OUR MOVEMENT IN MOTION
January 29, 2026


SECTION 1: News and Announcements


+ YOUR SUPPORT HELPS NHRC’S LIFE-SAVING WORK: Thank you to everyone who supported NHRC’s 2025 end-of-year campaign. Because of your generosity, we raised over 17% more than last year, a powerful testament to your commitment to harm reduction and to one another. At a time when harm reduction continues to face political attacks and public misinformation, your support is more vital than ever. If you didn’t get a chance to give before the year’s end, it’s never too late to stand with this work! Donate today.

Link: bit.ly/NHRCEOYGiving


+ MLK’S LEGACY LIVES THROUGH US: We deserve health care, not warfare. As we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this past Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we doubled down on our commitments to continue sharing radical love in our communities through harm reduction and other health care support, creating stigma-free environments where all people can thrive.


+ SAVE THE DATE FOR NHRC’S ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: NHRC is thrilled to celebrate 30 years of harm reduction, community, courage, and care, and to celebrate our anniversary, we’re honoring this major milestone in San Francisco, California! Mark your calendars for Friday, April 10, 2026, when we gather at the El Rio in the Mission District for an unforgettable 30th anniversary community celebration and fundraising event honoring the people, movements, and moments that have shaped NHRC’s work over the past three decades. It is time to uplift the history and impacts of harm reduction in the San Francisco Bay!

We are actively seeking sponsors to join us in amplifying the impact of this milestone celebration. Sponsorship is a powerful way to support NHRC’s lifesaving and life-affirming work. Interested in sponsoring or learning more? Please contact NHRC's Program & Resources Manager Mike Pomante at [email protected]. More details coming soon. Friends on the East Coast, stay tuned! We’ll be celebrating in NYC later this year.


+ END THE WAR ON PEOPLE ACTION ALERT: Our communities do not have to live and die this way. We demand our human right to health care — including harm reduction — and freedom from violence are honored. Read the collective statement published by our friends Harm Reduction International in which NHRC was one of many organizations signing on, and take action with our friends at Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).

Links:
bit.ly/GlobalCommunityRejectsExpandedWarOnDrugs
bit.ly/DPAStopMilitaryActionAlert


+ HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT: We are heartbroken over the devastating loss of so many community members who died or were killed while experiencing homelessness. Each of the people we've lost deserved safety, health care, a safe place to retreat to and lay their head at night, and their humanity to be honored. This past Homeless Persons' Memorial Day and always, we continue to demand safety nets that prevent homelessness and care for people experiencing homelessness and its many impacts right now. Houseless folks are our neighbors and community members, and we must stand up alongside each other. Take action with our friends at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council here.

Link: bit.ly/HUDActionAlert


+ HIV CARE AND PREVENTION FOR ALL ACTION ALERT: Take action to urge elected officials ensure access to life-saving, life-affirming HIV care including treatment, prevention, and research programs, as well as related health care insurance accessibility.

Link: www.savehivfunding.org/fy26-action-alert


+ STOP THE SO-CALLED "WAR ON DRUGS" KILLINGS: DPA, along with Broken No More, Win Without War, A New Path, and Washington Office on Latin America, have shared a form to urge representatives to restore health services that save lives from overdose and stop killing people abroad in the name of the so-called "War On Drugs." Write to your representatives here.

Link:

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+ CONFERENCES AND EVENTS: 

-A session titled, "Meeting People Where They Are At: Foundations of Harm Reduction Treatment for Substance Use" will be hosted as part of the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit happening April 6 through April 9, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. Learn more about the event here.

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-NASTAD is hosting TRANSPIRE, its national technical assistance conference, from September 28 through October 1, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona, The conference is tailored for state, local, and territorial health departments, and focuses on developing health innovation through keynote speakers, best practices breakouts, peer-led "implementation sandboxes" that enable attendees to navigate through challenges by problem area, and networking opportunities. Learn more here. 

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-Reminder: The International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) Hepatitis C Intervention Symposium is taking place Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. Learn more and register here.

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-Reminder: Save the date for the NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) 2026 International Forum, which will be held as a virtual meeting June 3 through 4, 2026. Stay tuned and learn more here.

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+ NEWS: Fentanyl, Involved in My Son’s Death, Is No "Weapon of Mass Destruction" — Endless "wars" do nothing to save lives from the overdose epidemic, as Susan Ousterman noted in this Filter piece after losing her son to overdose.

She said designating fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction" (WMD), "does not trigger compensation for grieving families. It does not create new funding for overdose prevention or substance use disorder treatment. It does not reduce stigma or change how impacted families are treated by doctors, courts, schools or child-welfare systems."

