New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 7 - HEALTH
Chapter 4 - DISEASE CONTROL (EPIDEMIOLOGY)
Part 6 - REQUIREMENTS GOVERNING THE HARM REDUCTION/SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM
Section 7.4.6.9 - HARM REDUCTION PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS

A. The HRP shall maintain regular and consistent hours of service to ensure participant engagement.

B. The HRP may cancel a harm reduction session in the event of unforeseen circumstances which may impact service delivery such as lack of staffing, severe weather, threats or acts of violence, or other unforeseen emergencies which may create an unsafe environment.

C. The HRP must make available educational materials related to improving the health of individuals who use substances including information on substance use treatment, disease transmission and prevention, and overdose prevention strategies.

D. The HRP must notify the hepatitis and harm reduction program within 72 hours of any concerns or complaints received by community members about the HRP.

E. The HRP must have at least two staff members or volunteers present, or within voice or a direct line-of-sight visual signal range, or one staff member present and one staff member or volunteer able to communicate in real-time via telephone, radio, internet or other means at all times during harm reduction sessions. Staff members and volunteers may not be impaired during harm reduction sessions.

F. All harm reduction specialists shall be fully vaccinated against viral hepatitis or other transmissible disease in accordance with centers for disease control and prevention and department guidelines.

G. Staff and volunteers shall follow these regulations and the United States department of labor occupational safety and health administration standards and hepatitis and harm reduction program guidelines with regard to the proper handling and legal disposal of biohazardous material.

H. The HRP must record harm reduction activities conducted utilizingtheforms approved by the hepatitis and harm reduction program and submit the forms to the hepatitis and harm reduction program.

I. The HRP must develop and maintain an accidental needle stick protocol. If a person experiences a needle stick accident, the HRP accidental needle stick protocol should be followed.

J. The HRP must report all unexpected harm reduction session cancellations, needle stick accidents, violent acts, incidents involving law enforcement agents, and arrests of participants or staff during a harm reduction session within 24 hours of the incident via email or phone.

K. The HRP must cooperate with the department in data collection, site visits and inspections, quality assurance, and other efforts to evaluate harm reduction activities.

L. The HRP must adhere to all other hepatitis and harm reduction guidelines related to program operation.

M. The HRP must comply with these regulations, including safety requirements, participant enrollment procedures, and confidentiality of participant information. Failure to do so is grounds for revocation of the authorization to conduct harm reduction activities.