OUR MOVEMENT IN MOTION
Nov. 22, 2023


SECTION 1: News and Announcements

+ NHRC WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBER: We are ecstatic to announce Debora Upegui-Hernández (she/her) has joined the NHRC Board of Directors! Debora is a social psychology researcher and activist. She currently works as a data analyst at the Observatorio de Equidad de Género de Puerto Rico (Observatory for Gender Equity – Puerto Rico), and her work has focused on gender violence, femicides, drug policy, human rights of people who use drugs, immigration, and issues related to Latinx communities in the United States. Learn more about Debora, the rest of our board members, and the staff that make up the NHRC team here.

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+ NHRC STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH DULF: The life-saving work the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) does is crucial to save lives and prevent overdose. Despite this, members of DULF were arrested — a move NHRC, among hundreds of other organizations worldwide, condemns. We stand firmly in our solidarity with DULF. Read our full statement here.

Link: bit.ly/NHRCBacksDULF

+ CALL-TO-ACTION: SAFEGUARD THE MOVEMENT ON GIVING TUESDAY: As we approach GivingTuesday, our movement confronts unprecedented challenges. The very core of harm reduction is under attack, as political systems view people who use drugs as disposable. At NHRC, we work tirelessly for the movement, individuals, and communities that are frequently marginalized and dismissed by those who perceive us as expendable. We refuse to remain passive bystanders in the face of this neglect. We unapologetically love and stand in solidarity with people who use drugs, their families, and allies, dedicated to amplifying their voices and uplifting their experiences. To continue this vital work and build lifesaving and life-affirming resources and programs for people who use drugs, their communities, and agencies committed to their well-being, we need your support today!

Together, we have the power to put an end to the overdose crisis, confront policies that marginalize our community, and safeguard the future of the harm reduction movement. Join us in making a difference and use your voice to #GiveForHarmReduction, because #NoOneIsDisposable. Together, let's shout, "No More Drug War" and advocate for #SupportDontPunish. Thank you for your commitment to our movement and for being an essential part of our community.

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+ CELEBRATING LGBTQIA+ HISTORY MONTH: The harm reduction movement wouldn’t be what it is today without the LGBTQIA+ folks who made it possible, and made a way out of no way to support people who use drugs — including folks living with HIV/AIDS after our government left entire communities behind. LGBTQIA+ people continue to lead today, breaking down barriers, supporting folks on-the-ground, and celebrating all the beauty and joy the LGBTQIA+ community shares with the world. In October for LGBTQIA+ History Month, we lifted up the incredible work of NHRC’s Lighthouse Learning Collective, including free learning sessions for folks to learn more and apply that knowledge to their everyday work — and lives. To watch the recording of Queer History of Harm Reduction part 1, click here.

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+ CONFERENCES AND EVENTS: 

-Helio Health is hosting the 2024 Integrated Care Conference April 8 through April 9, 2024. The in-person conference offers professionals approaches to mental health and substance use treatment, and this year’s theme, “Transformation — The Power of Perspective,” seeks to examine how to improve clinical outcomes by focusing on a strengths-based approach with patients and the wellness and self-care of staff and colleagues. The deadline to submit requests for presentations is Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. To submit a request, click here. To register for the conference, click here.

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-NHRC is hosting our monthly Peer Gathering Cohort, now known as PeerUp, after hearing the need for peers nationally to have a space to connect, talk, and network. The cohort sessions — which take place the first Monday of each month — are open to peers with lived/living experience only at no cost, and folks from around the U.S. are welcome to join. Together, we'll work to build a support system through the states. Come as you are, this will be a non-judgmental space! To join, email NHRC’s Capacity Building + Hepatitis C Coordinator, Jose Martinez, at [email protected].



+ NEWS: Overdose prevention sites not associated with increase in crime, according to study — Brown University’s study confirms what people who use drugs and harm reductionists know from lived experience: Overdose prevention centers do not increase crime. The study found that there were no significant changes in crimes, 911 calls for crimes, medical incidents, or 311 calls about drug use or "unsanitary conditions" in the area of the OPCs. There was also a significant reduction in calls for homeless-related conditions. Overdose prevention centers save lives, and provide a range of services and resources for people who use drugs.

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+ NEWS: Boston clears tent encampment at Mass and Cass — Housing is a human right, and each time encampments are cleared, from coast to coast, lives are even more at risk. People don't need to be drug-free to receive support and respect, and abstinence is just one form of harm reduction. It isn't for everyone, and each person knows their own needs best. As read in Filter, "Some people had done multiple programs…Sometimes, people would go to treatment, but without a place to live when they’re done, they end up right back where they started. The situation is a lot more complex and nuanced than maybe people realize. Substance use is a piece of someone’s overall life — it’s not something you can treat or try and address in isolation from broader circumstances.”

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+ NEWS: San Francisco set to crack down on fentanyl — with California’s help — NHRC's Director of Overdose Prevention Policy and Strategy, Mary Sylla, reiterated for Courthouse News Service how punitive measures stemming from drug use and distribution do not work — and pointed to the research, data, and folks' lived experiences that harm reduction does.

“'I don’t understand why they keep going this route because there’s no evidence behind it,' she said. Sylla said what’s needed are community-based drug treatment options, not those based in jails. She also wants to see naloxone — which can reverse an opioid overdose — get into the hands of people who use drugs, not stay behind the drug store counter. Also needed is the legalization of overdose prevention centers, places where people can use drugs under the supervision of health professionals, Sylla said."

