OUR MOVEMENT IN MOTION
June 26, 2025


SECTION 1: News and Announcements

+ LIGHTHOUSE/NHRC RECEIVES $10K PRIDE GIVES BACK GRANT: NHRC’s Lighthouse Learning Collective is honored to receive a $10,000 Pride Gives Back grant from NYC Pride! This program uplifts local LGBTQIA+ nonprofits and community organizations that are delivering vital services, advocacy, and community-rooted programming in NYC, New York. With this support, NHRC is planning a full-day English/Spanish in-person training this October complete with guest speakers, breakout sessions, goodie bags, and of course, food to fuel engagement. This interactive workshop will equip social service providers with the knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to provide affirming, harm reduction-centered care to transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary (TGNCNB) people who use drugs or engage in sex work. Stay tuned for more details! Learn more about the grant here.

Link: www.nycpride.org/news-press-media/nyc-pride-awards-100k-to-11-nonprofits-serving-the-lgbtqia-community


+ COMMEMORATING JUNETEENTH AND RADICAL RECHARGING: Earlier this month, we honored the Black revolutionaries who made emancipation and Juneteenth possible, and the Black changemakers fighting for social justice today. While we celebrate Black resilience and joy as a form of resistance, we also recognize how recharging to sustain ourselves in this fight is necessary to move against white supremacy and create a safer, healthier world for people who use drugs and all people. For this reason, NHRC recently returned from a week-long break in observance of Juneteenth as a period of institutional pause, rest, and recharging. As always, we remind folks that our resources, including the Naloxone Finder Map, can be found 24/7 on our website.

Link: www.harmreduction.org


+ PRIDE AND LIBERATION: We're holding many truths as we close out this Pride Month — celebrating the resiliency, beauty, and strength of LGBTQIA+ people, while also ringing the alarm about the continued and escalating violence, harmful rhetoric, and attacks on bodily autonomy LGBTQIA+ people face and the attempted erasure of LGBTQIA+ communities. The LGBTQIA+ liberation and harm reduction movements are intrinsically connected, and we are here today because of the life-saving work and deep care of queer harm reductionists — particularly those who cared for people living with HIV and dying of AIDS at the height of the epidemic when the government left them behind. The same refrain echoes through both movements today: We're not going anywhere. Learn more about NHRC’s Lighthouse Learning Collective here.

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+ HONORING FATHERS AND FATHER FIGURES: We know Father’s Day can hold many realities and feelings for those who are missing their fathers and father figures, many of whom had their lives stolen by overdose or the many harms caused by the racist so-called "War On Drugs." Our hearts are also with those who have had their fathers/father figures ripped away from them through structural violence and the carceral system. They should be here. This past Father’s Day and always, we're holding you in our hearts, however you may be feeling, and we will continue working to uplift the human rights, health, and dignity of fathers, their families, and all people.


+ VENDING MACHINES DISTRIBUTING HARM REDUCTION EQUIPMENT EXPAND REACH/LAS MÁQUINAS EXPENDEDORAS QUE DISTRIBUYEN EQUIPOS PARA LA REDUCCIÓN DE DAÑOS AMPLÍAN EL ALCANCE: Vending machines can provide additional opportunities for SSPs and other harm reduction organizations to connect people who use drugs to life-saving harm reduction equipment, including naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and hygiene items. NHRC, in collaboration with our partners at RTI International and the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN), have created fact sheets in Spanish and English highlighting the experiences of 12 Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) that have implemented vending machines. The fact sheets include information about funding sources, challenges and opportunities, advantages, etc. Access the fact sheets here to learn more.

Las máquinas expendedoras pueden brindar oportunidades adicionales para que los SSP y otras organizaciones de reducción de daños conecten a las personas que consumen drogas con equipos de reducción de daños que salvan vidas, como naloxona, tiras reactivas de fentanilo y artículos de higiene. NHRC, en colaboración con nuestros socios de RTI International y la Red de Intercambio de Jeringas de América del Norte (NASEN), han creado hojas informativas en español e inglés que destacan las experiencias de 12 Programas de Servicios de Jeringas (SSP) que han implementado máquinas expendedoras. Las hojas informativas incluyen información sobre fuentes de financiación, desafíos y oportunidades, ventajas y más. Obtenga más información sobre los hallazgos aquí.

Links/enlaces:
bit.ly/VendingMachinesforHarmReduction
bit.ly/MáquinasExpendedorasparalaReduccióndeDaños


+ NATIONAL SURVEY OF SYRINGE SERVICES PROGRAMS LAUNCHED: Calling all Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) — we need your feedback! NHRC, in collaboration with the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN) and RTI International, launched the 2025 National Survey of Syringe Services Programs (NSSSP). Tracking SSP budgets and other data over time helps us advocate for more resources. Participating programs will be mailed a $125 check after completing the survey. Check your inbox for an email invitation from Lynn Wenger via [email protected] and review the FAQs for more information, available in English and Spanish. Respond today with your experiences!

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+ HAPPENING TODAY — SUPPORT OVER PUNISHMENT: Today, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is rolling out its annual "Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action" campaign. Learn more and get involved here.

