug treatment more encompassing and more accessible to people who need it The doctor they interview was Dr. Lynch. Dr. Lynch talked about how after initial treatment a lot of drug users do not fully know what resources are out there for them or how to access it. So Dr. Lynch created MATTERS. MATTERS is a program given to the hospitals that allows patients to see what resources are available to them based off of their location and circumstance. The patients fill out a little bit of information and within seconds they can see what resources are available to them and how to contact them. I feel like this would be very useful in any area that has people who suffer from drug abuse. This way they do not feel alone and can get the help they need. I mentioned to my contact at the OAA that this may be a good large project idea after things open back up. This could really help the community in Missoula that is struggling with drug abuse. 

Letter to the community

This week I wrote up a letter to the community reassuring them of that we are still there for them and what we are able to do that this point. The letter I wrote is a rough draft and it will be passed around the organization as to make edits as needed.

Dear Community,

With such uncertain times we want to reach out and assure you that we are doing everything in our power to serve you the best we can. With COVID-19 making everyday activities difficult or not possible, here at the Open Aids Alliance we have made changes so our services are still available to you. 

Our office is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 1-3 pm, 1500 Broadway Suite A. During these times supplies will be available to you. With that being said we are following social distancing guidelines, we have marked the floor to ensure that everyone is 6 feet apart, we also advise wearing a face mask if at all possible. Staff in the office will be wearing facemasks at all times along with sanitizing the various stations in between clients. If you cannot make the times we have available you can call or email us and request delivery of supplies. 

Along with running the Exchange to the best of our ability we are still running a Syringe Litter Hotline (406)493-2502. Feel free to call this number if you see any syringes around the Missoula area, we will send people out as soon as we can. We are also offering a support line through phone call and video platforms for those that are seeking support through these trying times. 

With the strict guidelines given out concerning COVID-19, testing for STDs is very difficult. We are working to find ways to make testing available during this crisis, if you have any questions concerning testing please give us a call or shoot us an email. We are here for you, we will keep looking forward and try to find new ways to make our services available to you. We will keep updating our website regularly, as to keep everyone up to date as to what is going on in the office. Most importantly stay safe, and healthy. We will get through this!!