"Families like mine should not place false hope, then, in a label that will only serve to justify the expansion of the drug war, at home and abroad. Military responses to public health problems will not save lives or heal our pain…There is a critical difference between deliberate mass poisoning and the predictable mass death created by prohibition, an unregulated supply, untreated pain and systemic neglect. When fentanyl is framed as a weapon of war, the policy response shifts toward fear—militarization, surveillance, arrests and incarceration—instead of interventions that keep people alive," she noted.

She continued, "It is far easier, politically and emotionally, to point outward, to blame China, Venezuela or other external scapegoats, than it is to reckon with our own failures. It is easier to frame this crisis as an attack than to confront the truth: Our regulatory systems are deeply flawed, our health care system routinely abandons people in pain, our drug policies push suffering into the shadows and stigma blocks investment in effective care."

Link: bit.ly/NoWMDNonsense


+ NEWS: Supervised consumption site points to 1,900 overdose reversals — Human lives are invaluable. This is why harm reductionists, including those at OnPoint NYC, work every day and night to save lives across our communities. Beyond saving lives — what's most important in our work — harm reduction programs like overdose prevention centers (OPCs) save our communities money by cutting down on ambulance rides, hospitalizations, and other costs as noted in this STAT story.

"The nearly 2,000 overdose reversals, Marcus estimated, have saved New York City’s government over $55 million," the piece reads in part.

"'I know that harm reduction saves lives. I don’t just know it, it’s borne out in study after study, evaluation after evaluation, qualitative and quantitative work, and that is, itself, public health success in action,'" as named in the coverage.

Link: bit.ly/OPCsSaveLivesAndMoneyNYC


+ NEWS: Syringe ban in Phoenix parks triggers debate — We must fight back against policies that cut people off from life-saving health care and related support. Bans on health care — in many forms — continue popping up across the country, and we must stick together to support each other — particularly those who are unhoused and are the most at risk for overdose death.

"This ordinance does not prevent drug use – it prevents intervention...It does not improve safety. It creates gaps where people fall through and sometimes die. I want to remind the Council of something fundamental. The people most affected by this ordinance are also your constituents...You do not get to pick and choose which constituents deserve care protection or public health services, people who are unhoused, people who use drugs, people in crisis, every single one of them is a Phoenician. Our parks do not divide people into worthy and unworthy," this Ahwatukee Foothills News coverage notes.

Link: bit.ly/AZSyringeBan


+ NEWS: Homelessness is a public health emergency, not a PR problem — Safe, affordable housing and accessible health care should be a given across our communities. Instead, our houseless communities are punished and dehumanized for the overlapping epidemics of homelessness and overdose. In San Francisco, CA, the average life expectancy of unhoused people is only 53. That's almost three decades shorter than folks who are housed.

"Behind every statistic is a person who was failed by systems — from health care to housing to human services — meant to protect them. Yet the state’s response often treats homelessness as a nuisance, not a symptom. Instead of investing in permanent housing and care, we pour money into short-term 'clean-up' efforts that push people from one block to the next. San Francisco has spent millions on sweeps that displace residents without addressing why they’re there in the first place: The cost of living, untreated mental illness, substance use and a thin social safety net that leaves people one paycheck, or one health crisis, away from the streets," this San Francisco Chronicle piece names.

Link: bit.ly/HomelessnessCrisisCA


+ NEWS: Harm reduction is not enabling — it’s literally reducing harm — The overwhelming amount of data and folks' lived experiences continues to show harm reduction saves lives and improves individual and community health. As outlined in this InForum op-ed, we must let this reality lead the way in how we approach and ultimately end the overdose epidemic. We cannot afford to slash life-saving programs.

"Let me be blunt: Addiction is here. It is real. It does not vanish because a politician is uncomfortable. What does disappear, however, when these programs are shut down?" the piece reads.

Link: bit.ly/HarmReductionReducesHarmOpEd


+ NEWS: We can’t bomb our way to fewer overdoses — Bombs and other so-called "War On Drugs" tactics will never end the overdose epidemic. Following evidence-backed public health measures and ensuring people have basic living needs met will. As noted by our friend Kassandra Frederique of DPA and James Saenz in this Salon op-ed, we saw a nearly 30% drop in annual overdose deaths in 2024, representing the biggest single-year decrease recorded thanks to health-based interventions.

"These aren’t just numbers. They represent people revived from opioid overdoses with naloxone, people who avoided a fatal dose because they used a fentanyl test strip, and people who stabilized their lives because they finally received methadone or buprenorphine to curb withdrawal symptoms and cravings. We are saving lives because we finally started investing in what works: a health-based approach to drugs. That is why it is inconceivable that instead of expanding these health solutions, the government is gutting them," they noted.

