1. Home
  2. Harm Reduction Centers

Syringe Access Saves Lives

Watch the manager of a Harm Reduction Center explain how access to clean syringes empowers members of the community and protects public health from HIV, hepatitis and other bloodborne pathogens.

ARCH Nurse Program

The Access to Reproductive Care and HIV Services (ARCH) is a comprehensive initiative that embeds a licensed registered nurse at each of the Harm Reduction Centers (HRCs). The primary mission of the program is to identify pregnant clients at high risk for HIV infection and engage them in prenatal care.

ARCH nurses counsel about reproductive health and reducing HIV transmission, conduct pregnancy and STD testing, offer adult vaccines, teach safer injection practices, provide wound care consultations and arrange referrals for preconception, PrEP, prenatal and HIV specialty care.

To navigate to the ARCH Directory please click here.

Learn More

Contact the Program

Harm Reduction Centers
Division of HIV, STD and TB Services
55 N. Willow Street, 3rd Floor
Trenton, NJ 08625-0363

HRC@doh.nj.gov 
Charla.Cousar@doh.nj.gov

Phone: 609-984-6050
Fax: 609-292-6009

Harm Reduction Centers

NOTICE: The COVID-19 emergency has significantly curtailed the hours of Harm Reduction Centers. Please call ahead for the most current hours of operation.

Harm Reduction Centers (HRCs), also known as Syringe Access Programs, are community-based programs that provide a safe, trauma-informed, non-stigmatizing space for people who use drugs to access sterile syringes, needles, injection equipment and the life-saving drug naloxone (also known as Narcan), along with education on safer use, overdose prevention and safe disposal of used equipment. Clients can bring used syringes to HRCs and leave with new sterile syringes. HRCs provide a comprehensive approach to harm reduction by integrating behavioral interventions and access to services to prevent and reduce the transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases, and risk of overdose deaths. HRCs offer services via mobile sites and fixed sites. Some HRCs are housed in Drop-In Centers that provide clients with access to food, telephone, laundry services, restrooms, showers, and computer services.

About HRCs

Each Harm Reduction Center is staffed by an Access to Reproductive Care and HIV (ARCH) Nurse who provides services to prevent transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C from mother to child through the early identification of high-risk women (i.e., females of reproductive age who injects drugs). The New Jersey Harm Reduction Centers have served to bridge major health gaps in services for people who inject drugs (PWID) by providing services such as health screenings, pregnancy testing and linkage to prenatal care, nutritional counseling, reproductive counseling for women of child bearing age, vaccinations, condom distribution, safe sex education, safe injection practices, wound care, drug overdose prevention and reversal.

The ARCH nurses located at Harm Reduction Centers offer the following:

  • HIV and viral hepatitis testing and counseling with linkage to medical care
  • Condoms
  • Referral and linkage to medical care, mental health and social services, including drug treatment
  • Overdose prevention education and access to Naloxone
  • Safe disposal of injection equipment education
  • Safe injection practices and wound care.
Asbury Park

Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey, Prevention Resource Network, Asbury Park

816 Sunset Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712

P: 732-502-5100

http://prnvnacj.org/

Hours of operation:

Monday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Mobile harm reduction services are available weekly in the following locations throughout Monmouth and northern Ocean Counties (call 732-502-5100 for exact locations):

Mondays 10:00 AM-3:00 PM in Brick

Tuesdays 10:00 AM-3:00 PM in Tom's River

Wednesdays 10:00 AM-1:00 PM in Long Branch

Thursdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM in Keansburg then 1:00 PM-3:00 PM in Keyport

Fridays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM in Red Bank then 1:00 PM-3:00 PM in Eatontown

Atlantic City

South Jersey AIDS Alliance, Atlantic City

Oasis Drop-In Center
32 S. Tennessee Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

P: 609-572-1929

https://www.southjerseyaidsalliance.org/

Hours of operation:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday and Thursday: 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Camden

Camden Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Camden (Mobile Site)

Camden Syringe Access Program - Lifeworks
2600 Mt. Ephraim Avenue (by Produce Mkt.)
Camden, NJ 08102

P: 856-963-2432 Ext. 219

http://www.camden-ahec.org/sterilesyringeaccess.html

Hours of operation:

Monday: 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Thursday: 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM

Jersey City

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, Jersey City

48 Fairview Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07304
P: 201-360-3910 or 732-447-3174

https://www.hyacinth.org/about-hyacinth/regional-offices/hudson-county-jersey-city/

Hours of operation:

Monday - Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday - Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Newark

North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI), Newark

393 Central Avenue
Newark, NJ 07103

P: 973-483-3444

https://www.njcri.org/community-services

Hours of operation:

Monday - Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Paterson

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, Paterson (Mobile Site)

Montgomery Street (between Straight Street and River Street), Paterson, NJ

P: 732-447-3174

https://www.hyacinth.org/walgreens/
https://www.hyacinth.org/about-hyacinth/regional-offices/passaic-county-paterson/
www.hyacinth.org

Hours of operation:

Monday - Friday: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Trenton

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, Trenton

849 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08618

P: 732-447-3174

https://www.hyacinth.org/about-hyacinth/regional-offices/mercer/

Hours of operation:

Monday: 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday - Thursday: 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Last Reviewed: 11/29/2023