Oct 10, 2022
I have worked in the health care field since
2004 in a variety of positions ranging from bodywork, medical
billing, harm reduction, HIV and hepatitis C testing and
counseling, case management, housing programs (HOPWA and Ryan White
Part B), outreach, assertive community treatment (ACT) case
management for people experiencing homelessness, psychiatric case
management, drug and alcohol counseling, program development, grant
writing and management, and I am a certified peer recovery support
specialist. I completed my Master of Arts in Anthropology
(with a focus on medical anthropology) at the University of Nevada,
Reno. My graduate research focused on the ways in which
harm reduction as a counter discourse helped to frame and maintain
the radically inclusive social space of a local syringe services
program for people marginalized and excluded elsewhere.
I have been in recovery since February 2002. I am passionate
about peer recovery, overdose prevention, harm reduction, and
helping others achieve their full potential of living a purposeful
life. I am a program specialist for the county’s Human
Services Agency, work as a research assistant at the University of
Nevada’s School of Community Health Science doing harm reduction
research, serve as the chair for the Interagency Council on
Homelessness to Housing, conduct volunteer harm reduction
outreach in my community and volunteer serving meals to people
experiencing homelessness.
I also founded a writing group called Voices of Inspiration,
Courage, and Empowerment (VOICE) for people experiencing or
recovering from homelessness. I am excited about pursuing
a DrPH to advance my knowledge and skill set in this
field and enhance the ability for people without a voice to engage
in participation in public health dialogue.