Sessions
Keynotes
Presenters: Maya Doe-Simkins; Kaylee Butts
People who use drugs (PWUD) have always adapted to adversity, demonstrating perseverance through innovation and creativity in the context of an ever changing drug supply and the changing presentation of overdose that accompanies. Remedy Alliance is a national nonprofit supplier of overdose prevention options from naloxone, to canned oxygen, to drug checking implementation technical assistance. Because we work with hundreds of programs, our knowledge of diverse harm reduction strategies allows us to understand the changing presentations of overdose and the adaptive responses that PWUD across the country have innovated. Advances in drug checking technology have provided a greater understanding of the unregulated drug supply. Remedy Alliance has provided continued national and local support to syringe service programs and people who use drugs through our technical assistance programs, virtual drop in hours, training materials, and distribution of crucial supplies. Through active communication in our virtual drop in hours with programs nationwide, Remedy Alliance is able to discuss effective innovations being used on the ground in different regions to better support people who use drugs. For example, syringe service programs in southern states began using canned oxygen in unusual overdose events, accessing drug checking services provided the “ah ha” moment to identify BTMPS, medetomidine, nitizines, and other emerging adulterants in the supply, and a clever program in a wintery state developed advice on different forms of naloxone when they freeze. Effective harm reduction strategies are created through needs in our communities in order to better serve people who use drugs and Remedy Alliance assists to amplify regional innovation. Please join us for a discussion of creative solutions to both emerging and everyday problems that PWUD and the organizations that serve them have developed.
Presenter: Eleanore Kue, MD
This session presents a clinically informed, family-centered harm reduction model designed to support individuals and families experiencing intersecting crises, including housing instability, mental health disorders, substance use, and involvement with the criminal legal system. The approach prioritizes stabilization, safety, and engagement as measurable harm reduction outcomes. Using case-based examples from community practice, the presenter will describe the application of harm reduction principles through street outreach, court accompaniment, crisis intervention, and coordinated care across healthcare, justice, and social service systems. Emphasis is placed on reducing immediate risk, preventing service disengagement, and supporting continuity of care during periods of acute instability. The session will also address the clinical impact of stigma, structural inequities, and system fragmentation on BIPOC and justice-impacted populations, and discuss trauma-aware, ethical strategies for improving access, engagement, and stabilization outcomes. This presentation is intended for clinicians, harm reduction practitioners, and community professionals seeking practical, evidence-aligned approaches to stabilization and harm reduction in complex, high-risk settings.
Presenter: Bree Rowe, CPRC
Sex Work City Hall is a 60-minute interactive civic forum that equips harm reduction and public health professionals with practical, sex worker affirming strategies grounded in Detroit, Michigan, and the Midwest. Using the pillars of Wisdom, Outreach, Kindness, and Empowerment, participants examine how stigma, criminalization, and surveillance shape safety and access to HIV and hepatitis C prevention and care for people who trade sex. Attendees complete a structured language audit to replace stigmatizing phrases with harm reduction communication that strengthens trust, consent, confidentiality, and retention. Small groups work through Midwest based scenarios drawn from outreach, healthcare, crisis response, and service navigation, then apply trauma informed and low barrier strategies to identify immediate actions and systems level improvements. The session concludes with a City Hall vote and commitment process where participants leave with three role specific practice commitments and one agency recommendation to reduce harm and improve engagement. The workshop also highlights partnership pathways with sex worker led and sex worker serving organizations in Detroit and across the region.
Breakout Sessions
Presenters: Elaine Engelsman, DNP; Nikki Wesorick
Michigan has dedicated efforts to improve access to evaluation and treatment for individuals with hepatitis C. To reduce barriers related to linkage to care, a creative model of care was designed and implemented through the Michigan Department of Human Services (MDHHS). The state health department hired a nurse practitioner to provide telehealth services to patients across all counties within Michigan. Data showed us where we needed to pilot this project and through early successes, has been expanded state-wide.
Presenter: Deidre Hurse, PhD
This session explores how deficit-based narratives within healthcare and social service systems shape the experiences of people impacted by substance use and those who support them. When individuals are defined primarily by risk, diagnosis, or perceived noncompliance, stigma becomes embedded in policies, programs, and everyday interactions. These narratives influence who receives care, how services are delivered, and whether people feel safe enough to engage and remain connected to support. Drawing on public health research, medical education scholarship, and community-based harm reduction practice, the session examines how deficit-focused framing operates at individual, organizational, and system levels. Examples from recent studies on health literacy, provider attitudes, and reproductive health decision making are used alongside broader harm reduction and stigma literature to show how narrative framing affects trust, disclosure, and continuity of care for people affected by substance use. The session also centers asset-focused narratives that recognize survival, self-knowledge, and resilience as strengths rather than shortcomings. Participants will explore practical ways to shift language, practices, and expectations in clinical settings, outreach programs, and policy environments. The goal is to support harm reduction approaches that are grounded in dignity, autonomy, and sustained relationships, and that better reflect the realities and priorities of the communities they serve.
Presenters: Branda White, MS, BSN, RN, CAADC, CPRC; Cindy Wolfinger, BSN, RN, CPN; Anna Holeman
Strengthening collaboration between a Syringe Services Provider (SSP) and Local Health Department (LHD) can help increase vaccination uptake to mitigate health risks in marginalized communities by:
- Coordinating outreach efforts to reach underserved or high risk groups
- Sharing data and insights to identify areas with low vaccination rates
- Providing consistent, trusted messaging about vaccine safety and benefits
- Offering accessible vaccination clinics through joint planning
This partnership improves access to preventative care in vulnerable populations to support people’s health where they are, by improving access, boosting awareness, and building confidence in vaccination programs.
