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.
  • If you or your organization needs technical assistance, please get in touch.
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    EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL PRODUCTION.  BY AND FOR PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS.
      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 everything 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.
    • The series is a customizable series of cards, posters and social posts in English and Spanish. Click here to view the full site.







      Heather Edney | 2024