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+ CONFERENCES AND EVENTS: 

-Registration for Drug Policy Alliance’s Reform Conference happening November 12 through November 15, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan, is now open! Learn more and register here.

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+ NEWS: Op-Ed: They Gave Us the Stage, Then Took the Mic: Pride as Distraction — Important, pointed words in this Queer Kentucky op-ed from our friend Shreeta Waldon in Kentucky hitting home: "Let’s be clear: budget cuts are not neutral. Snatching resources from communities who rely on them to survive is an act of violence, not fiscal responsibility…This Pride Month, I beg, don’t let the glitter distract you. The attacks on our bodies, our care, our survival they’re happening now. We need more than celebration. We need confrontation. So no, I’m not lighting sparklers in celebration. I’m lighting torches of resistance. I’m standing with every Kentuckian who refuses to be erased, and asking: How much more will we allow them to take before we say 'enough?'"

Link: bit.ly/PrideMonthFocus


+ NEWS: Inside the Collapse of America’s Overdose Prevention Program — Funding cuts to life-saving harm reduction programs and services — while we continue losing so many of our loved ones as the overdose epidemic ravages our communities — are deadly and disregard the human rights, dignity, and expertise of people who use drugs.

As NHRC's Capacity Building + Hepatitis C Coordinator Jose Martinez shared with Scientific American, "Funding and staffing cuts don’t just limit resources for the people most in need. They limit the ability to understand where someone is coming from, which undermines efforts to provide meaningful care, Martinez says.

Harm reduction is more than the services and physical tools given to community members, he says. It’s about the approach. 'When you look at a whole person, you plant the seed of health and dignity...If everybody deserves a chance at redemption, then we’ve got to rethink how we’re approaching things.'"

Link: bit.ly/CDCCutsAreDeadly


+ NEWS: Overdose Prevention Center Bills in Multiple States Inch Forward — Around the world, overdose prevention centers (OPCs) operating for many years have saved lives, improved community health, and uplifted the well-being of people. It's long past time the U.S. starts to catch up. Our communities deserve these life-saving centers, and we'll continue advocating to make OPCs a reality. Read the full coverage by Filter here.

Link: bit.ly/OPCsInUS


+ NEWS: Experts Credit Harm Reduction, Not Border Cops, for 27% Drop in Overdose Deaths — Harm reduction works — full stop. As outlined in this Truthout piece, "Dasgupta and other experts are not applauding U.S. lawmakers for spending billions of dollars every year fighting a global and deeply unpopular 'war on drugs' that left lower-income communities devastated by mass criminalization, or for dragging their feet for years before voting to remove barriers to lifesaving addiction medications — although barriers to medications still exist, including inside jails and prisons.

They are also not crediting a broad law enforcement crackdown on opioid painkiller prescriptions that fueled the overdose crisis by pushing desperate patients toward an increasingly dangerous illicit opioid supply. Instead, federal data suggests the decrease in fatal overdoses is linked to changes in the drug supply and the way people use powerful synthetics like fentanyl, along with increased funding and support for frontline harm reduction groups and health care clinics providing lifesaving services where people live."

Link: bit.ly/HarmReductionLeadsODDecline


+ NEWS: Brown University study reveals strong support for overdose prevention center — Communities deserve health-based solutions to public health issues, including overdose. Embracing folks' lived experiences and expertise, along with decades of evidence-backed harm reduction approaches including overdose prevention centers (OPCs), supports the empowerment of communities while saving lives. Check out coverage by NBC10 WJAR focused on Rhode Island’s OPC and the community support it’s received there.

Link: bit.ly/RIOPCSupport




SECTION 2: Emergent and Exciting Work

+ NHRC TRAININGS SPOTLIGHT — UNLEARNING STIGMA: NHRC’s New York City Capacity Building Coordinator, Jessie Fanini, and LGBTQIA+ Health & Harm Reduction Manager, Taylor Edelmann, provided a Stigma 101 training to harm reduction staff at Housing Works in NYC, New York. Participants listened in to have a more intimate understanding of the different forms, elements, and functions of stigma related to drug use and were given tools to create change and meaningful involvement in their program. Interested in having an NHRC training or learning session brought to your organization or group? Reach out to request a training today!

Link: bit.ly/BookNHRC


+ LEARNING THROUGH LISTENING: NHRC’s Director of Capacity Building & Mobilization, Mike Selick and LGBTQIA+ Health & Harm Reduction Manager, Taylor Edelmann, facilitated a Motivational Interviewing training for Alliance for Living staff members in New London, Connecticut. During the training, participants explored the spirit of motivational interviewing and core microskills with a focus on reflective listening. Attendees practiced these skills in a highly interactive setting with their peers, building their ability to support behavior change and address ambivalence in their work with participants.



+ RESOURCES AND REPORTS:

-NHRC is excited to launch two new online modules free for NYC residents, LGB/TGNCB 101 and Stigma 101! These modules are self-paced and take approximately 90 minutes. LGB/TGNCB 101 is a module that explores health disparities LGB/TGNCNB people who use drugs and engage in sex work face, dispels myths, and provides strategies for affirming care. Stigma 101 is a module that explores stigma's roots, forms, and impact and offers tips to help create change. Learn more about the rest of our NYC online courses here, and see our full online learning center here.

