The Harm Reduction Action Center serves more than 1,100 clients affected by injection drug-use every year. HRAC (formally known as the Harm Reduction Project/Drop-In Center) is a recognized expert in providing HIV & Hepatitis C prevention programming, using harm-reduction principles to reduce the negative consequences of drug use impacting individuals, families and the larger community. Harm reduction enables us to meet drug users "where they're at," addressing the conditions of use along with the use itself. The Harm Reduction Action Center develops personal relationships with clients, guided by compassion, mutual respect, and evidence-based solutions, empowering clients to reduce the harmful effects of marginalized lifestyles.
Beginning her career in nursing home administration but soon moving into the world of non-profits, Lisa had the opportunity to participate as an AmeriCorps VISTA at an HIV/AIDS agency in California at their syringe exchange. This experience changed her life and led to her embrace of harm reduction principles. “Thirty-six states and sixty countries operate legal syringe exchanges, the Harm Reduction Action Center certainly isn’t trying to be revolutionary, just logical.”
Past work experiences, besides the syringe exchange, that brought Lisa to her dream job include overnight homeless shelter coordinator, training workshops for ex-offenders, development work at a domestic violence agency, and a former campaign manager for a County Supervisor. Passions include, in her spare time, community advocacy, political organizing, reproductive rights, prisoner rights activism, social justice, syringe exchange, homeless rights, ex-offender literacy, and voter registration coordination specifically targeting former felons, the homeless, and women.
Originally from Chicago, Lisa holds a Bachelors Degree in Communications & Women’s Studies from DePaul University.
Please contact Lisa at lisa.harm.reduction@gmail.com if you would like to support the Harm Reduction Action Center in any way.
Ruth has been integral staff member for our agency since 2003. She has been running our Safety Counts intervention for the last six years. As a certified tester for HIV and HCV, Ruth is our Senior Health Educator for our Safety Counts program, conducting group and individual-level interventions at our Center. Ruth has built great referral connections with other agencies and has developed a strong bond with the unique population we serve.
Ruth has been working to both enrich the lives of injection drug users while also being part of the efforts for disease prevention through education both onsite and offsite through community outreach. Ruth enjoys reading, playing with her kitty and gardening both at home and at HRAC.
Raised in Seattle, WA, her background is health education within Mexico and the U.S. with diverse populations including those with major mental illness, refugee status, and those living in motels. Stephanie feels that withholding opportunities to reduce personal/public health risks from individuals who will not/can not stop using is a social justice issue. She is outraged that a syringe exchange is so controversial in Colorado and serves on the local task force working to pass legislation.
She cites her early 1990’s work in AIDS-related hospice as the catalyst for her initial interest in harm reduction. She believes that harm reduction principles allows health service providers to build trusting and productive relationships with injectors. “Part of this work requires we meet injectors ‘where they are’ rather than demand they stop using. I love being a part of the HRAC team holding this level of compassion and I see its positive effects every day. Our clients really feel that we care for them as human beings, no matter what goes on outside the doors of our place”.
Stephanie holds a Bachelors in Medical Anthropology, a Masters in Public Health and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).
Jennifer Abbott, MA, LPC, CACIII
Psychotherapy, Supervision, Consulting
Private Practice
Boulder, CO
www.AbbottPsych.com
Marla Corwin, CACIII
HIV/AIDS Educator
Mountain Plains AIDS Education and Training
Aurora, CO
Terri Hurst, MSW
Director of Public Policy
Colorado Behavioral Health Council
Linked In
Fowler Knoll
Community Activist/Writer
Denver, CO
Stephen Koester, Ph.D.
Professor/Researcher
University of Colorado at Denver
Denver, CO
Dr. Jamie Van Leeuwen, Ph.D.
Project Director, Hickenlooper's Gubernatorial Campaign
Associate Faculty, University of Denver
Denver, CO
Linked In
Les Crispelle, JD
Retired Attorney
Denver, CO
Jean Finn
Recently Retired, Planning and Resource Management Program, STD/HIV Section
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Denver, CO
Vernon L.
Community Activist/Active IDU
Denver, CO
Katie Symons
Homeless Services Consultant & Formerly with Denver’s Road Home
Denver, CO
Interested in serving on the HRAC board? Please contact Lisa Raville for more information.
This Board was created to provide consultation to HRAC’s upcoming syringe access program.
Drew Zackary
Student – University of Colorado Denver
Former EMT – Denver Health
Denver, CO
Layla DeSteffany
Denver Police Department – Homeless Division
Denver, CO
Abi Beer
Beer Real Estate Group
Denver, CO
Audrey Vincent, RN
Denver CARES Detox
Denver, CO
Pam Clifton
Communications Coordinator
Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition
Denver, CO
H.M.
Active Injection Drug User/Community Activist
Denver, CO
S.T.
Active Injection Drug User/Student
Denver, CO
Malia Davis, ANP-C
Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Services Director
Stout Street Clinic
Denver, CO
Kathy Messer
Homeless Outreach Worker
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Denver, CO
Josh Wise
Crisis Intervention Response Team
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Denver, CO
Matt Ignacio
Program Coordinator
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
Denver, CO
Bryan McNair
Health Information Systems
Financial Analyst at Arapahoe House
Denver, CO