District Best Practice Session #3: Fentanyl Harm Reduction Awareness Education Project
Thursday, September 14
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Alpine Ballroom
The Desert Healthcare District, in partnership with Riverside University Health System -Public Health, has created an action plan to address the high overdose deaths plaguing the Indio community through a harm reduction education framework that leveraged existing community partners already providing an array of support services to those at most risk for potential overdose and death.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will be introduced to the Fentanyl Harm Reduction Awareness Project.
- Attendees will better understand the strategies applied utilizing a harm reduction framework to increase vulnerable community member awareness of the dangers of Fentanyl and how to employ harm reduction supplies to assist those experiencing an overdose event.
- Attendees will understand the outcomes gained from the implementation of this project and the identified elements that can inform future expanded project implementation of this type in other communities.
Presented by Alejandro Espinosa & Jana Trew, Desert Healthcare District
Alejandro Espinoza serves as the Chief of Community Engagement for the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation and as a faculty member at California State University, Fullerton, where he teaches community health education. He previously served as a Program Director of Chronic Diseases and Special Projects at Latino Health Access (LHA) in Santa Ana, CA. He serves on multiple committees and various governing boards, providing his expertise and knowledge of community-based participatory research, health and wellness programs, and the utilization of the community health worker (promotora) model within underserved communities.
Alejandro Espinosa, MPH, Chief of Community Engagement
Jana Trew, MS, joined the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation staff in 2021 as the senior program officer for behavioral health. Since joining the district, she has coordinated the development of the regional Coachella Valley Behavioral Health Collective with the goal of improving behavioral healthcare access, programs, services, and workforce expansion. Ms. Trew also represents the district in a partnership with Riverside University Health System – Public Health to address fentanyl harm reduction in the Coachella Valley. She brings to the job more than a decade of professional experience with an emphasis on behavioral health support services in Southern California.
Jana Trew, MS, Senior Program Officer- Behavioral Health