Conversation 31 - From Judgment to Support: How Harm Reduction Saves Lives

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AmandaLynn Reese has dedicated her career to creating positive change in her community, a Cincinnati, Ohio native and a graduate of the Ohio State University. She is the Chief Program Officer at Harm Reduction Ohio (HRO), a national government affairs consultant, and subject matter expert (SME) specializing in harm reduction, naloxone access, and policy development. 

Growing up in rural Appalachia with parents who struggled with substance use disorder, AmandaLynn witnessed firsthand how systems fail the people they claim to serve. Ohio is consistently in the top 5 rankings for overdose deaths, yet substance use is seen as a ‘moral failing;’ we need to move away from a ‘criminalization’ mindset and expand our window of tolerance. As both a professional and a person with lived experience, she's working to transform our understanding of harm reduction from a mere public health strategy to what it truly is—a powerful social justice movement built by and for marginalized communities.

For counselors working with substance-using populations, AmandaLynn offers transformative guidance on language, approach, and mindset. She reminds us that people who use substances often carry trauma not just from their personal experiences but from systems that have repeatedly failed them and even possible traumatic brain injury (TBI). It is her hope that  harm reduction work, essentially a social justice movement, will lift those who experience societal judgements and cultural misconceptions surrounding substance use to a platform where they can ‘step into their power’ to finally be heard, respected and understood. 

AmandaLynn challenges us to have uncomfortable conversations about accountability—both personal and systemic. "Where did we mess up? Where did we fail?" she asks, reminding us that true healing requires honesty about harm. Through her compassionate perspective and practical wisdom, she shows us that when we meet people where they are, we don't leave them there—we walk alongside them toward whatever their vision of a healthier life might be.

Resources:

• https://www.harmreductionohio.org/ 
• https://www.streetsafe.supply/
• https://neverusealone.com  
• https://safe-spot.me/

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Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee: Marisa Cargill,  Kendra Thornton, Leah Wood, Victoria Frazier, and Linda Marcel-Rene

·Hosted by Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

·Closing song: Accretion Discotheque by Who AD