HRTC’s Center at Merlin Street

Merlin, as we like to call our new center, is a huge, modern space. I was immediately struck by the amount of light bouncing off white walls from several skylights. Part café arthouse hangout, part living room, and part “maybe get some help because it looks like there are some therapy offices here” vibe, Merlin, as the staff like to call it, was welcoming and intriguing. James, who is also an architect, has used his skills to create a space that is both beautiful and welcoming, even building acoustic panels that hang from the ceiling to buffer sound and create intimacy in the main living room area where large, comfortable couches and chairs rest on Persian rugs surrounded by lamps that spill butter colored light. Around the perimeter are private therapy offices, meeting rooms, a kitchen, computer workstations, and an accessible bathroom. A second-floor mezzanine holds admin and harm reduction supply assembly spaces. Art is everywhere, murals are dreamed-of, and a timeline depicting the history of the harm reduction movement, HRTC, and its staff occupies an entire wall. Although the space is still under construction, it projects a sense of dignity, respect, freedom, and comfort.

“Merlin is the physical embodiment of HRTC’s vision to provide mental health services to all people who suffer emotionally, physically, and who are stigmatized and excluded because they use drugs.” James, HRTC’s Harm Reduction Services Coordinator

Other Community Locations

Beginning with Glide’s Cecil Williams House and the Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center (TARC) in the early 2000s, HRTC has been the mental health provider for many extremely low threshold community programs in San Francisco.  Our relationship with TARC was the beginning of our partnership with the HIV team from Tom Waddell Health Center, which has grown to be San Francisco’s Street Medicine and Shelter Health team, with which we still have a close partnership

Our community programs have  grown organically in response to the needs of people who use drugs and the communities that serve them.  Often in the context of  training or consultation with an agency, we have been asked to provide direct therapy services.  Our model is to embed our therapists in their programs and adapt harm reduction therapy to a drop-in model, the purest form of client-driven care.  

Our current partners are Hospitality House, Homeless Youth Alliance, 3rd Street Youth Clinic (TAY Navigation Center), SFDPH Street Medicine and, since COVID and our expansion into Shelter in Place hotels and Safe Campsites – 5 Keys, Urban Alchemy and other site operators.  Right now we are working in almost 20 sites. 

Our multidisciplinary teammates include doctors, nurses, peer counselors, case managers, shelter and camp monitors, massage therapists, and more!  We have found a niche in our ability to work side by side with people from all professional and personal backgrounds.