OUR MOVEMENT IN MOTION
March 27, 2025


SECTION 1: News and Announcements

+ 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) on March 4. 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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+ MEMORIALIZING LOVED ONES LOST TO OVERDOSE: The weight of losing loved ones to overdose is heavy. We have lost so many people, who each had love, dreams, laughter, aspirations, joy, wisdom, and care to share with the world. They were deeply missed this past Black Balloon Day, and are missed every day. They should be here. We're holding their memory and the broken hearts of those they left behind close.


+ GENDER-AFFIRMING HARM REDUCTION TOOLKIT FOR SSPS NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH/REDUCCIÓN DE DAÑOS CON ENFOQUE DE AFIRMACIÓN DE GÉNERO AHORA DISPONIBLE EN ESPAÑOL: NHRC’s Lighthouse Learning Collective’s resource "Gender Affirming Harm Reduction: A Toolkit for Syringe Service Programs" is now available in Spanish! This toolkit was created with Trans Equity Consulting and is designed to help organizations strengthen engagement with Transgender, Non-Conforming, and Non-Binary (TGNCNB) communities. Lighthouse has dedicated this work in memory of trans visionary Cecilia Gentilli, who supported Lighthouse’s vision for the project.

The toolkit includes:
-An organizational assessment to identify areas for improvement and growth
-Key information on chemsex, overdose response and prevention, sex work, more inclusive sexual health stories and more
-Self-reflection questions to guide understanding
-Resources to keep learning and expand knowledge

We thank viento izquierdo ugaz and ari jáuregui for their beautiful translation and for helping us find amazing resources in Spanish.

El recurso, Reducción de Daños con Enfoque de Afirmación de Género: Caja de herramientas para programas de servicios de jeringas, ¡ya está disponible en español! Esta caja de herramientas ha sido creada colaborativamente por Trans Equity Consulting y está diseñado para ayudar a las organizaciones a fortalecer el compromiso con las comunidades transgénero, género no conforme y no binarias (TGNCNB, por sus siglas en inglés). Lighthouse ha dedicado este trabajo en memoria de la visionaria trans Cecilia Gentili, quien apoyó la visión de Lighthouse para el proyecto.

La caja de herramientas incluye:
-Una evaluación organizativa para identificar áreas de mejora y crecimiento
-Información clave sobre chemsex, respuesta y prevención de sobredosis, trabajo sexual, historias de salud sexual más inclusivas y más.
-Preguntas de autorreflexión para facilitar la comprensión
-Recursos para seguir aprendiendo y ampliar conocimientos

Agradecemos a viento izquierdo ugaz y ari jáuregui por su hermosa traducción y por ayudarnos a encontrar increíbles recursos en Español.

Link/enlace: [link removed]


+ HIV IS NOT A CRIME: It's 2025, and we will have laws in many U.S. states that criminalize people living with HIV. Criminalization is not an effective or appropriate response to public health, whether that be in relation to drug use or HIV/AIDS, and criminalizing people violates their human rights. These kinds of laws disproportionately target and harm Black people, LGBTQIA+ folks, and sex workers — communities that are already marginalized and face health disparities. NHRC stands firmly in solidarity with people living with HIV and AIDS. We see you. You are valid and valued. We'll continue fighting for you, well beyond HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day, held at the end of each February.


+ BUILDING COMMUNITY ACROSS MOVEMENTS: At NHRC, love is our nature and interconnection is our strength. Harm reduction and other social justice movements are deeply intertwined, and we are stronger together. Together, we can continue building community — including online! With more folks changing how they use social media and some leaving these platforms altogether, we hope you’ll consider forwarding our e-newsletter to friends to help us continue expanding the harm reduction movement. Encourage your loved ones to join the movement today!

Link: bit.ly/NHRCEmailSignup


+ REQUEST FOR LIVED EXPERIENCE STORIES: The Department of Emergency Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis is looking to gather folks’ lived experiences being affected by what they’ve overheard medical providers say about them, and how that exposure to stigma or positive language has influenced them. These experiences will be shared as part of an immersive audio-only simulation that is intended to help paramedics and physicians better understand both positive and negative patient experiences during naloxone recovery after opioid overdose. While the department had responses locally in St. Louis, the group is looking to hear from folks around the country from as many backgrounds as possible. Interviews can be done over Zoom, and individuals’ choices of how stories are shared (via video or audio clips or quotes) will be respected. Participants’ privacy wishes to be identified by name, pseudonym, or anonymously will also be respected. For more information, email K. Arrianna Thompson at [email protected]. 


