La Fuente (The Fountain)

La Fuente is a fountain of recovery, a place where people are encouraged, empowered, and enabled to choose the kind of treatment and care that will best support them in living productive, satisfying lives, free from criminal activity and chaotic drug use.

La Fuente is a low threshold treatment program for indivduals in the criminal justice system who are substance users, at high risk of HIV infection or HIV+, and interested in reducing the harms associated with their drug use - including the harm of a returning to prison due to illicit drug use.

La Fuente provides recovery readiness and relapse prevention services designed to assist individuals in dealing with crisis situations, drug use, and HIV infection, in an accepting, supportive environment. Unlike El Rio, (link?) the Osborne Association's highly structured and licensed substance abuse treatment program for clients mandated to treatment as an alternative to incarceration, La Fuente does not demand total abstinence from alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. Using a philosophy of "high standards, high tolerance", and offering treatment "on demand", La Fuente offers low threshold services and treatment while encouraging clients to begin the road to recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is eligible for La Fuente's services?
Our community-based services are available to anyone who has been involved in the criminal justice system, is using drugs or alcohol, and is HIV+ or at risk of HIV infection. Although many clients are referred by parole officers as well as jail staff and court officials, La Fuente's South Bronx and Brooklyn sites accept walk-in clients during program hours.

What kinds of services constitute "low threshold" treatment at La Fuente?

• Acupuncture La Fuente provides "on demand" acupuncture detoxification. Treatments last 30-45 minutes, and provide immediate relief from craving associated with withdrawal fom drugs.

• Educational and Support Groups La Fuente offers support groups, individual counseling/crisis intervention, HIV/AIDS education, in-house 12-Step meetings, and a "buddy"system.

• Referrals La Fuente offers referrals inpatient detoxification, rehabilitation centers, outpatient services, therapeutic communities, shelters, recovery houses, HRA entitlements, health care, DAS,HIV testing, vocational placement, educational services, and ATI (alternative to incarceration) programs.

• Health Support La Fuente offers healthy food, herbal medicines, and TB testing.

• Outreach La Fuente distributes "goody bags" in the community, providing information sheets, condoms, dental dams, and a meal/transportation voucher (redeemable at our program site).

What is the difference between La Fuente and other drug treatment programs?
La Fuente provides short term educational, support and treatment services to people who are interested in exploring alternatives to their present circumstances, but may not be prepared to enter a more structured program at this time. It provides treatment readiness and relapse prevention, and meets the needs of anyone engaged in high risk behavior. It is less structured than traditional alcohol and drug treatment programs that demand total abstinence and regular attendance.

Does Osborne provide other low threshold treatment services?
Osborne offers low threshold treatment on a shorter-term basis through its treatment readiness program (TRP) at the Brooklyn Treatment Court, and is planning a two-day Treatment Intervention Program (TIP) at the Bronx Criminal Court and the Manhattan Misdemeanor Treatment Court.

Where is La Fuente located, and what are the program hours?
La Fuente is located at the Osborne Association's Bronx and Brooklyn sites.

Tony Ortiz
Program Director
809 Westchester Avenue
Bronx, New York 10455

718.842.0500
718.842.0296
tortiz@osborneny.org

or

Hector Santiago
Program Coordinator
175 Remson Street 8th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201