Radical hospitality: Innovative programming to build community and meet the needs of people who use drugs at a government-sanctioned overdose prevention site in San Francisco, California

Original research
by
Wenger, Lynn D. et al

Release Date

2024

Geography

USA

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

Yes

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

We used ethnographic methods to understand the ways in which a sanctioned OPS, situated in a multi-service center, impacts the lives of people who use drugs (PWUD).

Findings/Key points

TLC guests and staff described an atmosphere where radical hospitality—welcoming guests with extraordinary warmth, generosity, and unconditional acceptance—was central to the culture. We found that the co-location of an OPS within a multi-service agency (1) allowed for the culture of radical hospitality to flourish, (2) yielded a convenient one-stop shop model, (3) created a space for community building, and (4) offered safety and respite to guests.

Design/methods

We conducted participant observation and in-depth interviews June–December 2022. Extensive field notes and 39 in-depth interviews with 24 TLC guests and 15 TLC staff were analyzed using an inductive analysis approach.

Keywords

SCS/OPS
Wrap-around services