Welcome to the first edition of Our Movement in Motion, a new bi-weekly national newsletter from your friends at Harm Reduction Coalition. With an ever-changing landscape of perceptions, policies and possibilities in the Harm Reduction movement, this space is for building Beloved Community and collective action to promote the health and dignity of people who use drugs. 

Event: Harm Reduction, COVID-19 and People Who Use Drugs Virtual Office Hours

Stay connected with weekly virtual office hour sessions with national Harm Reduction Coalition staff and guest subject matter experts. The next virtual session, “Outreach and COVID-19,” will be held on Wednesday, May 6 at 4 pm ET and will include panelist Hill Brown, Co-Director of Steady Collective based in Asheville, NC. 
 

Resource Guide: COVID-19, Stimulant Use, and Harm Reduction — Find practical tips and resources for people who use stimulants in this new guide from Higher Ground Harm Reduction, Vital Strategies, Harm Reduction Coalition and Reynolds Health Strategies.

Resource Guide: COVID-19 Resources for People Who Use Drugs and People Vulnerable to Structural Violence — Our COVID-19 resource page and Google Document are always up-to-date with the latest best practices and tips for reducing risk during this crisis. 

Podcast: The Gold Standard with Dr. Kimberly Sue — Dr. Kimberly Sue is joined by various guests from programs across the country to highlight the importance of low-barrier access to medications for opioid use. If you haven’t started, catch up with episodes 1-3 or listen to the latest from Memphis, Tennessee with guest host Dr. Orisha Bowers, Regional Director of the HepConnect Initiative. Discover the innovative and lifesaving work happening on the ground in the South with guest participant Holly Joy and Dr. Tim Billbruck of Alliance Healthcare Services. Listen to episode 4.

Video: SF Drug Users’ Union Response to COVID-19 Pandemic — Go behind the scenes with Miss Ian and the SFDUU in this video about responding to the crisis of COVID-19 in the community. “The essence of our work is to keep preventable deaths exactly that: preventable. So let’s keep doing what we do best, and I will see you on the other side.” — Miss Ian 

New Research: The Impact of COVID-19 on Syringe Service Programs in the United States — In new research published in AIDS and Behavior, 43 percent of syringe service programs surveyed reported a decrease in availability of services due to COVID-19. Factors like staff safety and staff shortages have contributed to 25 percent of responding SSPs with one or more site closures due to COVID-19. 

Infographic: Community Education Group Launches COVID-19 Best Practices Infographic for Harm Reduction Programs — West Virginia HepConnect grantee Community Education Group created an infographic poster for programs that offer services to people who use drugs during this pandemic. 
 

Emergent Work: Self-serve Harm Reduction Stations for Sites Operating in California’s Emergency Housing Ordinance — Watch this space and imagine a future rooted in radical love. We love seeing collaborative and innovative solutions like this from The DOPE Project: Self-serve stations with safer consumption and overdose prevention supplies. 

Meet the Lighthouse Learning Collective

Now Hiring! Operations Manager 

Do you love systems and creating processes? Do you like working in the background to make sure an organization functions smoothly? Do you want to bring those talents and skills to the fight to promote the health and dignity of individuals and communities who are affected by drug use? Learn more and apply here.
 

Now Hiring! Director of Development 

The Director of Development will serve in a key leadership role on the organization’s Executive team. They will create a clear case for support and investment, highlighting Harm Reduction Coalition’s relevance, vision, and impact, and build out its entire fundraising program. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, creative, ambitious, and eager to use well-honed skills to devise and implement an array of both short- and long-term fundraising strategies. This position can be located anywhere in the US and requires a self-starter who is comfortable with growth, is excited to mobilize resources for transformational change, can work both collaboratively and independently, and can prioritize and manage multiple projects. Learn more and apply here.

Now Hiring! Director of Finance

Are you interested in developing and refining a growing organization’s financial infrastructure and building capacity for financial transparency and collaborative budgeting with program staff? Do you want to help build fiscal sponsorship systems so projects can focus on programmatic investment? The Director of Finance will supervise a team of two staff members, and lead all day-to-day finance operations including functional responsibility over accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and grants administration. Learn more and apply here.

Open Requests for Proposal: 

HepConnect Initiative Consultant
Instructional Designer

COVID-19 Update from the #HarmRed20 Team

We believe in the resilience of our community; we believe in our ability to heal and thrive. We see you, we love you, and we stand with you. We are all in this together.

Read an update from the National Harm Reduction Conference Team regarding COVID-19.