Jesse Harvey #MOBILIZERECOVERY

What brings you to mobilize recovery?

I was looking forward to the trainings, as well as the connecting with other advocates around the country.

What were your takeaways from the event?

That it’s alright if I sometimes feel like I don’t fit in. I have a lot of beliefs that people say go too far. Values around harm reduction, value of human life and liberty, freedom. A lot of what we learned today redoubled my commitment to all of those things.

Jesse Harvey, #MobilizeRecovery

What do you see as the work in front of you, now as a mobilize recovery leader, and also as a leader in the harm reduction movement?

I see (that) my duties include strengthening the landscape of services and resources that are available to people who use, or who have used drugs.

Do you see any work that needs to be done to bring the recovery and harm reduction community closer into alignment?

Several great organizations, including open societies foundation, harm reduction coalition, and multiple drug users union are already trying to bridge the gap. HRC and OSF hosted a series of discussions on this topic, with advocates from both the recovery and harm reduction communities.

Was there anything else that you space to share your thoughts? It was very reassuring being here and seein eing in recovery, even abstinence-based r ore competencies of the harm reduction a pproach. Something else I would add is t hat, we need to confront this issue from m ultiple angles. We shouldn’t just be r erhaps opposing sides. To come together, a nd for that to be all that’s needed . The n onprofit industrial complex, healthcare, t he government, they need to do s omething. They needed to do something 3 0 years ago. It’s crazy that former and c urrent drug users are leading the charge t arginalized for doing so.

wanted to add?

I think it sounds cliché to say this, the recovery community has a long, long way to go, before it really truly understands the principles of harm reduction, and harm

Jesse Harvey, Westgate Resort, Las Vegas

Was there anything else that you wanted to add about your experiences here, or anything else outside ofhere, while I’m offering you a

"Who would’ve thought at #mobilizerecovery that the intersectionality of harm reduction and recovery was right around the corner the whole time. Good times with Jesse Harvey, and a hopeful ending to the first #mobilizerecovery. To infinite and beyond!"- Mikey G

g so many people here who identify with b ecovery, who already possess many of the c elying on a community of peers from what h ave been viewed , up until this point, as p owards evidence-based compassionate c are, while being criticized , oppressed and m reduction as a recovery pathway.

Jesse Harvey & Michael Galipeau #MobilizeRecovery