What does harm reduction mean to you? It's a question with many answers and those answer are spurring on workers at Dream.org. The national organization is hosting meeting across the state centered around Public Health is Public Safety.
Kentucky Senior Campaign Organizer, John Bowman says they want to help start conversations and foster empathy and compassion dealing with substance use and mental illness.
Dream.org hosted a meeting in Hopkinsville Wednesday featuring speakers from Georgetown Police Department's Community Recovery Support Team, Franklin's Live The Proof, Black Leadership Action Coalition of Kentucky, and VOCAL-KY. Georgetown Officer Patrick Nevitt says the program offers a unique opportunity and they had to relearn a lot of things.
Live The Proof Founder Tammie McCory agreed saying he has to listen to the participants he is sheltering and not try and dictate their needs.
The different groups are working to reduce incarceration and increase recovery as well as address underlying issues. Bowman adds his 24-years of active addiction taught him harm reduction comes in many forms.
He says the next Dream.org event will be in Lexington August 21st in Lexington, KY, but urged those interested in diving into the issues further to attend VOCAL-KY's Town Hall in Hopkinsville July 30th from 5-7pm at the Silo.