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-The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania shared a paper outlining their findings that showed "Despite concerns that harm reduction policies might inadvertently promote drug use, residents trust local authorities more when the authorities promote these policies. These insights should alleviate the common fears of policymakers that prevent these life-saving policies from being implemented in their local communities." Read more here.

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-The American Psychiatric Association shared a study highlighting how Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) treatment can be largely out of reach for houseless populations. As outlined via this Psychiatry Advisor piece, the study found that, "By further investigating this issue we can better understand how to allocate resources, create new housing, and mitigate existing challenges to promote stable housing and ultimately make OUD treatment more accessible."

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-Yale University’s School of Medicine shared an article titled, "Opioid Overdose Crisis: Medications Prevent Subsequent Overdoses," in which William Becker, MD, professor of medicine (general medicine), names that, "Medications prevent overdoses and ultimately save lives. So it follows that we should continue to pursue efforts to reduce barriers to accessing them." Read more here.

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-The International Journal of Drug Policy published the study, "State adult-use cannabis policy effects on law enforcement efforts to disrupt drug markets," which found that "policy reform can alleviate some law enforcement burdens, but additional measures are needed to address systemic biases in drug enforcement practices."

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-JAMA Network published an investigation, "Intersectional Racial and Sex Disparities in Unintentional Overdose Mortality," which named in its conclusion that, "disparities in overdose mortality were evident, with Black men and Black women experiencing a pronounced and increasing burden of mortality compared with their White counterparts. Addressing these disparities will require a multipronged approach targeting the social, physical, economic, and policy risk environments."

Content note: Problematic language used in report (i.e., "poisoning").

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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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-American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has shared its e-course, "Buprenorphine Implementation: Addressing Common Challenges in Hospital and Clinic Settings." The advanced level course is geared toward physicians, nurse practitioners/nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other clinicians. Learn more here. ASAM has also shared recorded sessions from its annual conference, "Innovations in Addiction Medicine and Science," which can be accessed here.

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+ FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:

-Third Wave Fund has opened its latest Mobilize Power Fund opportunity, which offers grants for youth-led and intergenerational groups, nonprofits, coalitions, and other efforts in the U.S. The deadline to apply is July 8, 2025. Learn more here.

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-The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) announced a request for proposals to enhance community-driven responses to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and overdose mortality. The submission deadline is July 2, 2025.

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+ TRAININGS AND WEBINARS:

-NHRC, in partnership with the Overdose Response Network (ORN), is hosting a multi-part training series with subject matter experts for harm reduction and medical/clinical providers. To sign up for the next session, "Role of Structural Determinants of Health on Access and Availability to Services" happening July 16, 2025 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, click here. Stay tuned for more upcoming webinars with ORN!

Link:
bit.ly/ORNJuly16


-NHRC is hosting a webinar series specifically designed for California SSPs. The series will cover a range of topics, including compassionate overdose response, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) billing, harm reduction foundations, and CDPH harm reduction supplies distribution. The remaining trainings, all held at 12 p.m. PT this year, are "Harm Reduction Supplies Distribution Overview" on July 8 and "Can I Bill for That?!" on October 14. For more information, email [email protected].

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-FOUNDATIONAL FRIDAYS: NHRC is thrilled to continue offering 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. ET 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 tomorrow’s session, "LGB/TGNC 101," click here. To sign up for the July 25 session, "Harm Reduction 101," click here. Stay tuned for updates about our latest Foundational Fridays series! For more information, contact Jose Martinez at [email protected]. 

Links:
bit.ly/LGBTGNC2025
bit.ly/2025HarmReduction101



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

+ Black Lives Matter (BLM) Paterson is searching for a Harm Reduction Specialist (part-time).

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+ DanceSafe is hiring a Contract Grant Writer.

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+ DPA is seeking a Federal Policy Manager.

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+ The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is looking to fill several positions, including:

-Assistant Director of Special Projects and Naloxone Distribution
-Unit Initiatives & Support Coordinator
-Assistant Director of Training Initiatives
-Assistant Director of Data and Technical Assistance
-Unit Initiatives & Support Coordinator
-Operations Manager

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+ OnPoint NYC is hiring for multiple roles, including:

-Certified Medical Assistant

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-Harm Reduction Specialist — Outreach and Public Safety Team (OPST)

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-Harm Reduction Specialist

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-Harm Reduction Specialist — Winnebago

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-MAT Navigator — HUB

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-Naloxone Associate

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-Overdose Prevention Specialist — Consumer Led Model, Washington Heights

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-Overdose Prevention Specialist — Medical Model, East Harlem

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-Part-time Registered Nurse

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-Responsible Person in Charge (RPIC)

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-Site Supervisor — Winnebago

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+ San Francisco AIDS Foundation is hiring a Health Educator.

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+ Sonoran Prevention Works is searching for a HIV/HCV Tester.

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+ Thrive for Change is looking for a Harm Reduction Specialist.

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+ VOCAL-NY is hiring a Housing Campaigns Manager.

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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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