Quincy, MA (September 2, 2020) – Manet Community Health Center (Manet) is celebrating National Recovery Month by announcing the opening of its new Community Outreach and Prevention Services Office at 549 Washington Street in Quincy. The office will serve as the hub for the health center’s expanding Outreach and Prevention programs, which provide infectious disease and overdose prevention services, including education, testing and referral into care, across the health center’s service area that spans Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol counties.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer our services in this beautiful new space with support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and cooperation from the City of Quincy,” says Cynthia Sierra, Manet’s Chief Executive Officer. “This new location near the border of Quincy and Weymouth is easily accessible for clients from across the health center’s South Shore service area, including Quincy, Hull, Weymouth, Braintree, Hingham, and will enable the Prevention Staff to further expand their vital outreach efforts and assist more people.”
The free and confidential services available at the Community Outreach and Prevention Services Office are provided by appointment and during walk-in hours (12-5 p.m., Monday through Friday) and include Narcan training and distribution; Hepatitis A vaccination; education about and testing for sexually transmitted infection (STI), HIV and Hepatitis C; PrEP/PEP education and harm reduction material distribution. A kiosk is available for safe syringe disposal, and as with all Manet locations, appropriate social distancing and sanitation practices are in place.
Manet’s Prevention Team, led by program manager Kim Kroeger, includes prevention specialists/community health workers, recovery coaches and a nurse. They will continue to offer services at Manet’s five practice sites in Quincy, Hull and Taunton, as well as street outreach in communities; Mobile Van services; on-site health screening, health education and promotion services at local recovery homes, detox centers, homeless shelters; and community support services with local Housing Authorities, Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office/Jail. Each year, the team educates thousands of at-risk individuals, provides HIV/STI and Hep C testing for more than 500 individuals and distributes more than 1,000 Narcan kits. The team also works alongside the police departments in Quincy, Hull, Braintree, Milton and other Norfolk county towns, visiting residences of drug overdose survivors to offer Narcan and resources for support and treatment. The program is based on a harm reduction model, which includes offering information about and referral to primary care, substance use disorder treatment and recovery services.
The Prevention team has also been instrumental in Manet’s participation in the Commonwealth’s Stop the Spread free COVID-19 testing initiative in Taunton, which has provided testing for 2,400 community residents since July 29 and will continue through September 10.
“Our team has been growing and, as we reach out to even greater numbers of people within our communities, we are excited to have this great new space that provides a private, convenient, comfortable environment for our clients,” Kroeger says.
To reach the Manet Community Outreach and Prevention Services Office, call 617-993-0100 or email knowyourstatus@manetchc.org.
About Manet Community Health Center:
Founded in 1979, Manet Community Health Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dedicated to providing preventive, primary and non-emergent urgent care for all. With three locations in Quincy, one in Hull and one in Taunton, Manet serves patients from across the South Shore and Southeastern Mass. Manet is accredited by The Joint Commission, recognized as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NQCA), and PCMH PRIME certified by the MA Health Policy Commission. Manet has a primary affiliation with Boston Medical Center Health System. For more information, visit www.manetchc.org or follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ManetCommunityHealthCenter or Twitter @ManetCommunity.
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