The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has voted to accept $91,000 in funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for a new harm reduction program at the health department.

County Health Officer Guy Miller tells us the state identified Berrien as an area it wants to focus on because the county is in the top ten in Michigan for HIV infections and has a significant overdose problem in recent years. The harm reduction funds will be used by the health department to specifically address substance abuse and related infections, like HIV and hepatitis C.

Miller says the department will leverage a partnership with Corewell Health to address the issues.

“They have a substance use disorder education department,” Miller said. “Their main location is really down in the Niles community, and then they have a substance use disorder specialist that comes to the Center for Wellness up in Benton Harbor.”

Miller says getting more people tested for HIV and hep C will be a part of the program, mostly through outreach in areas where drug use is prevalent. They’re also going to implement a needle program, providing clean needles so people aren’t sharing.

“We know the best solution would be for these people to stop using injection drugs. Well, how do we get people there? It starts with talking to somebody. It starts with meeting somebody at some place. Maybe it’s not complete ‘get sober today or don’t,’ but how do we start having those conversations?”

That’s why the program will also be used to offer wraparound services to get people into recovery.

Miller says the funds coming to Berrien County will require no local match and will support a two-year pilot.

Miller notes about half of Michigan counties have harm reduction programs, with the earliest starting back in the 90s. Now that one is coming to Berrien County, at least for a while, he hopes it can reduce infection and overdose rates.