They continued, "the moment we should be doubling down to end the overdose crisis...federal leadership is slashing nearly $1 billion from Medicaid, the largest source of addiction treatment in the country. Hundreds of millions more have been cut from overdose prevention programs, leaving states with fewer fentanyl test strips, less naloxone, and fewer pathways to effective treatment options. Drug research funding has also been gutted, even though the potent, illicit drug supply is changing faster than ever, and demands research into evidence-based treatments, not political theater."

Link: bit.ly/NoBombsToEndOverdose





SECTION 2: Emergent and Exciting Work

+ ENVISIONING AND BUILDING THE FUTURE: As we prepared to close the 2025 chapter, NHRC staff gathered to reflect on the year that was filled with hardship and solidarity while uplifting our hopes, intentions, and areas of focus as we move through the challenges in this new year. We were blessed to be joined by artist Noelia Mercedes, who created the beautiful artwork below capturing our staff-wide conversation of what we envision for NHRC and the wider harm reduction community in 2026 — and how we can show up to make it so.


+ RESOURCES AND REPORTS:

-NHRC is excited to launch two additional online modules free for NYC residents, LGB/TGNCNB 101 and Stigma 101! These modules are self-paced and take approximately 90 minutes. LGB/TGNCNB 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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bit.ly/NHRCNYC
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-Reframe Health and Justice is hosting "Virtual Grief Mutual Aid: Building Practices of Collective Care," a 6-month closed group that will meet once a month during the first week of each month from March 2026 through August 2026. Frontline workers and harm reduction management folks are welcome to apply, and Black, Indigenous/Native, and other People of Color individuals and transgender folks are encouraged to apply. Apply by 5 p.m. ET February 9, 2026.

Link: [link removed]


-SafeSpot has shared a range of free downloadable resources for using their hotline, 1-800-972-0590, when using drugs alone, and other materials to spread the word about its life-saving services across communities.

Link: [link removed]


-The Global Network of Young People Living with HIV and the World Hepatitis Alliance have published a toolkit, "Living Positively with HIV and Hepatitis," for young people. The resource was, "Designed with young people in mind, this toolkit offers clear, easy-to-understand information about hepatitis and HIV. Our goal is to raise awareness, debunk myths, and empower you to make informed decisions about your health. Whether you’re looking to understand the symptoms, learn about prevention, or find out how to get tested, this toolkit is here to support you every step of the way."

Link: [link removed]


-The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Services Report 2024 was released last month, outlining annual data. Read the findings from the report here.

Link: [link removed]


-Harm Reduction Journal published a report titled, "Use of low-threshold naloxone boxes for opioid overdose prevention in a Midwestern US State: a public health program evaluation." The research found that in Michigan counties, "Naloxone boxes are prevalent in some, but not all, counties with high overdose death rates, suggesting the need for data-driven placement to support equitable access. However, stakeholders universally perceived the naloxone box model as impactful and crucial to saving lives, noting that naloxone boxes democratize naloxone distribution through their low-barrier, 24/7 availability and relative anonymity. They noted that amid persistent drug-related stigma, naloxone boxes create opportunities for productive conversations about overdose, drug use, and harm reduction in communities."

Link: [link removed]


-The Journal of Cannabis Research shared findings that show gaps between the experiences of patients and clinical engagement with cannabis. "Drawing on historical context, clinical insight, and emerging evidence, it considers how systemic inequities and professional discomfort shape current practice. Black and Brown communities have borne disproportionate harms from cannabis criminalization, influencing how cannabis use is perceived and discussed within care settings. A harm reduction and person-centered approach provides a framework for clinicians to engage with patients in a more ethical and effective manner. This includes acknowledging cannabis use without judgment, exploring patients’ intentions and experiences, and supporting informed decisions about risks and benefits," the article notes.

Link: [link removed]


-The Sustained Harm Reduction OUTreach (SHOUT) study examined the effectiveness and implementation of mobile outreach services in Baltimore, Maryland, for women who use drugs. Check out the findings here.

Link: [link removed]


-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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+ FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:

-NYC Pride’s "Pride Gives Back" applications are open through February 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Learn more and apply here.

Link: [link removed]


-The Tennessee Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) has opened the 2026 cycle of its Developmental Core Awards.

Link: [link removed]


-Saturday, January 31, 2026, applications are due for the Elevance Health Foundation’s behavioral grant program. To apply and learn more, click here.

Link: [link removed]


-The CARES Foundation is offering grant opportunities to support community-driven HIV prevention, care, and awareness efforts. See more information about the funding here.

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+ TRAININGS AND WEBINARS:


-NHRC is launching the Wyoming Online Learning Series in February for folks in the state and Intermountain West with the Wyoming Department of Health and Wyoming Harm Reduction. To learn more and register for the February 12, 2026 training, "Overdose Prevention and Response," click here. To learn more and sign up for the February 19, 2026 session, "What is Harm Reduction?" click here. Both sessions are scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. MT.

