Heather Edney

As Executive Director of the fourth authorized syringe exchange program in the United States, Heather Edney has developed harm reduction services that prevent opioid overdose, HIV and viral hepatitis for over thirty years. She is a founding member of the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC) and the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN). In 2013, the Obama Administration invited Edney to serve as a member of the SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention Working Group, which led to the first federal resource promoting overdose prevention. Today, she develops and implements fundraising and communication strategies for homeless providers in Skid Row. Edney also provides training and technical assistance for organizations launching SSP’s. Most recently, she designed an open-source digital and printable resource on safer drug use techniques and alternate modes of administration. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) distributes Bevel Up to programs and health departments providing syringe services in the U.S.

heatheredney.com

@junkie_ephemera