Thursday, September 24th
WELCOME AND INSTITUTE OVERVIEW
Jesse Milan, Jr.
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Jesse Milan, Jr., is President and CEO of AIDS United a national organization focused on policy, grantmaking, and capacity building. Mr. Milan is a lawyer whose career includes leading HIV programs and organizations at national, regional, and global levels. He has chaired five non-profit boards including the Black AIDS Institute, was AIDS Director for Philadelphia, has chaired federal advisory committees, and serves currently on the Scientific Advisory Board for PEPFAR and on the Infectious Disease Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine. Jesse is living with HIV for over three decades.
Alice Asher
Center for Disease Control (Georgia)
Kelly Stevens
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Kelly Stevens, MSOD, brings almost a decade of experience in organizational development, health research and systems strengthening to her work as a senior program manager on AIDS United's capacity building assistance team. She believes that few things are more important than personal wellness and strives to promote sustainable efforts that challenge inequities in health outcomes and access to care among people of color and marginalized communities. Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Temple University, and her Master of Science in organizational development and leadership with a concentration in organizational psychology from Saint Joseph's University.
On her off time, Kelly serves on the board of directors for HIPS, a Washington, DC based harm reduction organization that promotes the health, rights, and dignity of individuals and communities impacted by sexual exchange and/or drug use through advocacy and comprehensive, low barrier programs and services.
STRENGTHENING HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE MIDWEST THROUGH HARM REDUCTION
Moderator
Zachary Siegel
Health in Justice Action Lab (Massachusetts)
Panelists
Kirsten Bean
Greene County Public Health (Ohio)
Kirsten Bean is an experienced public health professional who has worked as a Greene County Public Health Program Manager for Health Education since 2011. She holds a MPH from the University of Minnesota with a focus on Maternal and Child Health. She began working in public health in the field of HIV Prevention and has since used the harm reduction skills she gained in the HIV prevention field to start programs for IV drug users in Greene County Ohio, including an overdose education and naloxone distribution program and syringe exchange.
Philomena Kebec
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Wisconsin)
Barbara Locke
Community Health Awareness Group (Michigan)
Barbara Locke has over 25 years in public health policy, planning, research, and nonprofit management. She is currently the Director of Prevention Programs with Community Health Awareness Group, responsible for leading a nationally recognized communicable disease prevention program servicing over 2500 high-risk individuals annually. Ms. Locke holds a Master of Science in Administration with an emphasis on Public Health from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences from Michigan State University. Her personal and professional mission is to develop and implement successful programs for minority and other disenfranchised populations, where socioeconomic conditions contribute to health disparitites and health inequities.
COVID-19 RESPONSE AND SYRINGE SERVICE PROGRAMS IN THE MIDWEST
Moderators
Teresa Bedzigui
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Teresa Bedzigui brings over eight years of HIV/AIDS advocacy work. With a background in economics, social justice and grassroots organizing, Teresa approaches the work at AIDS United with great enthusiasm. Rooted deeply within intersectional black feminism, Teresa believes that community based, stigma free approaches to health, focused on preventative care, are key to creating a global AIDS free society. As an immigrant from Yaoundé, Cameroon, Teresa's perspective has always been multinational and intersectional. She believes that immigrant narratives deserve to be heard and valued when discussing HIV/AIDS in the United States, especially as it relates to solutions. Prior to working at AIDS United, Teresa has held positions at the International Monetary Fund, in addition to participating in many national conferences as a speaker and moderator.
Zach Ford
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Zachary Ford is a senior program manager at AIDS United where he oversees the organization's drug user health portfolio, including the Syringe Access Fund. In this role, he manages the grant-making initiative and works closely with grantees to deliver tailored technical assistance and capacity building, focusing on topics such as meaningful involvement of people who use drugs, medial relations, harm reduction 101, federal and private funding opportunities, and grant writing.
Zachary contributes to research and resource development. He is a lead researcher and author on Chemsex 101: Everything You Wanted to Know (But Didn't Know Who to Ask), The Right Hit: Developing Effective Media Strategies at Syringe Services Programs and Bringing Safer Consumption Spaces to the United States. In 2018 and 2020, Zachary compiled analytical reports on the challenges and lessons from syringe services programs in the United States using data from Syringe Access Fund grantee final reports. Zachary also contributed to AIDS United's Meaningful Involvement of People Who Use Drugs fact sheet.
Zachary is a graduate of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. His studies focused on the sociology of human rights movements and the law and policy that propelled and/or resulted from these movements.