+ CONFERENCES AND EVENTS: 

-Calling providers working in the prevention, treatment, and recovery spectrums! NHRC is launching its first Harm Reduction Learning Hub, a 9-month project starting this April, where 30 participants will have the opportunity to gain new knowledge, ramp up their skills, and strengthen community bonds with other providers looking to deepen their harm reduction know-how. Participants will receive a certificate for the number of contact hours upon completion. Connect with like-minded providers to learn from and build community with and sign up today!

Link: bit.ly/HarmReductionLearningHub


-In case you missed it: The annual National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium is being held May 12 through May 15, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn more and register today here.

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-Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is hosting a four-part virtual panel series, "New Drugs and Markets: Meeting the Challenge of a Changing Drug Policy Landscape," continuing this April through May.

The remaining sessions on Thursdays are as follows:
-"Addressing Myths, Misinformation, and Real Harms," April 10, 3:30 p.m. ET
-"Understanding Drug Markets," May 8, 3:30 p.m. ET
-"Scaling Up Drug Checking, Envisioning Safe Supply, and Exploring New Horizons," May 29, 3 p.m. ET

Links:
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+ NEWS: Cuts would have major impact on Maine center helping people with HIV, AIDS — To lose HIV/AIDS funding for critical, life-saving care is to threaten the lives of millions of people. While this coverage focuses on how proposed federal cuts would impact people in Maine, this is an issue nationwide — and indeed across the world. On National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and every day, we must stand up for health care for all people as a human right.

"To be 40 years into an epidemic and feel like you’re getting sent right back to the beginning and having these same conversations and engaging in these same arguments and fights for funding and support is maddening and terrifying," as noted via WMTW-TV reporting.

Take action with our friends at AIDS United here.

Links:
bit.ly/HIVCareCuts
bit.ly/protect-CDC


+ NEWS: Medicaid Plays a Key Role in Preventing Overdoses — Life-saving health care should be accessible for all. Medicaid in particular is a life-saving program that makes health care access possible for over 80 million people, including folks who take medications for diagnosed opioid use disorder (MOUD). Cuts to this program would lead to more deaths, including overdose fatalities.

As noted in this The Progressive Magazine piece, "Congress must see the indispensable role of Medicaid in reducing overdose deaths, and not haphazardly freeze lifesaving federal grant programs that also provide medication treatment to the uninsured. Otherwise, the opioid overdose crisis will only get worse. Those affected by overdose deaths simply have experienced the unfathomable. More than 320,000 children have lost a parent to overdose over a decade and have experienced an aftermath of trauma and pain. Members of Congress should honor those children and others who have lost by remembering that there are lives that have yet to be saved—especially through Medicaid."

Link: bit.ly/MedicaidODPrevention


+ NEWS: Drug Policy and Rights Groups Decry Senate Passage of HALT Fentanyl Act — As we have seen play out for several decades, the so-called "War on Drugs" leads to more deaths, destruction, and life-long health harms. Science, evidence-backed data, and folks' lived experiences must lead the way in ending the overdose epidemic. Our loved ones and entire communities deserve so much more. Read the piece by Common Dreams here.

Link: bit.ly/HALTFentanylActDangers


+ NEWS: Community "Bad Batch" Alerts Contrast With Algorithmic OD Prevention — When people most impacted by drug use and overdose lead the work to safeguard their communities, more lives are saved, the health and well-being of folks is improved, and trust is strengthened. Through SOAR Initiative's community-run "bad batch" alert system, as covered by Filter, the results speak for themselves.

"'These are coming from real people, and most of our alerts are coming from people who use drugs...It’s not coming from a computer system, just analyzing trends and putting that out. It’s coming firsthand from drug users.' By leveraging the community’s collective expertise, SOAR often gets word of overdose spikes or high-risk substances before public health catches on. This allows its outreach workers to respond to risks quickly."

Link: bit.ly/CommunityBadBatchAlerts


+ NEWS: Inside Rhode Island’s Pioneering Overdose Prevention Center — We're thrilled Rhode Island's life-saving work at the nation's first state-sanctioned overdose prevention center has officially begun! These centers have proven to save lives, improve public health, and foster community in the U.S. and abroad — where these life-saving programs have operated for decades. We commend the tireless community members and harm reductionists who poured their time, energy, and heart into making this latest OPC a reality.

