High Rockies Harm Reduction
- Need: To reduce drug overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases in rural Colorado.
- Intervention: This program provides harm reduction and peer support to people who use drugs and to their loved ones.
- Results: This program provided Narcan training to 465 individuals and distributed 2,333 doses of naloxone and 1,813 fentanyl test strips in 2025.
Description
High Rockies Harm Reduction in Colorado works to reduce drug overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases by providing naloxone and other supplies, prevention education, peer support, and warm hand-offs to other services. This program currently provides direct services in rural Eagle, Garfield, Lake, Pitkin, and Summit counties and provides education and technical assistance statewide.
High Rockies Harm Reduction is a Colorado Nonprofit Development Center partner project and has received regional opioid abatement funding.
Services offered
High Rockies Harm Reduction offers supplies and services such as:
- Condoms and other sexual risk reduction supplies
- Fentanyl test strips
- First aid and wound care supplies
- Food
- Naloxone
- Overdose prevention education
- Peer support
- Referrals and warm hand-offs to healthcare and social services
- Safe syringe disposal (the service area has limited options for disposing injection medications like insulin)
Clients can access supplies at 12 pop-up locations across central and western Colorado. Two vans serve as mobile offices and travel to different communities. The service schedule is available online.
High Rockies Harm Reduction also offers a virtual Narcan training every month and by appointment.
Results
High Rockies Harm Reduction distributed 2,333 doses of naloxone and 1,813 fentanyl test strips in 2025. This program also provided Narcan training to 465 individuals that year.
Challenges
Funding and staffing a harm reduction program can be a challenge in some rural communities, with some community hesitation or pushback.
Replication
Work with your community members: public health, law enforcement, healthcare providers, and people who use drugs. Everyone needs a seat at the table, and community collaboration is key. These programs look different in each rural community.
High Rockies Harm Reduction's director provides technical assistance to public health departments and community members seeking to start harm reduction programs.
Contact Information
Mugsy Seldeen, Founder and Executive DirectorHigh Rockies Harm Reduction
970.618.4194
mugsy@highrockiesharmreduction.com
Topics
Infectious diseases
· Substance use and misuse
· Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention
States served
Colorado
Date updated or reviewed
October 5, 2026
Suggested citation: Rural Health Information Hub, 2026. High Rockies Harm Reduction [online]. Rural Health Information Hub. Available at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/project-examples/1120 [Accessed 23 October 2026]
Please contact the models and innovations contact directly for the most complete and current information about this program. Summaries of models and innovations are provided by RHIhub for your convenience. The programs described are not endorsed by RHIhub or by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Each rural community should consider whether a particular project or approach is a good match for their community’s needs and capacity. While it is sometimes possible to adapt program components to match your resources, keep in mind that changes to the program design may impact results.