Environmental Services team
The Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction recognizes that substance use does not occur in a vacuum—it also affects the neighborhoods in which the public sale and use of drugs occur. SUPHR’s Environmental Services team seeks to support the Philadelphia community through the Project Reach and Public Bathroom Initiative programs. The Project Reach team manages a harm reduction sanitation program to remove discarded syringes from communities, this includes community clean-ups and several public needle drop-boxes. The Public Bathroom Initiative works to remove human waste and expand access to public restrooms. Both teams integrate harm reduction into their work and engage community members, distribute harm reduction supplies, and help connect individuals to services. Learn more about their work below!
Need help? See Support & Services to learn how to report discarded syringes, request wall-mounted syringe drop boxes, and/or training and education on the safe disposal of syringes to prevent accidental needle-stick injuries.
Project Reach
-
Block-to-Block is a city-wide program that compensates field navigators $50 a day through a same-day-pay work initiative. Each navigator is a community member that has committed to a 12-day, 4-5 hour work schedule, ensuring more consistent employment.
B2B volunteers are educated on Narcan and Fentanyl Test Strips (FTS) and trained to reverse overdoses, with the goal of engaging the community in substance use awareness and harm reduction. Volunteers also participate in making and distributing Narcan and FTS kits.
B2B staff will assist volunteers by providing snacks and personal hygiene kits (if needed), obtaining an ID or Driver’s License, applying for Social Security cards, transport to a crisis center for detox, connecting with in/outpatient treatment, scheduling medical appointments and connecting with other resources they may need or want.
-
To promote a clean and safe community, we have installed several freestanding needle drop-boxes in Kensington and adjacent neighborhoods. These boxes are conveniently placed near SEPTA stations and available 24/7 for anyone to safely dispose of needles. In 2021, Project Reach collected over 55,000 needles.
Project Reach is a harm reduction-focused sanitation program that specializes in environmental cleanups in communities impacted by substance use. It also manages a same-day-pay program to promote clean streets and provide low-barrier employment opportunities for people in the Kensington community. Our Environmental Specialists focus on the removal of discarded syringes and other drug-related litter, as well as general trash. They also distribute naloxone (Narcan) and Fentanyl Test Strips, harm reduction educational materials, and help make referrals to services. In 2021, Project Reach filled 7,600 bags of trash.
Public Restroom Initiative
Philadelphians do not have sufficient access to public restrooms. This has historically contributed to public health crises, including the 2019 Hepatitis A outbreak, and a general burden on the public. Some Center City businesses allow restroom use without purchases; however, these requests are subjected to stigma and profiling, in addition to the sometimes inconvenient window of business hours. This has resulted in the accumulation of feces on city streets, specifically in Kensington. Public Restroom Specialists address biohazard concerns related to human waste and work to expand access to public restrooms. To combat this waste burden, SUPHR worked with senior leadership and City stakeholders over the last few years to develop and install free public bathrooms. We found a model that fit our infrastructure, which is based on the Portland Loo design, gathered data, talked to residents, and distributed a survey to include Philadelphians in the naming process.
As a result, two ADA accessible restrooms, named Philly Phlush, are now available for public use. The first location, which opened in June, is located at Fotterall Square in North Philly and open Monday - Friday 8am-10pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am-11pm. The second is located at 15th and Arch in Center City across from Love Park and open Monday - Friday 10-9 and Saturday and Sunday 10-10. The restrooms will unlock at their dedicated hours and be cleaned multiple times daily. Naloxone is available in a cabinet outside of the restroom.
These two restrooms are the first in a six public restroom pilot project. A third structure will be installed this fall in West Philly’s Clark Park and three others installed in different locations next year. Porta potties are still available in front of Prevention Point in Kensington.
Kensington
2913 Kensington Avenue (on the corner of Monmouth Street)
Monday–Friday 8am–4pm
Center City:
On the corner of 15th and Arch, across from Love Park, on the wall outside of the Municipal Services Building
Monday - Friday 8am-10pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am-11pm
North Philly:
In the center of the park, follow the pathway
Monday - Friday 10am-9pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am-10pm
Our Public Restroom Specialists focus on maintaining these facilities, removing biohazards, and improving access to public restrooms. They also engage community members, distribute harm-reduction supplies, and help connect individuals to services. For more information and updates on the restrooms, visit the restroom’s blog.