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+ NEWS: Colorado committee votes down overdose prevention center bill for next legislative session — Persistence is key in saving lives through harm reduction, including through policies that support overdose prevention centers (OPCs). It's our collective responsibility to keep going. Every fatal overdose is preventable, and OPCs are critical in this life-saving work. As read in Colorado Newsline, "Backlash may look like losing a bill and losing it again. That's OK. We'll keep pressing. And the backlash may look like elected officials losing their seats, but that's also OK — I'll speak for myself but I was sent to serve and to work to save lives, not to save a seat...A person I care about very much that is in recovery...reminds me that this work, our policy work, it's not unlike recovery, in that recovery is a process. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes everything we've got."

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+ NEWS: Not many pharmacists provide OTC syringes — As is, people who use drugs are forced to overcome many obstacles in accessing support and resources. Pharmacists — and all health care professionals — should not be yet another barrier to care that keeps people who use drugs alive, healthier, and better cared for. As read via the American Pharmacists Association, “It’s important that pharmacists personally interrogate the attitudes and beliefs that cause them discomfort [when] engaging with people who use drugs,” Covvey said. “'We don’t need to generate more barriers for a population of patients already marginalized by health care and society, but rather [to] engage in evidence-based harm reduction whenever possible.'”

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SECTION 2: Emergent and Exciting Work

+ NHRC teamed up with PeerUp, facilitated by Capacity Building + Hepatitis C Coordinator, Jose Martinez, at the Drug Policy Alliance’s International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Arizona where we hosted the session, “Harm Reduction: The Slaughter and Resurrection of the Peer Workforce.” People who use drugs are the experts in their own lives, and harm reduction must center their needs, experiences, and voices. Attendees heard from PeerUp about how we're called in to collectively show up for people who use drugs. Additionally, NHRC's Executive Director, Laura Guzman, was a panelist during the event, "Immigration in the Age of Fentanyl: How the overdose crisis is fueling xenophobia, racism, and undermining sanctuary policies in the U.S. — a candid conversation about how drug policy intersects directly with the immigrant rights movement in the U.S. and what we can do to preserve recent wins." Eddie Krumpotich, NHRC’s upper midwest policy consultant, also co-facilitated the session, “First in the Nation: Minnesota’s Unexpected Leap into Progressive Harm Reduction” with Sue Purchase, executive director of Harm Reduction Sisters.



+ FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:

-The New York State Grants Gateway is offering various opportunities, including for technical assistance and training to address HIV/Hepatitis C and STIs among various groups. Learn more about the grants here.

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+ RESOURCES:

-The Black Harm Reduction Network developed a new toolkit for building power for Black health and wellness. The toolkit includes an introduction to the network, harm reduction principles, a breakdown of priorities for Black harm reductionists, guidance on advocacy efforts to champion harm reduction within Black communities, and more. Check out the toolkit here.

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-The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme, run by Knowledge-Action-Change, offers funding and ongoing support to people who wish to pursue THR-related projects — from research to journalism, filmmaking, and more. The current application window closes on Nov. 30. Learn more here.

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-Drug Checking for the People via Remedy Alliance is offering technical assistance for drug checking programs, including how to start these services. To learn more and inquire about opportunities, visit this page.

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-NHRC requests organizations add or update their information on the Naloxone Finder map in an effort to ensure the resource is up-to-date. To add a new program, click here. To update existing program information on the map, please fill out this form. We appreciate your support in spreading the word about these life-saving materials!

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+ TRAININGS AND WEBINARS:

-NHRC’s Lighthouse Learning Collective's queer harm reduction training series, Lighthouse Learning Series, is back! Running through February 2024, there will be one session each month. Remaining sessions include: Sex Work 101, Queer History of Harm Reduction part 2, and Abolition & Harm Reduction. Register here for the next session, “Sex Work 101,” on Dec. 8 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST. For information about other sessions and recordings of previous webinars, click here. Most sessions will be recorded and all will have live ASL interpretation. Priority will be given to those living and working in NYC due to program scope, but those who would like to build on their harm reduction knowledge to provide better service to LGB/TGNCNB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual/Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Non-Binary) folks are welcome to register.

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-NHRC is thrilled to offer monthly Foundational Fridays training sessions, which focus on building basic knowledge about various intersectional public health issues. The free sessions, running from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST the last Friday of each month, are for providers, peers, and anyone in the harm reduction community as well as anyone looking to learn more about the field. To sign up for the next session happening Dec. 22, visit this link. Stay tuned for more details about the trainings, happening through June of next year! For more information, contact Jose Martinez at [email protected]. The rest of the training schedule dates are as follows, with registration links included in hyperlinks below:

Syringe Access 101 - Jan. 26
Dismantling Drug-Related Stigma 101 - Feb. 23 
MOUD 101 - March 29
HCV 101 - April 26
Drugs 101 - May 31
LGB/TGNC 101 - June 28

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If you support emergent and exciting work at National Harm Reduction Coalition, please join our community of monthly donors, the Harm Reduction Champions! Become a Harm Reduction Champion Today.

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SECTION 3: Work for the Movement

+ Bowery Residents Committee (BRC) is looking for a shelter-based Certified Peer Specialist (CRPA) for several locations in NYC.

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+ Community Health of Action of Staten Island (CHASI) is hiring a HIV Patient Navigator.

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+ GLIDE SF is looking to fill several roles, including:
-Harm Reduction Case Manager
-Health Programs Manager
-Health Systems Navigator

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+ Harm Reduction International is seeking a Project Coordinator & Researcher.

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+ Streetwork, Uptown is looking for a Senior Case Manager.

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+ The Supporting Harm Reduction Programs team at University of Washington is hiring a team member to join the National Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Center.

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+ UCLA Health is looking for a Director of Summit Behavioral Health Services.

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Hiring? Send us a note about open positions in harm reduction to [email protected] to have a job post shared here.


National Harm Reduction Coalition
243 Fifth Avenue
Box 529
New York, NY 10016
United States

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