TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
- I provide training and technical assistance to organizations preparing to implement harm reduction services, including syringe service programs and naloxone distribution programs.
- As a founding member of the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC) and the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN), I have over 30 years of experience in the movement as an organizer, coalescing diverse groups of stakeholders whose role it is to safeguard the immediate and long-term viability of harm reduction services in our communities.
BEVEL UP
- In the early 1990’s, I co-founded one of the first needle exchange programs in the US. As a young person who used drugs, I was blown away by the lack of information on how to stay safe. So me and my friends started creating ¼ sheet flyers with tips on vein rotation, the water hierarchy, rescue breathing—basically evreything that we were dealing with on a day to day basis. We then went on to create a series of zines called junkphood which was all about technique.
- It was around this same time that I co-authored Getting Off Right with Rod Sorge and Synn Stern. The first edition of this book was published by the Harm Reduction Coalition in 1998.
- A lot has changed since then - both in the way we consume drugs and the way we consume information. But one thing remains the same - more of us are dying than ever before because the drug supply is unregulated. Until that changes, it’s on us to share what we know.
- In 2021, I was commissioned by NASTAD to create a safer use resource that updates current harm reduction guidelines, taking into account an increased presence of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in the drug supply.
- Staying true to DIY ethos and my belief that safer use information should be open source, I created Bevel Up. This resource is a mash-up of messages and recommendations from current and former users and health care providers.
- With funding from the CDC, Bevel Up was designed with SSPs in mind. The series is a customizable series of cards, posters and social posts. Click here to view the full site.
- Project Lead: Heather Edney | Design and Layout: Heather Edney | Illustration: Zach Weiss and Suzanne Shifflett | Graphic Design: Nina Madjid | Content Creators: Heather Edney and Joanna Berton Martinez | Content Contributors: Lillie Armstrong, Joy Rucker, Paula Santiago, Maya-Doe Simkins, Eliza Wheeler, Van Asher, and The Fentanyl Collective |Special thanks to Elika Upadhyay, Billy Golden, Kacey Byczek, Robyn Learned, Gina Musa, Amanda Reese, Ry Dalporto, Jessica Martinez, Nora Fuller, Christine Rodriguez, Kirsten Forseth and NASTAD Drug User Health.