Meet the team
-
Cristina Laboy
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES MANAGER
Cristina (she/her) is currently the Environmental Services manager for the SUPHR. Prior to becoming manager of the program, she first began working for SUPHR as the Clean Community Coordinator/Project Reach. In 1989 Cristina’s journey in social services began with BEBASHI (Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues) as an HIV Tester and Counselor. She also provided Case Management services for the William J. Craig Memorial Foundation for Spanish-speaking clients. Although working with adults in the HIV/AIDS field was challenging, she crossed over to work as the Client Services Coordinator at St. Mary’s Family Respite Center working with children 5 weeks to 5 years old (and their families) who were infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. St. Mary’s Family Respite Center closed its doors due to lack of funding and shortly thereafter, Cristina worked for two home care agencies as a Scheduling Coordinator and Senior Case Manager.
After Cristina’s brother passed away from an overdose, she sought out to work with Prevention Point Philadelphia and was hired as an Overdose Specialist. This is where her new career in harm reduction began.
-
Andre Davis
PUBLIC RESTROOM SPECIALIST
Andre (he/him) started his role as a part of the environmental team in May 2022 where he has been able to gain and maintain partnerships engage in the community and work in a diverse environment. He has assisted in the coordination of community events and helped implement the city’s public restroom program where he constantly advocates for the vulnerable population here in Philadelphia.
-
Andrew Cepeda
PUBLIC RESTROOM SPECIALIST
Andrew (he/him) was born and raised in North Philadelphia and comes with a professional background working in various fields, i.e., retail (customer services) carpentry, painting, electrical, roofing, plumbing and cemetery work as a headstone installer. Andrew once took from and played a part in destroying the community he lived in and now he has the opportunity give back. Andrew also has experienced life's hardships which will allow him to share those experiences, strengths and hope with our team and the community we serve.
-
Antoinette Montgomery
PROJECT REACH LEAD
Antoinette (she/her) is the Project Reach Lead SUPHR. Antoinette was enrolled with CareerLinks and was placed with Philadelphia Works Inc. to seek employment. In late 2019, Antoinette’s first job assignment was with Project Reach to assist in street clean-ups. At first, Antoinette was not happy working in Kensington but after several months, she built a positive relationship with co-workers, PDPH staff, and community members who were unhoused and actively using drugs. Antoinette made it her mission to learn and understand the community she worked in. After several months, Antoinette began making referrals to connect people with resources. She was trained on how to recognize an overdose, administer naloxone (Narcan), perform outreach, and distribute naloxone and Fentanyl test strip and emergency kits. She distributes supplies to the community on her daily walks as she collects disposed syringes throughout Kensington.
-
Jason Whittle
CRS FEILD NAVIGATOR
Jason (he/him) started his work in harm reduction at Prevention Point Philadelphia. He started as a Bus Driver/Overdose Prevention Specialist with the Mobile Overdose Surge Bus and gradually began doing outreach, naloxone (Narcan) trainings, assisting in the MOUD (Medication for Opioid Use Disorder) program, and working on the mobile syringe exchange program. In September of 2021, Jason began his new position as a Public Restroom Specialist with SUPHR. Jason maintains the public restrooms (porta potties) by restocking them with bathroom supplies, naloxone, and ensuring the restrooms are clean and disinfected for public use. As a Public Restroom Specialist, Jason does outreach and connects to folks experiencing homelessness or those with substance use disorders (SUD). Jason and his partner also advocated for access to public restrooms in other parts of the city. In April of 2021, Jason transferred over to the Project Reach B2B Program. Project Reach B2B is a harm reduction sanitation program focused on improving the quality of life in Kensington. B2B volunteers consist of community and residential members in Kensington most affected by the city’s overdose crisis. As a Certified Recovery Specialist, Jason uses his lived experiences to work with volunteers who are mostly unhoused or experiencing SUD. Jason has connected volunteers to needed resources, i.e., detox, MOUD, food clothing, wound care, and employment referrals.