Receiving and providing virtual harm reduction and peer-based support

Jessica is 20 years old and began using substances, including opioids, when she was 15. At age 17, to keep herself safe while consuming substances, she began to use a physical supervised consumption site (SCS). Jessica lived alone in a harm-reduction housing facility for women, which was a 45-minute walk from the SCS. Getting there was difficult, especially during the winter.

In February 2021, Jessica began using the National Overdose Response Service (NORS), a virtual supervised consumption program that operates 24/7 across all 10 provinces and 3 territories.1 Jessica used the service when she could not make it to the physical SCS. Over time, she formed relationships with the peer and trauma-informed operators she talked to on the phone. In late March, Jessica experienced an overdose, and the peer operator activated the emergency response system created by NORS; emergency medical services (EMS) resuscitated her.

Jessica continued to use NORS and was eventually connected with an addiction clinic that provided peer support and addiction treatment. After various peer-based interactions, such as working with a peer navigator and coach to access resources in the community, she was able to use additional supports, including those geared toward social determinants of health. She eventually started medical options, including opioid agonist treatments (OATs), and entered an addiction treatment program. After several tries, Jessica was successful in her goals for recovery and treatment.