Welcome
Community Outreach and Harm Reduction Lab (COHR)
The community outreach and harm reduction lab is focused on improving health outcomes for our most vulnerable community members. This includes people who use drugs, people experiencing houselessness, and people who are pregnant, postpartum, and parenting. This website is designed to share back our findings with the community.
HydroHub
The HydroHub shares what we’ve learned from our work with you in community testing, vaccines, and health support. You might’ve seen our water bottles with QR codes—that’s one way we get helpful, clear info out there. We also offer free resources, stories, and updates on things like COVID-19, overdose prevention, and peer support. All of it’s grounded in community.
Community Voices
Here, you'll hear directly from people who’ve been through it—finding housing, looking for work, getting support, or just trying to make it day by day. These stories are honest and powerful. Whether it’s about building confidence, feeling safe, or being heard, every voice in this section shows the strength of our community and the real changes people are working toward.
Research Summaries
We've taken our research findings and turned them into quick reads that make sense for everyday life. From what helps with substance use to how people are navigating housing instability and work, each post connects our research to what’s actually happening in Oregon communities. No long reports—just useful info, explained for you.
Improving Access Through Trusted Conversations at Syringe Exchanges
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Building Community-Centered Strategies with Connect2Test: Learn how brief conversations at syringe exchange programs supported COVID-19 vaccination for people who inject drugs. This approach offers insight into reducing barriers, building trust, and creating simple, effective solutions that work. Read more.
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Breaking Barriers: Discover key takeaways from the Connect2Test evaluation focused on people experiencing houselessness and those who inject drugs. Learn how trusted spaces, community partnerships, and simplified strategies can shape more effective outreach. Read more.
Bringing Vaccines to Trusted Spaces
What Co-Location Can Teach Us
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The Impact of Co-Locating Services for Underserved Populations: Learn how offering vaccines regularly at syringe service programs can improve access and increase uptake among people who inject drugs and those experiencing houselessness. Explore practical strategies for building trust and reducing barriers. Read more.​
Making Strides Together Towards
A Healthier & Informed Community
Read about our latest insights, stories, and findings.
Discover the personal stories of our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, presented by COHR. Here, we bring forward the voices and realities of people who inject drugs, highlighting the specific difficulties and hurdles they encountered during this public health crisis. We go beyond statistics, exploring personal stories to understand better why some people are hesitant to get vaccinated, and what encourages others to do so. We've created a space where your stories shape the solutions. Learn from our approach to finding community-driven insights grounded in solidarity and understanding.
1. Community
Focus on community engagement and protection
2. Communication
Clear, correct information
3. Concern
Addressing individual needs and fears
4. Convenience
Ensuring accessible services
5. Confidence
Building trust in vaccines and healthcare
The Breaking Barriers program nurtures your strengths helping you meet your objectives step by step. Benefit from training sessions enhancing vital skills and resume building, while earning a $25 incentive.
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What People Have Gained:
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Skills Development
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Preventing the Spread of Disease
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Community Health Promotion
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Connections to Job Opportunities
2 Min Conversation = 3x Vaccination
People who talked with exchange staff and volunteers about COVID-19
were 3 times more likely to get vaccinated compared to those who did not
Reaching More People
What Safer Smoking Supplies Reveal About Harm Reduction
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Expanding Access Through Safer Smoking Supplies: See how offering safer smoking supplies at syringe service programs brought new people into care—especially those often left out. Explore what the data tells us about outreach gaps and how harm reduction programs can better reflect community needs. Read more.
Understanding Health Choices
Introducing the 5C Model
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Introducing the 5C Model of vaccine decision making: Our research in Lane County involved engaging with members of the community who may not have had easy access to healthcare resources. Through surveys and interviews, we discovered that Confidence, Convenience, Concern, Communication, Community contributed to vaccination decision making. We learned that misinformation and a lack of information played a significant role in hesitancy and that reaching out with accessible, understandable, and accurate information could help improve vaccination willingness. Read more.​
Change We Can Make For Pregnancy Capable People
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Unveiling Opportunities through Pregnancy Screening at Exchanges: Uncover the promising results from voluntary pregnancy screenings at Oregon exchange programs. Read about potential strategies to reduce healthcare gaps for people who inject drugs, providing a safer, informed community. Read more.
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Understanding the Distinctive Needs of Pregnancy-Capable People Who Inject Drugs: We invite you to check out our most recent research, where we illuminate the unique challenges faced by pregnancy-capable people who inject drugs. Find out how their perspectives can guide the transformation of exchange programs to create change rooted in community insights. Read more.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute On Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R01DA037628-S1, U01DA055982, U01DA057849. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.