The Merits of Harm reduction | Melissa Byers | TEDxGrandePrairie
Melissa shares her family’s personal story of addiction and how harm reduction plays a much more significant role to recovery than people realize. She works in the trenches of the current opioid epidemic and her perspective to the issue. Melissa Byers is the Executive Director of Northreach Society, a harm reduction focused organization supporting vulnerable populations in Northern Alberta. Starting as a front line worker, she has seen the social changes that have come with the intensification of the opioid crisis.
Her leadership role at Northreach (then HIV North) began as opioid fatalities across Western Canada rose dramatically. She learnt quickly how to implement life-saving programs and how to navigate community crisis. The Northreach team has created a wrap-around care model supporting people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness. Her passion lies in supporting all members of community.
A world traveler, Melissa has explored twenty-three different countries; her favorite being Tanzania. Her curiosity for people and culture was sparked as a teenager on her first trip to Mexico. This interest in understanding how other cultures live brought her to study anthropology on Vancouver Island. Her studies and travels have taught her how to connect with culture through a non-judgemental lens which has lent itself well to her professional career.
Melissa believes social change is possible and believes in the power of community based approaches to solve social issues. When we all work together, anything can happen. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Пікірлер: 13
I love your passion and love for all people in our community. We are very fortunate to have such a compassion human like you amongst us. I am honored to know you
I am so glad to see you talking about harm reduction and bringing it to the forefront of conversation! Living in a small community where NOBODY wants to acknowledge there is even IV drug use happening - I sadly know first hand because my son & basically all of his friends now have Hep-C bc they shared their needles even knowing there were some already positive bc they couldnt get them easily or at all in our small town. Thank you for your work and all you do helping everyone try to understand the situation
Thanks for talking about your personal story, addiction deeply and harm reduction.
This is such a great thing to have in a community like Grande Prairie. The healthcare system has really failed these people and the answer is not throwing them back into the shadows. It has SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN benefits for individuals and communities. You can't argue statistics. As Canadians, we need to face this problem head on and this is a good start.
The fantastic speech, really well said. Best regards!
There is an epidemic of spiritual emptiness and relational alienation. Jesus Heals these and Makes you new
i work in a shelter. harm reduction has actually caused a rise in drug use. i cannot get on this bandwagon of harm reduction being the answer. we need rehabilitation, not just a place for drug users to use safe needles. safe injection sites also promote drug deals to go down.. its not the answer. sorry.
@mattdrake7694
3 жыл бұрын
I'm alive and sober because of harm reduction.
@waltuhx3x3
8 ай бұрын
Tell that to the countless peer reviewed studies that promote harm reduction. Maybe you guys should re-work your program and look at within. Harm reduction saves lives