Panelists
Brandon Hool
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (Michigan)
Brandon Hool is a Harm Reduction Analyst with the Viral Hepatitis Unit of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Brandon’s role with MDHHS is to support and provide technical assistance in the implementation and operation of syringe service programs (SSPs) in Michigan. Prior to his work with MDHHS, Brandon served as the manager of a comprehensive SSP in West Michigan. Brandon earned a bachelor’s degree in community development from Central Michigan University in 2018. Along with his formal education, Brandon also has a robust history of personal drug use experience, has utilized an SSP for services during this use, and is a person in long-term recovery. He draws heavily on these experiences to guide him professionally.
Jack Loftus
Southside Harm Reduction Services (Minnesota)
Jack Martin is a co-founder and Executive Director of Southside Harm Reduction services. He is Alaska Native and strongly believes in united communities and culture, especially within Harm Reduction.
NETWORKING AND VIRTUAL SOCIAL HOUR
Room #1: Trivia
Carsen Beckwith
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Carsen is a Capacity Building Specialist at AIDS United. Starting on the Fund for Resilience, Equity, and Engagement team, Carsen moved to the capacity building assistance team to pursue opportunities to build into AIDS United's technical assistance and capacity building resources. Carsen comes from a professional background in public health, community engagement, and advocacy for transgender and gender non-confirming populations. Aside from his role at AIDS United, Carsen serves as a steering committee member for the Trans Legal Advocates of Washington (TransLAW), working to increase funding for life-saving name and gender change clinics in the DMV area.
Carsen is a graduate of American University, where he received his bachelor's degree in International Relations. With a focus in Identity, Race, Gender, and Culture, they strove to learn about and cultivate inclusive atmospheres in all advocacy spaces, from healthcare to global policy. Through this degree, Carsen developed his passion for bolstering services for underserved communities, and now aims to create space and power for these communities wherever possible.
Room #2: Deep Dive with the Panelists
Drew Gibson
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Drew Gibson is a policy manager with AIDS United. Building on his background in journalism and social work, Drew hopes to bring a unique perspective to his new job, providing policy and advocacy assistance that is both intriguing and insightful. Originally intending to pursue a career as a substance abuse counselor, Drew was serendipitously placed in a HIV case management internship during his first year at the University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Social Work and has gotten more and more involved with HIV advocacy with each passing year. He is exceedingly grateful to have stumbled into such a fulfilling line of work and cannot wait to find out what experiences and opportunities lie ahead in his time at AIDS United.
Before coming to AIDS United, Drew was a freelance writer for TheBody.com; ran his own blog, Virally Suppressed, which focused on issues related to politics, public health, and social justice; and served as a research assistant at the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Room #3: Virtual Lounge
Jacobi Hunter-Wright
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Jacobi Hunter-Wright serves as a program manager of capacity building for the Strengthening Integrated Approaches in the Midwest Initiative. Prior to joining AIDS United, Jacobi provided program management and evaluation within CBO's in the south specifically for CDC and state projects based in Texas. His research interest are rooted in addressing health disparities within various focus populations, education, HIV, and creating innovative and best dissemination practices to integrally involve every level of public health in providing prevention and care activities.
Jacobi has lived in Texas for the past 7 years as he previously resided in Atlanta. He earned his Master of Arts in English from Clark Atlanta University in December 2015. Previously, Jacobi graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He is currently in his second year of his PhD studies in English with an emphasis on Composition and Rhetoric at the Texas A&M Commerce University.
Friday, September 25th
WELCOME, OVERVIEW, AND RECAP
Kelly Stevens
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
CULTURAL HUMILITY: CONCEPTS & PRINCIPLES
Kelly Stevens
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Carsen Beckwith
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
SSP FUNDING, SUSTAINABILITY, AND LEGITIMACY: NAVIGATING BARRIERS TO MAINTAINING SSPS IN THE MIDWEST (BREAKOUT 1, TRACK A)
Moderator
Chris Abert
Indiana Recovery Alliance (Indiana)
Panelists
Kathy Hewett
Monroe County Department of Health (Indiana)
Kathy Hewett has worked in public health for over 20 years. She currently works at the Monroe County Health Department in Bloomington, Indiana as the Lead Health Educator and public information officer. As one of her duties, she manages the department’s Harm Reduction program and was and is a central player in the development and implementation of the Monroe County Syringe Service Program. She previously worked at the Allen County Health Department as a Disease Intervention Specialist and as a case manager for a social service agency.
