As long as openings remain, anyone in Western New York and northwest Pennsylvania is invited to register for the Regional Harm Reduction and Xylazine Wound Care Summit at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron on Wednesday, May 22.

Rescheduled from January, the free event is co-hosted by the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County (MHA), the Northeast and Caribbean Opioid Response Network and the Columbia School of Nursing in New York City. It includes a light breakfast and lunch.

The 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. summit provides an opportunity to further your knowledge and experience regarding wound care for people who use substances. While especially relevant for friends, family members and the staff of hospitals and rehabilitation centers, all are welcome.

Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative or tranquilizer, not approved for use in people, being used as a cutting agent for heroin and other street drugs. When not fatal, it can cause skin sores and infections so severe they require amputation.

The principles and concept of harm reduction will be explored, providing participants with an accepting, compassionate and kind way to support people in our community who use substances.

Discussion will cover topics such as the risks associated with xylazine use, best practices for identifying and treating wounds, conventional strategies for improving engagement in wound care among people who use drugs, and harm reduction-focused resources and recommendations for enhancing their health. Those attending will have the opportunity to ask questions of experts, collaborate with peers, share experiences, and even practice wound care intervention.

CASAC and Social Work CE credits are available, and CNE credits are pending.

For more information, email Shannon.Fisk@MHAChautauqua.org.

With limited seating, registration is required at bit.ly/WoundCareSummit.

Free xylazine wound care kits, testing strips for xylazine and fentanyl, and Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, a non-prescription drug that reverses an opioid overdose, are available at both the Dunkirk and Jamestown MHA recovery centers.