Presenters: Carrie Ullery-Smith; Kim Johnson; Jeff Lange; Marina Bigger
Co-facilitated by individuals in long-term SUD recovery through Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s Sexual Health Ambassadors (SHA) program; this training will help attendees understand the connection between recovery, sexual health, shame, and stigma. SHA’s want to empower attendees to talk to their clients about sexual health and give them the resources they need to feel comfortable doing that. Sexual behavior has long been stigmatized which can lead to intense feelings of shame, guilt, rapid declines in self-esteem, and an inability to choose healthier behaviors. Working to reduce the shame and stigma of sex in early recovery helps to remove barriers, supporting those in early recovery as they build the confidence necessary to set sexual and relationship boundaries. We believe that focusing on a more inclusive approach to the messages treatment and recovery programs are giving clients about sex and relationships – an approach that includes opportunities to educate clients on abstinence as well as consent, supportive relationships, STIs, contraceptives, and barrier methods like condoms, can empower clients to make healthier decisions for themselves. We believe that these are important tools to support long-term recovery.
Presenter: Emily Henderson
Emily will be presenting on the latest updates in the harm reduction policy space on behalf of the Michigan Overdose Prevention Coalition. She will provide an overview of recent policy developments in Lansing and teach attendees how to become an advocate for change by connecting with and educating elected officials.
Presenters: Patsyanna Torres; Carlee Kremski, MA, LLPC, CAADC, CCAR
Focuses on how recovery isn’t just about abstaining from substances. It’s about creating a life that feels meaningful, safe, and fulfilling. It emphasizes that substaniable recovery comes from addressing trauma, rebuilding relationships, improving livability and developing tools to navigate real- world challenges, so life feels worth living rather than something to escape.
Presenter: Amy Miller
Employment is increasingly recognized as a protective factor for people who use drugs and those in recovery. This session explores how employment services can be delivered using a harm reduction framework within substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings, with a specific focus on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.
Participants will learn how IPS principles such as zero exclusion, rapid job search, integration with treatment, and individualized supports, align with harm reduction values by prioritizing autonomy, dignity, and practical stability without requiring abstinence as a condition for participation. Drawing from implementation experience with SUD providers, this session will highlight common challenges, misconceptions, and strategies for integrating employment services into clinical environments while maintaining safety, fidelity, and person-centered care.
This session is designed for providers (e.g., support specialists and recovery coaches), harm reduction practitioners, and systems partners seeking practical approaches to supporting employment as part of a comprehensive harm reduction strategy.
Presenters: Ashley Park; Liliana Melgoza; Zoe Siegel; Zoe Chen; Lauren Bradford
Lower-extremity and foot concerns disproportionately affect people experiencing homelessness (PEH), with studies reporting foot pathology in 9-65% of individuals and up to two-thirds endorsing ongoing foot pain or concern. Common conditions, including calluses, nail disorders, fungal infections, wounds, and vascular complications, are frequent yet poorly addressed due to barriers such as transportation, stigma, and limited access to podiatry services. Despite their prevalence, practical foot care skills are rarely taught in medical training, highlighting a gap to reduce preventable harm while equipping learners with high-yield triage, procedural, and interpersonal skills that are directly applicable in street, shelter, and emergency care settings. This interactive session presents a student-run, street-based foot care model as a harm reduction strategy informed by evidence from systematic reviews and outreach-based podiatry programs. Drawing on 2025 data from three Michigan medical student-run street medicine teams, the session demonstrates how foot care delivered in street and shelter settings addresses a documented gap in care, reduces pain, and creates opportunities for early intervention and longitudinal engagement. Participants will engage in hands-on skill stations focused on assessment, triage, and basic foot care techniques applicable to harm reduction and outreach contexts.
Presenters: Samuel Halfmann; Dr. Jennifer Harrison, PhD, LMSW, CADC
This interactive workshop explores how to develop and implement effective workforce development programs that strengthen peer professionals’ capacity to promote health and wellness among individuals with opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. Participants will learn from the federally funded SUPPORT program, which provided training, mentorship, scholarships, and structured professional development to 44 Recovery Managers and Peer Support Specialists throughout Michigan. The session demonstrates how Recovery Support Services, a critical but often missing component of the ASAM continuum of care, can be strengthened through intentional workforce investment. Attendees will explore practical tools including Goal Attainment Scaling for measuring personal and professional growth, strategies for building peer learning communities that reduce isolation, and methods for supporting career advancement among peer professionals with lived experience. Real-world outcomes will be shared, including data showing 94.7% training attendance, mean goal achievement of 2.3 points over 15 weeks, and qualitative findings where 80% of participants connected their motivation to their recovery journey and 70% viewed the program as a pathway to career advancement. This session equips participants with concrete approaches to build programs that honor the unique strengths peer professionals bring: including cultural responsiveness, community connection, and the ability to promote health through authentic relationships.
Presenters: Brandon Hool
As Michigan enters its fourth year of opioid settlement distributions, understanding the complex flow of these “once-in-a-lifetime” funds is critical for harm reduction stakeholders. This session provides a high-level overview of the $1.8 billion slated for Michigan, breaking down the 50/50 split between state and local government shares. Attendees will gain clarity on the strategy behind state investments, the progress of investments made to this point, and plans for the future of addressing substance use in Michigan.