9th - Harm Reduction Coalition

9th
National Harm Reduction Conference
FROM PUBLIC HEALTH TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
Keith Brown, Associate Executive Director of Catholic Charities AIDS Services in Albany, NY has been working in HIV/AIDS and
Harm Reduction for over twelve years. Keith spearheaded the establishment of the first Syringe Access, Syringe Exchange, and
Overdose Prevention program in the Capital Region of New York State. The program, Project Safe Point is the only one of its kind
in this part of NY, covering a large 14 county geographic region.
Brown, Angel, HIPS, Washington, D.C.
angel@hips.org
Maintenance
Their usage cannot do so by abstaining. At HIPS, we offer a daily “maintenance group” where our participants can receive
goal setting skills, education and support centered around their particular drug of choice while at the same time, also meeting
their needs whether it’s to eventually abstain from using or finding a way to “manage” their drug use rather than have
their drug use “manage” them. We would like to propose running an hour long 1-2x daily mixed gender Maintenance Group
alongside the traditional NA/AA groups offered at the conference this year.
Stages of Change
A short workshop on how to apply the stages of change to manage your drug use.
Angel Brown came to HIPS as a full time volunteer in 2009, giving as many as thirty-five (35) hours each week of her time. She
was invited to join the Peer Education Program and has grown through that program to her current position. Angel provides oneon-one
counseling, HIV testing and linkage, assistance with referrals and works with HIPS Diversion Program.
Cardoso, Antonio, St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA
theantibully@comcast.net
Decriminalization of Substance and the Family
One of the most serious issues confronting family stability and cohesiveness is substance use/abuse. This paper is focused
on the decriminalization of substance use. The use of substances attacks the core of the family creating dysfunction. This is
compounded if the family member is charged criminally or incarcerated and given a record. Stigma becomes an inevitable
challenge both parties have to address. Stigmatization begins with labeling a person a criminal and leads to alienation from
friends and family. The user who is criminally charged has a good chance of never being able to recover socially or financially
no matter how much education or skills they learn. They are felons. The criminal record leads to children being taken away
from parents, denied a stabile family unit and becoming unwanted in society. Family Therapist may want to begin a discussion
of decriminalization as a mechanism for bolstering the family unit and creating a healthier family atmosphere in the
United States. In over thirty years Dr. Cardoso have developed experience in health policy, research, education, health promotion,
and public health; as well as an understanding of service programs and programs that increase access to services.
Dr. Cardoso has had the opportunity to provide technical support on the design and execution of demographic, social and
health systems research tools and procedures for state, federal and private research agencies. He has leadership for the
design of studies on the quality and accessibility of primary health care services and participated in collaborative research,
capacity building activities, program development in the United States through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), The
National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD), the Office of National Drug Control; Policy (ONDCP), the National
Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA), the Research triangle Institute (RTI), Maternal and Child Health and the Center
for Substance abuse Treatment (CSAT). The research and programs in which Dr. Cardoso was involved consisted of medical,
social and behavioral health determinants. All of these research projects were longitudinal in nature.
In over thirty years Dr. Cardoso have developed experience in health policy, research, education, health promotion, and public
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