"The thing I keep telling everybody is that harm reduction has always been hard. This fight was never easy, it’s not made for the week. And we gotta get through some way, somehow. This time we just need to hold each other up. We’re going to keep on keeping on," Ashley Perry said, who serves as Project Weber/RENEW's deputy director and OPC co-director via Filter.

Link: bit.ly/RIOpensOPC


+ NEWS: Baltimore eyeing NYC model of supervised drug use in effort to prevent overdose — A holistic, health-based approach to saving lives from overdose works. When people are cared for and receive the services and health support they need, they're far more likely to not only stay alive, but thrive. OnPoint NYC's life-saving work is a testament to that, and the organization serves as a model for other organizations across the U.S. looking to develop overdose prevention centers and other programs for people who use drugs and others in the community.

OnPoint NYC's Executive Director, Sam Rivera, said via this WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore coverage, "'The community said they don't want public drug use. We agree, by the way. See? We are not at odds about that. (The community said), 'We don't want paraphernalia in the community.' We agree. They don't want their children to have to see this. We agree...We know everything that our folks are using. It is synthetic and unpredictable. The only true prediction we are seeing right now is that people are dying at alarming rates.'"

Content note: Problematic language (stigmatizing language) used in one instance in coverage.

Link: bit.ly/BaltimoreOPCs


+ NEWS: Desperate for Drug Treatment: Readers respond — Jail is not a solution to health issues. People who use drugs should be able to access stigma-free, voluntary treatment at no cost if they so choose. As several folks wrote in response to a recent piece in The New York Times, treatment must be accessible to all who seek it out — no arrests attached.

One of our friends from DPA, Brian Pacheco, shared, "When Mr. Kristof’s friend Drew sought prison for treatment, he was desperate for help. Jail just happened to be the option in front of him. This illustrates just how out of reach addiction treatment is, with long wait lists, high costs, poor conditions and not enough providers. In jails and prisons, drugs are still available, effective treatment is rare, and overdoses occur. People can also cycle in and out of jail, ending up back on the street without meaningful care or support. Incarceration isn’t a solution when it also harms and kills people."

Content note: One of the "to the editor" responses in the compilation includes problematic language (stigmatizing language), though the overall message is important.

Link: bit.ly/NYTPieceResponse


+ NEWS: WV Senate bills would make opioid treatment, syringe exchange programs illegal — Legislation to make life-saving programs including drug treatment and SSPs illegal will lead to a devastating increase in overdose deaths. This deadly shift comes at a time when we are already losing scores of people to overdose. Support for people who use drugs must be expanded to end the overdose epidemic, not shut down and deemed "illegal." Read more about these life-threatening proposed changes via WBOY 12News coverage.

Link: bit.ly/WVThreatsOnTreatment



SECTION 2: Emergent and Exciting Work

+ DAY OF ACTION FOR AND BY SEX WORKERS: NHRC’s partners DecrimNY joined sex workers, harm reductionists, LGBTQIA+ and racial equity groups, immigrant justice groups, and legislators at the New York State Capitol to advocate for the passage of Cecilia’s Act For Rights in the Sex Trades (S2513/A3251) (Salazar/Souffrant Forrest). The bill, as described in this press release, would "decriminalize adult consensual sex work, vacate prior convictions and empower workers."

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+ KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: NHRC’s National Program Coordinator, Harmony Seaburg, facilitated an overdose response training at Fordham University, where she also distributed life-saving naloxone kits and fentanyl test strips. Of the over 50 people in attendance, 36% of attendees were between 13 and 19 years old, and 55% were between 20 and 29 years old. As calls grow for more trainings about overdose reversal and prevention for younger folks, NHRC reminds communities we offer both in-person and virtual trainings on an array of harm reduction topics. Check out our offerings and book a training today!

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+ RESOURCES AND REPORTS:

-JAMA Network has published a study, "Law Enforcement Drug Seizures and Opioid-Involved Overdose Mortality," which shows these seizures were associated with significant upticks in fatal overdose risks in the days following the operations. The journal also shared "Racial Equity in Urine Drug Screening Policies in Labor and Delivery," a study that examined "the association of removing isolated cannabis use and limited prenatal care as approved order indications for urine drug screening with racial parity in urine drug screening and reporting to child protective services in a hospital labor and delivery unit."

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-Vital Strategies has shared a data brief titled, "Left Behind: Black Overdose Rates Surge as National Deaths Decline." Read more here.

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-DPA has shared its report, "From Crisis to Care: Addressing Addiction, Mental Health, and Homelessness through Health and Supportive Services." See the report.

