What Prevention Point Pittsburgh does

Prevention Point Pittsburgh (PPP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit harm-reduction organization founded in 1995 by James Crow and Caroline Acker. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPP delivers free, anonymous, no-ID-required services to people who use drugs, including sterile injection supplies, naloxone distribution, overdose-prevention education, wound and vein care, HIV/Hepatitis C/STI screening, comprehensive case management, and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) prescribing through a mobile medical program.

Service delivery runs across one indoor location (East Liberty, Sundays) and four mobile van sites (Perry Hilltop, Hill District, Carrick/Overbrook, and Homewood) plus a phone-based service navigator. PPP operates under Allegheny County Board of Health authorization and Ordinance #3671-08, making it one of only four legally sanctioned syringe service programs in Pennsylvania — a regulatory scarcity that defines its competitive position. Screening is delivered in partnership with Allies for Health + Wellbeing, and the organization integrates with the Allegheny County Health Department and Biobot wastewater data for community drug-supply surveillance tracking fentanyl, xylazine, and medetomidine trends.

PPP is funded entirely through charitable donations, grants, and government contracts — no fees are collected from clients. Through mid-October 2025, the organization had distributed over 1.2 million syringes, recorded over 9,700 community interactions, enrolled 472 first-time service users, and was serving 300+ patients per month through the mobile MOUD program. The organization employs 11-50 staff, is led by Executive Director Aaron Arnold, and is governed by an independent board of directors. In 2025, PPP experienced a 25% cut to its Pennsylvania HIV prevention funding — a $100,000 overnight loss — while simultaneously pursuing a $200,000 capital campaign to renovate a warehouse into a consolidated ~10,000 sq ft headquarters and expanding its statewide technical-assistance footprint via a PA Technical Assistance Coordinator role.

Name

Prevention Point Pittsburgh

Legal name

Prevention Point Pittsburgh

Website

https://pppgh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harm Reduction Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

Keywords

• Harm reduction services
• Syringe service program
• Opioid overdose prevention
• Mobile medical services
• Community health outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prevention Point Pittsburgh is a nonprofit harm reduction organization that provides free, anonymous syringe exchange, naloxone distribution, and overdose prevention services to people who use drugs. It operates mobile medical vans that prescribe medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), wound and vein care, HIV/Hepatitis C/STI screening, and case management services connecting clients to housing, food, and treatment. All services are delivered free of charge, without ID, appointment, or insurance requirements, through one indoor site and four mobile van locations across Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

Product overview

Prevention Point Pittsburgh is a nonprofit harm reduction organization offering a comprehensive suite of services to people who use drugs. The organization operates a Syringe Service Program (needle exchange) as its core offering, supplemented by naloxone distribution, mobile medical services prescribing medication for opioid use disorder, HIV/Hepatitis C/STI screening, comprehensive case management, harm reduction supplies distribution, overdose prevention education, and wound and vein care. Services are delivered through one office location, one indoor service location, and four mobile van locations throughout the Pittsburgh area. The organization was founded in 1995 and has grown from a street-corner needle exchange to a comprehensive health empowerment organization serving thousands of clients annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Syringe Service Program (Needle Exchange) Provides sterile needles, syringes, and injection supplies to people who use drugs to prevent the spread of blood-borne infections and diseases. Operated as one of only four legally sanctioned syringe service programs in Pennsylvania under Allegheny County Board of Health and County Council Ordinance #3671-08. Over 5,000 injection drug users have enrolled since the county-authorized site was established in April 2002, and more than 1.2 million syringes were distributed through mid-October 2025.
• Mobile Medical Services (MOUD Prescribing) Mobile medical van program that provides medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) prescribing across four weekday mobile van locations (Perry Hilltop, Hill District, Carrick/Overbrook, Homewood). The program serves over 300 patients per month and is available weekdays only — not Sundays.
• Naloxone Distribution Distributes naloxone kits and provides training on overdose response to prevent opioid overdose deaths. Includes a mail-based naloxone distribution program. Operates in partnership with the Allegheny County Health Department.
• HIV, Hepatitis C, and STI Screening Free screening services for HIV, Hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections, offered in collaboration with Allies for Health + Wellbeing at the East Liberty indoor service location (211 N. Whitfield St., 5th floor) and through mobile van sites.
• Wound and Vein Care Expert staff provide wound and vein care services to address injection-related injuries and infections, including xylazine wounds, at mobile van locations and the East Liberty indoor site. Dr. Raagini Jawa volunteers at the PPP wound clinic.
• Comprehensive Case Management Services Provides ongoing support and coordination to help clients access resources including housing assistance, treatment services, and medical care, including through a phone-based service navigator intake at (412) 247-3404.
• Harm Reduction Supplies Distribution Distributes sterile works including cotton, cookers, and clean water, as well as condoms and bleach for risk reduction, alongside the syringe service program.
• Overdose Prevention Education Provides training on safer injection practices, overdose recognition, and rescue breathing techniques, including guidance on responding to overdoses involving medetomidine and xylazine, which require rescue breathing rather than naloxone alone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.2 million+ syringes distributed through mid-October 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OnPoint NYC: New York City's merged harm reduction organization (formerly Washington Heights CORNER Project and AIDS Center of Queens County) operating authorized overdose prevention centers and street-based syringe services. Direct functional peer in low-barrier, lived-experience-driven harm reduction.
• Housing Works: NYC-based nonprofit providing harm reduction, syringe access, and case management alongside housing and health services for people who use drugs. Comparable low-barrier, multi-service community model.
• Prevention Point Philadelphia: Pennsylvania's largest syringe service program, operating an identical harm-reduction model (syringe exchange, naloxone, case management, clinical referrals) under different county authorization. Most comparable peer given shared state regulatory environment and overlapping service mix.
• San Francisco AIDS Foundation: Operates Syringe Access Services and the 6th Street Harm Reduction Center with street-based syringe exchange, naloxone, and clinical referrals. Comparable integrated harm-reduction-plus-clinical model in an urban context.
• Chicago Recovery Alliance: Long-standing Chicago harm reduction organization offering syringe exchange, drug checking, naloxone, and outreach. Comparable grassroots nonprofit model with similar scope of supplies, education, and overdose prevention.
• Philadelphia FIGHT: Pennsylvania-based health services nonprofit offering HIV prevention, substance use treatment, and harm reduction programming. Operates similar clinical and community-services mix in the same regional context.

Others

• National Harm Reduction Coalition: National advocacy and capacity-building organization for harm reduction; provides technical assistance, training, and policy advocacy for SSPs including PPP and similar programs. Not a direct service peer but a key enabler in PPP's ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Vivent Health: Multi-state HIV and harm-reduction provider operating across the Midwest and beyond, with pharmacy, medical, and harm-reduction services. Larger and more diversified incumbent operating overlapping programs (syringe services, MOUD, HIV/STI screening).

Emerging players

• NEXT Distro: Online and mail-based harm reduction supply distributor (sterile syringes, naloxone) complementing brick-and-mortar SSPs like PPP with remote delivery. Useful adjacent comparator as PPP expands naloxone mailing.

Regional players

• Allies for Health + Wellbeing: Pittsburgh-based health and wellness nonprofit where PPP operates its Sunday indoor site; provides HIV/STI screening and primary care to PPP clients. Regional collaborator with overlapping clientele.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PreventionPoint
• Instagraminstagram.com/PreventionPoint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prevention-point-pittsburgh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prevention Point Pittsburgh