Harm Reduction and Syringe Services Program (SSP)
San Francisco VA Health Care System's Harm Reduction and Syringe Services Program offers services to Veterans at San Francisco VA Medical Center and its 9 VA clinics located in downtown San Francisco, Oakland, San Bruno, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Clearlake, and Eureka. Our clinical pharmacist practitioner-led program aims to end drug-related stigma and discrimination in health care, prevent the spread of drug-related infections and overdose deaths, and increase connections to services.
Harm Reduction Education and Supplies
We offer harm reduction education and supplies through:
- Clinician and Veteran self-referrals
- Virtual and in-person outreach
- Prescription and non-prescription harm reduction supplies
- Mail-based and in-clinic distribution
Harm reduction supplies we offer include:
- Free naloxone kits – prescription required, contact us to get connected!
- Fentanyl and xylazine (AKA Tranq) test strips
- Safer injection supplies (e.g., sterile syringes, sharps containers, alcohol swabs, tourniquets, cookers, filters, ascorbic acid, sterile water)
- Safer sex supplies (e.g., condoms, XL condoms, lubricant, spermicidal gel)
- Wound care supplies (e.g., gloves, bandages, antibiotic ointment)
- Hygiene supplies (e.g., hand sanitizer, soap, washcloth tablets, deodorant, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, lip balm)
- Safer smoking, snorting, and rectal use supplies
Service Linkage
We help connect Veterans to services, including:
- Hepatitis testing, vaccines, and treatment
- HIV testing, PrEP, and PEP
- Therapy and medications for substance use, such as buprenorphine for opioid use disorder and nicotine replacement therapy
- LGBTQ services
- HUD-VASH services
- Community-based resources, including resources for civilians
Harm Reduction Vending Machines
We also offer harm reduction supplies free to Veterans through vending machines located at the main medical center and 7 community-based outpatient clinics:
San Francisco VA Medical Center
Address:
4150 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94121-1545
One vending machine is in building 203, ground floor, mental health lobby. Another is in building 1, Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) Clinic.
San Francisco VA Downtown Clinic
Address:
401 3rd Street, Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC)
San Francisco, CA 94107-1214
The vending machine is in the front lobby.
Oakland VA Clinic
Address:
2221 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Oakland, CA 94612-1318
The vending machine is on the second floor in the hallway nook between the waiting room and the pharmacy.
Oakland VA Behavioral Health (21st St) Clinic
Address:
525 21st Street
Oakland, CA 94612-1605
The vending machine is in the front lobby.
South Santa Rosa Clinic
Address:
2285 Challenger Way
Santa Rosa, CA 95407-5418
The vending machine is in the ground floor mental health lobby.
Ukiah VA Clinic
Address:
630 Kings Court
Ukiah, CA 95482-5003
The vending machine is in the medical/primary care building in the alcove behind the security guard desk.
Clearlake VA Clinic
Address:
15145 Lakeshore Drive
Clearlake, CA 95422-8106
The vending machine is in the front lobby.
Eureka VA Clinic
Address:
930 West Harris Street
Eureka, CA 95503-3927
The vending machine is in the front lobby.
Locations at Bay Area Veterans housing facilities
In addition, six harm reduction vending machines are in Bay Area Veterans housing facilities:
Stanford Hotel
Address:
250 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
The vending machine is in the front lobby.
Veterans Commons
Address:
150 Otis Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
The vending machine is in the front lobby next to the residential elevators.
Veterans Academy
Address:
1030 Girard Road
San Francisco, CA 94129
The vending machine is in the community room.
Edwin M Lee Apartments
Address:
1150 3rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94158
The vending machine is in the parking garage.
Maceo May Apartments
Address:
55 Cravath Street
San Francisco, CA 94130
The vending machine is next to the bike room.
Colma Veterans Village
Address:
1680 Mission Road
Colma, CA 94014
The vending machine is in the community room.
Helpful Resources
For more information:
Tessa Rife-Pennington PharmD, BCGP
Harm Reduction Coordinator; Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner; Volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor, UCSF School of Pharmacy
VA San Francisco health care
Phone: 415-319-1193
Email: Tessa.Rife@va.gov