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-Harm Reduction International has published its report, "The Death Penalty for Global Offences: Global Overview 2024." Read the report here.

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-Sage Journals published a study that looked at patient-provider relationships with people with HIV who use drugs and the integration of harm reduction approaches. Read the full study here.

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-NHRC’s Online Learning Center includes on-demand courses, including Foundations of Harm Reduction, Overdose Prevention and Response, Engaging People Who Use Drugs, and more. NHRC also offers free modules for NYC residents in English and now Spanish, which cover safer use, stimulants 101, and wound care. ¡Chequea los nuevos módulos en Español sobre Uso Seguro, Estimulantes 101, y Cuidado de Heridas!

Links:
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bit.ly/NYCHarmReduction


-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:

-The North Star Fund is offering NYC and Hudson Valley organizing grants, with a deadline of March 31, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET.

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+ TRAININGS AND WEBINARS:

-NHRC’s Peer Foundational Training Program returns! This in-person program, hosted at our NYC office, runs from April through June. The free weekly peer sessions, covering a range of harm reduction topics, are held each Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an hour lunch break, lunch provided. Peers are expected to attend all trainings to participate. Please RSVP to NHRC's Community and Capacity Building Manager, Hiawatha Collins, at [email protected] by April 7 to attend with the subject line, "Interest in foundational training spring 2025." We hope to see you there!


-NHRC's Lighthouse Learning Collective's series is back! The series features dynamic, thought-provoking sessions designed to inspire and equip attendees with actionable knowledge to deepen their engagement with harm reduction to better support queer and trans people who use drugs and engage in sex work. The remaining planned webinars will be held on Fridays through June, and select sessions may be recorded.

Mark your calendar for the next session of the series, "Sex Ed for Kink: Harm Reduction Strategies for Nonconventional Sexual Practices" on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Sexual health is health, full stop. This virtual session will focus on safety with kinks and fetishes. The risks of more conventional sexual practices are routinely discussed. We should be addressing kInk the same way. During this training, we’ll talk about some of the most common types of kinks, risks associated with each, harm reduction, and consent and negotiation, which may be more complex when it comes to certain kinks. The goal of this session is to improve health, safety, and enjoyment for folks who engage in kink, and help professionals gain an understanding of risk reduction. This training will offer ASL and Spanish interpretation. Register for the training here, and see more about Lighthouse and its upcoming sessions, including the rescheduled "Chemsex 201" training now taking place May 2 here.

Links:
bit.ly/LLS2025-3
bit.ly/LLS2025-2
harmreduction.org/our-work/action/lighthouse-learning-collective/


-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 "Compassionate Overdose Response" on April 8, "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, "Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) 101," click here. To sign up for the April 25 session, "HIV/HCV 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/MOUD1012025
bit.ly/HIVHCV2025


-NHRC is collaborating with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Massachusetts chapter and the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation for a three-part webinar series, "Building Safer Spaces: Harm Reduction in Action." The sessions will include free CEUs. Sign up for the webinars here.

The sessions are on Tuesdays as follows:

-"Co-Occuring Disorders, Trauma, and Addiction," June 3, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET
-"The Psychopharmacology of Drugs," June 10, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET
-"Working with Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence: Redefining Trauma through a Harm Reduction Framework," June 24, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET

Link: [link removed]



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

+ The Aliveness Project is looking to fill its Registered Nurse and Accounting Manager roles.

Link: [link removed]


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

Link: [link removed]


+ Challenges, Inc. SC Harm Reduction Services is seeking summer interns.

Link: [link removed]


+ DPA is seeking a Movement Building Manager and Director, Criminal Legal and Policing Reform-Movement Building Manager. The organization is also offering a Summer Internship — Research & Academic Engagement.

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+ End Hep C SF is searching for a Program Coordinator.

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+ The Grand Rapids Red Project is looking to fill its Recovery Coach and HIV Medical Case Manager roles, and is also looking for board members.

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

-Building Coordinator

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-Fleet Coordinator

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-Harm Reduction Specialist — Winnebago (mobile health unit)

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-Director of Low Threshold Services

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-Part-time Holistic Health Specialist

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+ San Francisco AIDS Foundation is hiring a Health Educator.

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+ RIZE Massachusetts is searching for a Chief Advancement Officer.

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

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+ Texas Harm Reduction Alliance is hiring for several roles, including:

-Outreach Worker
-ReEntry Housing Navigator
-ReEntry Peer Support Specialist

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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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