Melanie Vehslage
Monroe County Department of Health (Indiana)
Melanie Vehslage, MPH, has worked in public health and social services for the entirety of her career. Following undergraduate studies in Community Health, she worked as a case manager and care coordinator for adults experiencing severe mental illnesses and/or addictions for a large mental health provider and spent time as a case manager for youth experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity for several years. She returned to school, and after receiving her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, she was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work directly with the county’s Syringe Service Program and has been providing direct service and HIV/HCV outreach testing for participants since early 2018. She believes in “any positive change” and hopes to use her combination of direct service work, education, and position within a larger system to educate and advocate for policies and programming to support the health and well-being of people using substances in her community.
Franda Thomas
St. Louis Department of Health (Missouri)
Zac Holmes
Columbus Public Health (Ohio)
BRIDGING THE GAP: EXPANDING THE ROLE OF NON-TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN THE MIDWEST (BREAKOUT 1, TRACK B)
Moderator
Kacey Byczek
Harm Reduction Coalition (New York City, NY)
Panelists
Anna Bosch
Minnesota Department of Health (Minnesota)
Rochelle Feldheiser
Allen County Department of Health (Indiana)
Rochelle Feldheiser Keyes graduated from Indiana University with a degree in biology. She is an HIV Counselor/Disease Intervention Specialist with the Allen County Department of Health where she has worked to nudge individuals to make better health choices for over twenty years. She helped start and build a program specifically targeting individuals with substance abuse concerns. She has served on the Indiana HIV/STD Advisory Council for more than ten years helping to build partnerships in the HIV/STD community. She enjoys collecting shoes and fun t-shirts.
Sam Robertson
Minnesota Department of Health (Minnesota)
Sam Robertson is a community drug overdose prevention coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health Injury and Violence Prevention Section, and studies at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities pursuing a Master of Public Health. Prior to joining public service, he coordinated infectious disease and overdose prevention programming serving Minnesotans who use drugs at a local non-profit in Minneapolis. Sam’s professional and academic interests focus on improving and protecting the health of communities impacted by drug overdose and other health disparities that stem from stigma and discrimination.
Korrin Taylor
Allen County Department of Health (Indiana)
My name is Korrin, and I will be speaking at the SSP Virtual Institute next Friday and wanted to introduce myself. I am a Fort Wayne, IN native and graduate of what was Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (and better named to just Purdue Fort Wayne recently). My background of study was psychology and political science, and I worked at an in-patient community mental health crisis center for several years prior to landing in public health as an HIV/STD Disease Intervention Specialist. One of my roles at the Allen County Department of Health has been providing HIV and HCV testing at our syringe services program (SSP) since the grand opening on November 1, 2016.
ROOTED IN HARM REDUCTION: ALIGNING HEALTH DEPARTMENT SYRINGE SERVICES PROGRAMS WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS (BREAKOUT 1, TRACK C)
Moderator
Laura Pegram
NASTAD (Washington, DC)
Laura Pegram is the associate director of the Drug User Health team. Laura works across NASTAD teams to ensure a drug user health perspective is meaningfully incorporated into our efforts and to improve health outcomes for people who use drugs. She provides technical assistance to state health departments and promotes state and local reforms shown to improve drug user health. Laura has spent the last decade working as a harm reduction service provider, consultant, and advocate in New Orleans, Colorado, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, and DC. She holds Master's degrees in Social Work and Public Health from Tulane University in New Orleans and a B.A. in Cross-cultural Relations from Simon's Rock College of Bard.
SSPS AS ESSENTIAL HEALTH PROGRAMS: RESPONDING TO THE EXPANDING NEEDS OF COMMUNITY (BREAKOUT 1, TRACK D)
Moderator
Zach Ford
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Panelists
Dita Broz
Center for Disease Control (Georgia)
Dita Broz is an Epidemiologist in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where she works on conducting surveys among populations at higher risk for HIV, including people who inject drugs, and on developing recommendations to inform HIV prevention programs. Dita’s public health career began as a volunteer at a syringe services program in Chicago nearly 20 years ago and she’s been working in HIV prevention for people who use drugs ever since. Dita joined CDC in 2009; she holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Illinois, School of Public Health.