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-The North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN) is hosting the webinar, "An Afternoon with Edith: A Goddess of Harm Reduction" featuring Edith Springer on February 12, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET. Edith Springer, a member of the harm reduction working group that went on to become the Harm Reduction Coalition before becoming the current day National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC), is one of the pioneers of the harm reduction movement in the U.S. Sign up here.

Link: [link removed]


-NHRC is excited to offer monthly Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) Office Hours sessions in English and Spanish, starting next month! English sessions will be hosted the third Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. ET starting February 17, and Spanish sessions will be hosted the fourth Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. ET beginning February 24. These office hours will create space for real-time questions, shared learning, and practical problem solving focused on THR. Each session will focus on a specific topic shaped by the questions participants submit upon signing up. Sign up for the sessions here. Zoom links will be sent out to participants once they sign up. Our latest THR recordings highlighting the foundations of THR and supporting choice and autonomy are up on the NHRC Youtube as well, in case you missed the "live" versions!

Links:
bit.ly/THROfficeHouseSignUp
bit.ly/NHRCYouTube


-NHRC is continuing to roll out tobacco harm reduction (THR) learning opportunities! Our next free webinar, "Supporting Choice and Autonomy: Person-Centered Care and Tobacco Harm Reduction," is happening Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Sign up today!

Link: bit.ly/PersonCenteredTHR


-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, "Syringe Access 101," click here. To sign up for the February 27, 2026 session, "Dismantling Drug-Related Stigma," click here. Stay tuned for updates about our latest Foundational Fridays series! For more information, contact NHRC's Capacity Building + Hepatitis C Coordinator Jose Martinez at [email protected].

Links:
bit.ly/SyringeAccess1012026
bit.ly/DismantlingDrugRelatedStigma


-Our Peer Foundational Training Program is back! This in-person program, hosted at our NYC office, runs from April through June 2026. The free weekly peer sessions, covering a range of harm reduction topics, are held every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an hour lunch break. Peers are expected to attend all trainings to participate. Please RSVP with your name, agency, and phone number by March 20 to NHRC's Community and Capacity Building Manager, Hiawatha Collins, at [email protected] to attend. We hope to see you there!


-Didn’t have the chance to join us for our free "Bridging Care for People Who Use Drugs" sessions made possible by Opioid Response Network (ORN)? Catch them all on NHRC’s YouTube to check out the webinars covering trauma-informed care, the interconnectedness of harm reduction, homelessness, domestic violence, and mental health, and much more.

Link: bit.ly/NHRCYouTube





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.

Link: [link removed]



SECTION 3: Work for the Movement

+ We’re hiring! NHRC is looking for a Housing & Shelter Capacity Building Coordinator (O-PHRESH).

Link: bit.ly/NHRCCareers


+ Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition is seeking an Interim Executive Director.

Link: bmorehrc.org/jobopenings


+ Black Lives Matter (BLM) Paterson is searching for a Harm Reduction Specialist (part-time), Harm Reduction Specialist (full-time), and a Lead Program Manager of Harm Reduction.

Links:
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+ Challenges, Inc. is hiring a Harm Reduction Specialist.

Link: [link removed]


+ Charm City Care Connection is seeking a Development and Communications Director.

Link: [link removed]


+ Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH) is hiring a Community Outreach Specialist.

Link: [link removed]


+ DPA is searching for a California Policy Manager.

Link: [link removed]


+ GLIDE SF is looking for a Case Manager, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).

Link: [link removed]


+ Housing Works is seeking a Harm Reduction Drop-In Manager, Harm Reduction Specialist, and Harm Reduction Community Liaison.

Link:
www.housingworks.org/careers


+ HealthRight360 is hiring for multiple roles, including:

-Licensed Clinical Therapist Manager
-Physician — Addiction and Primary Care (MD/DO)
-Residential Addiction Provider (MD)
-Supervising Psychiatrist (part-time)
-Psychiatrist — Pomona Outpatient
-Medical Director (Pomona)
-Medical Director (San Francisco)

Link: [link removed]


+ The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is searching for a Drug-Checking Technician.

Link: [link removed]


+ North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition is seeking a Chief Operating Officer and a Cumberland County LEAD Program Coordinator.

Links:
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+ OnPoint NYC is hiring for multiple roles, including:

-Creative Arts Therapist

Link: [link removed]

-Drop-In Center Shift Supervisor

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-East Harlem Supportive Services Manager

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-Hepatitis C (HCV) Care Coordinator

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-Mental Health Counselor/Social Worker

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-Navigation Specialist

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-Senior Director of Programs

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+ Steve Rummler HOPE Network is hiring a Overdose Prevention Specialist (Spanish-speaking).

Link: [link removed]


+ Venice Family Clinic is searching for a Harm Reduction Case Manager.

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+ Vermont CARES is looking for an SSP Program Provider.

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+ Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) is seeking board members.

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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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