Join us on August 28, 2024, at 2 PM EST for a special event in honor of Overdose Awareness Day.
This virtual event will feature panelists who will share the vital work they do, the profound impact the overdose epidemic has had on their communities, and how their work supports survivors of gender-based violence experiencing substance use.
We will also take time to honor and remember those we have lost to this tragic epidemic here in the United States. This event is an opportunity to learn, reflect, and come together in solidarity and support.
About our Panelists:
Jami Wilson, TADC, Training and Technical Assistance Specialist at NCDVTMH (Moderator)
Jami’s diverse background includes working with foster youth, adults in medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and human trafficking survivors. Prior to joining NCDVTMH, Jami provided Office on Trafficking in Persons-funded training and technical assistance to programs serving US and Indigenous survivors of human trafficking. She also worked as a Substance Use Counselor in medication-assisted treatment programs for people with opioid use disorders. In 2018, Jami graduated from the Human Trafficking Leadership Academy, a fellowship led by the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center.
Bettina Johnsen, STAMINA Program Coordinator at Harm Reduction Sisters
Bettina is a 44-year-old Native American woman from the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation in Cloquet, Minnesota. A single mother of three daughters, she is a survivor of domestic violence and has been in recovery from methamphetamine use for over four years. Passionate about making a positive difference, Bettina finds purpose in sharing her experiences to inspire hope in others. She joined Harm Reduction Sisters in Duluth as the STAMINA Program Coordinator in March 2024, where she continues her mission of supporting those facing similar challenges.
Bettina’s commitment to community extends beyond her professional role. She actively participates in community events and speaks openly about her journey to break the silence surrounding addiction and domestic violence. In her free time, Bettina enjoys outdoor activities with her children and fiancé, including hunting, fishing, and kayaking.
“I continually speak my story, so that others don’t have to suffer in silence.”
Mike Brown, President & Founder of Never Use Alone
Mike is a person in recovery from a chaotic relationship with IV opioids and meth. A harm reductionist from Tennessee, in 2019, Mike created the world’s first official virtual overdose prevention site called Never Use Alone. Never Use Alone is a peer-run, toll-free, US National Overdose Response Line that people can call when they’re alone and using, with no one to call for help if they need it. Never Use Alone has taken over 47k calls and alerted EMS to a caller’s location on more than 180 occasions. Mike firmly believes that connection is the key to recovery, and that all people should be free to recover in whatever way they feel is best for them.”
Isabel Klompus, LMSW, Social Worker
Isabel Klompus, LMSW is a social worker at the SPARC Center in Baltimore. Her work is rooted in the values of harm-reduction, low-barrier access to care, abolitionist social work and a love for the city of Baltimore and the people in it.
Danny Clawson, MPH, Executive Director at Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition
Danny Clawson has 15 years of experience in public health advocacy and organizing. They currently serve as the executive director of Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition, which serves 1,500 participants in Southwest Virginia. As the State Outreach Manager for the LGBTQ advocacy organization, Georgia Equality, they coordinated the public response to Georgia’s Medicaid and healthcare marketplace waivers, substantially changing the content and impact of Georgia’s healthcare policy while continuing to advocate for full Medicaid expansion. They also led the effort to decriminalize HIV and protect trans youth from harmful policies at the state legislature.
They received their MPH from Emory University in 2017 and was awarded the Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship and the Presidential Management Fellowship while there. Prior to pursuing their master’s degree, Danny worked in Cameroon, designing, and implementing a health program that served 1,600 students in rural settings. Danny has also worked for five years in addiction treatment services and is passionate about serving vulnerable members of the community. Having lost a family member to HIV, they have dedicated their career to preventing the spread of HIV through sex behavior and injection drug use. They specialize in community health education, sexual health education, and community mobilization.