Jayme Brogan-Routt
Caracole (Ohio)
Brandon Hool
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (Michigan)
TRAUMA-INFORMED MANAGEMENT AND CARE FOR STAFF: STRATEGIES AND BEST PRACTICES FOR ADDRESSING STACKED TRAUMA (BREAKOUT 2, TRACK A)
Moderator
Jacobi Hunter-Wright
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Panelists
Debra Stanley
Imani Unidad (Indiana)
Sasanka Jindasa
Reframe Health & Justice (Washington, DC)
Sasanka Jinadasa is an advocate and educator in Washington DC working to end the oppression and criminalization of people who experience social stigma and state violence. Their work centers Black and brown people, queer and trans people, women and femmes. Sasanka currently provides training and technical assistance through Reframe Health and Justice, a full-service national consulting collaborative, creating spaces/analyzing organizations/producing documents for change-makers in the public and private sector. Sasanka loves cats, manicures, Toni Morrison and Missy Elliott.
COLLABORATION IN ACTION: BUILDING EFFECTIVE AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS (BREAKOUT 2, TRACK B)
Moderator
Kirsten Forseth
NASTAD (New York)
Kirsten Forseth is a senior manager on the Drug User Health team. Kirsten provides technical assistance to state health departments and community-based organizations to ensure the effective integration of harm reduction and drug user health approaches. She has worked in governmental public health for over six years developing policies and programs that improve the health and well-being of people who use drugs. Kirsten earned her M.P.H. at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and her B.A. in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Oxford.
Panelists
Chris Abert
Indiana Recovery Alliance (Indiana)
Steve Alsum
The Grand Rapids Red Project (Michigan)
Amanda Scott
Detroit Recovery Project (Michigan)
Amanda Scott, MPH, is the Prevention Program Director at Detroit Recovery Project. Amanda is a person in long-term recovery and has a great passion for the underserved. She has worked in the field of prevention for two years. She feels strongly that services should be accessible to those in need, where they are. She works diligently to help decentralize services in Detroit. Her biggest hope is to remove barriers to care reducing health disparities in Detroit, specifically among using populations.
CULTURAL HUMILITY AT WORK: EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF CLIENTS WITHIN URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES (BREAKOUT 2, TRACK C)
Moderator
Drew Gibson
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Panelists
Calvin Hillary Hylton
Indigenous People's Task Force (Minnesota)
Elizabeth Onizma
Equitas Health (Ohio)
Chad Sabora
MO Network (MIssouri)
NEW AND EMERGING NEEDS: AN OVERVIEW OF SSP FUNDING AND SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (BREAKOUT 2, TRACK D)
Moderator
Emma Roberts
Harm Reduction Coalition (New York)
Panelists
Jack Loftus
Southside Harm reduction Services (Minnesota)
Brandie Wilson
Chicago Recovery Alliance (Illinois)
Mark Jenkins
Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition (Connecticut)
VIRTUAL WORLD CAFÉ (BREAKOUT 3: GROUP WORK)
Moderators
Moya Brown-Lopez
New York Capacity Building Assistance (New York)
Moya Brown-Lopez, MPH/MS, MCHES - Moya is from Maryland and has been living in NYC since 2006. She is trained in public health and healthcare delivery leadership and is currently Director of Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) within the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene's Bureau of HIV. She has been working in health education, HIV prevention, and harm reduction for almost twenty years, providing direct service to clients and delivering training and technical assistance to various health department and community-based staff. Moya
Aunsha Everett-Hall
California Prevention Training Center (California)
Aunsha Hall-Everett has over 15-years of experience in Human Services and Public Health, with a strong focus on community empowerment, organizational wellness, and health promotion. Aunsha has facilitated strategic planning meetings for health departments, AIDS-service organizations (ASOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and grassroots coalitions – strengthening their growth and sustainability by re-imagining and promoting visions of ending the HIV epidemic. Aunsha prides himself in using participant-friendly and collaborative approaches to identify opportunities addressing gaps in services or social determinants, further increasing health literacy, promotion, and efficacy to combating HIV.
Drew Gibson
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Tobeya Ibitayo
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Tobeya is a Capacity Building Specialist at AIDS United working with the Getting to Zero Initiative. He brings experience in qualitative research, direct client service, and curriculum design and implementation. Previously, Tobeya was a Federal Insurance Navigator at the Missouri-based nonprofit, Saint Louis Effort for AIDS, where he provided health insurance literacy education and enrollment services through a state-wide network of service organizations and clinics. He has also served as a Teach For America corps member in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and as a math instructor with Blueprint Schools Network in East Saint Louis, Illinois.
Tobeya received a BA in Anthropology and African & African American Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.
CLOSING
Kelly Stevens
AIDS United (Washington, DC)
Zach Ford
AIDS United (Washington, DC)