Harm Reduction: Learn from Yesterday, Protect Tomorrow

Representatives from local harm reduction organizations such as The Everywhere Project, PA Groundhogs, Prevention Point, and the PA Harm Reduction Network will lead a panel discussion on substance use, the history and scope of harm reduction, with a focus in Philadelphia. Students will have the opportunity to explore a resource fair, receive training on reversing opioid overdoses, and create a self-care plan in the event they administer Naloxone (Narcan). Attendees will receive Narcan.

Panelists include:

• Jen Shinefeld, The Everywhere Project 
• Shannon Ashe, The Everywhere Project 
• Christopher Moraff, PA Groundhogs 
• Carla Sofranski, PA Harm Reduction Network 
• Shawn Westfahl, Prevention Point 

Light refreshments will be provided. Email TUWellness@temple.edu regarding accessibility and dietary restrictions.

This is a Suitable event, and students can earn points for attendance.

This event is sponsored by the College of Public Health and the Wellness Resource Center.

The Everywhere Project
The Everywhere Project (TEP) began in 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to an increased need for harm reduction support among rapidly increasing overdose rates. TEP serves Philadelphia, PA and the surrounding counties. In just three years, TEP has distributed over 1.5 million meals to neighbors in need. TEP has helped dozens of individuals seek treatment for substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and housing. TEP also provides clothing, hygiene supplies and more!

•  Jen Shinefeld, MS (she/her) was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Everywhere Project, a Philadelphia-based Harm Reduction non-profit organization. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health and Master’s Degree in Epidemiology and Biostatics, from Temple University. She is a seasoned Public Health professional and Harm Reductionist, who works with organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. Jen worked in HIV research for 10 years, working with individuals at high risk for contracting HIV. For the last four years, she has dedicated herself to working with people who use drugs and other vulnerable populations. Jen implemented Philadelphia’s city-wide drug checking program, a drug user health user health survey, and a number of other research projects to better help the health and wellness of the most vulnerable communities in Philadelphia. She is currently collaborating on a statewide drug checking program, PA Groundhogs. She conducts behavioral and ethnographic research among PWUD in the tri-state area. All of Jen’s work is rooted in the fundamental belief that all persons deserve to be treated with dignity, compassion, respect, and kindness. 

• Shannon Ashe holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Shippensburg University and a master's degree in social work from Temple University. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she operates a small private practice and serves as a co-founder of the Everywhere Project. Alongside her professional commitments, Shannon is also the primary caregiver to her one-year-old daughter. Shannon specializes in providing supportive therapeutic services through a harm-reduction lens, working with individuals who use drugs and those affected by substance use. Together with her co-founder, Jen Shinefeld, she has developed and distributed harm-reduction-focused educational materials that are utilized both nationally and internationally.
  

PA Groundhogs
PA Groundhogs, founded in 2023, employs mass spectrometry technology through its affiliation with the Center for Forensic Science, Research & Education (CFSRE), in Horsham, PA, to develop regional profiles of Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply, analyze changes in drug purity & composition, and identify new psychoactive substances in an effort to proactively alert Pennsylvanians who use drugs about strong batches, new synthetic analogs, and potentially dangerous contaminants. PA Groundhogs has analyzed nearly 700 samples from Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply, issued 10 public health alerts, and identified two new synthetic drugs never seen before in the US. 

• Christopher Moraff is a journalist, ethnographer, and public speaker, nationally recognized for his work on the overdose crisis, illicit drug markets and culture, and novel psychoactive substances. Christopher holds two degrees from Temple University: a bachelor's degree in Sociology and another in Journalism. As a founder of the organization PA Groundhogs, Christopher has helped test hundreds of drug samples for harm reduction and surveillance purposes. Additionally, he serves as an opioid policy consultant and has advised Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health (PDPH) on the introduction and distribution of fentanyl test strips within the city.  

PA Harm Reduction Network
The Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network (PAHRN) emerged from a collective effort by passionate advocates who recognized the urgent need for a statewide grassroots organization dedicated to advancing harm reduction on principles in Pennsylvania. The network’s journey began following the closure of the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition in 2021. PAHRN serves to organize and build power across Pennsylvania to end overdose deaths, drug-use related incarceration, the spread of HIV and HCV, and the many other harms inflicted upon people who use drugs in Pennsylvania and those who love them. PAHRN works for change through collaboration, advocacy, public education, information sharing, and supporting access to harm reduction resources & supplies. PAHRN envisions a future where Pennsylvaians who use drugs are treated with dignity and compassion; and our drug policies are built on principles of equity, self-determination, bodily autonomy, and public health. 

• Carla Sofronski is a widely recognized leader in harm reduction and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the PA Harm Reduction Network (PAHRN). PAHRN advocates for evidence-based public health policies that prioritize compassion, harm reduction, and equitable drug policies. Carla's diverse background in housing, disability rights, harm reduction, and recovery informs her effective leadership at PAHRN. Her passion for this work stems from personal experiences, including the loss of loved ones to preventable overdose deaths. Carla's advocacy has been instrumental in driving policy change and promoting evidence-based public health approaches, including her successful advocacy for drug checking legislation.
  
  
  

Prevention Point
Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) was founded by ACT UP Philadelphia and began operations in North Philadelphia in 1991. Prevention Point seeks to promote health, empowerment and safety for communities affected by drug use and poverty. Prevention Point is working towards a world in which there will be social and economic justice for disenfranchised people and behaviors such as drug use will be viewed as ever-present parts of the human experience. Prevention Point aims to provide services and support to reduce the harm associated with risky behavior readily available through social service and public health systems that are welcoming, nonjudgmental, and non-criminalized.

• Shawn Westfahl is Prevention Point Philadelphia’s Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Coordinator. Shawn’s interest in public health started in 2007 when he started volunteering in Philadelphia to provide free services for those experiencing homelessness. In January of 2011 Shawn began his journey in learning about emergency medicine. Later that year he was trained in how to use Narcan and soon afterwards reversed the first of many opioid overdoses. Shawn has been at Prevention Point for nearly seven years. In his current role, Shawn is responsible for managing a team that provides education, harm reduction counseling, and access to life-saving tools such as naloxone and fentanyl testing strips to people who use drugs (PWUD). Shawn is also a certified Basic Life Support instructor. Shawn’s Overdose Prevention team conducts training and education throughout Philadelphia with a focus on PWUD. The team also provides training to providers, parents, partners, peers, and other advocates.