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Marylin Arevalo, MPA, MSW was born & raised in Yuma, AZ. She was drawn to SPW after working in various areas of social work where she witnessed how people who use drugs are systemically stigmatized by those who should be helping them. Utilizing her background in social work, program operations, data analysis, & the hiring process, her passion is to put the “human” back into human resources to ensure staff serving underserved populations are supported in the best way possible. When she is not at SPW, she enjoys practicing self-care by reading, gardening, cooking, spending time outdoors, & exercising

Tonantzin Carrasco is a proud mother of seven children working towards a bachelor’s degree in Drug & Substance Abuse Counseling and Harm Reduction. She is empathetic towards individuals who are battling addiction due to her own experience that almost led to her losing her precious children. Tonantzin has been sober for seven years, is raising her seven beautiful children and is continuing her education. She is motivated to help others find a better life just as she did. Initially, Tonantzin worked as an HROW volunteer leading to her current position with Sonoran Prevention Works to help curb the opiate crisis in our communities.

Kat was born and bred in Tucson, Arizona. She has a passion and a heart for those who use drugs, are affected by drugs and who are criminalized for drugs. With lived experiences over multiple generations, history of incarceration and drug use, she now is fueled by her past to empower and advocate for harm reduction strategies and frameworks. She joins SPW with a desire to promote the health and dignity of individuals and communities impacted by drug use and racialized drug policies. She believes that harm reduction creates the bridge for chances at impactful and transformational connections. In her free time, she enjoys the two most important things too her: faith and family.

Belle Fierro, MPM, brings extensive experience in leading, supervising, and developing harm reduction, disease prevention, and social service programs to the SPW team. As a queer woman of color raised in the resource-poor town of Berino, New Mexico, Belle is not only professionally, but personally invested in the successful health outcomes of minority populations. Her passion for harm reduction is fueled by her family experience with the war on drugs, and by her love for serving others. In her spare time, Belle enjoys spending time with her family, playing guitar, and riding her motorcycle.

In 2012, Kayla left her hometown in New Jersey behind for the Sonoran Desert heat. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from The University of Arizona and has been working for non-profits in Tucson since graduating. Kayla has extensive experience (both personally and professionally) with things like behavioral health, domestic violence, substance use, and syringe access programs. Her most recent job doing sex education, HIV and Hepatitis C testing ignited a passion for reproductive and healthcare justice. The intersection of Harm Reduction and Healthcare is where she is most comfortable. Finding the Harm Reduction Community in Tucson has been formative for her, and she is so excited to continue being a part of it as part of the SPW team! You can catch her obsessing over plants and aquariums in her spare time–and hanging out with LOTS of animals.

Isacc Garcia was born and raised in Yuma, AZ. Their experience of being a queer sex worker, personally and generationally affected by the harm and stigma associated with drug use and living within oppressive structures such as white supremacist delusion & capitalist patriarchy all inform their work as a harm reduction outreach worker. They have experience in various fields including hospitality/nightlife, agriculture, and the food + beverage industry. Outside of work they enjoy learning about anti-oppression frameworks and strategies from various activists and thinkers, searching for the best mariscos, DIY home spas, being a grocery store enthusiast, and napping. They believe harm reduction is a vital path to healing and a way to counteract punitive and oppressive forces in the world.

I am Jalen Redhair, Harm Reduction Outreach Worker, and member of the Navajo Nation. I have over 10 years of public health experience in Arizona and have worked directly with other federal, state and local agencies, including tribal governments. I received my bachelor in Public Health: Health Sciences at Northern Arizona University and currently in graduate school. My goals are to bring awareness and education about drugs and harm reduction to everyone, while being mindful of cultural practices and past traumas. My own lived experience with substance abuse (alcohol) and inherent passion to help people has lead me to SPW. I am blessed to serve the northern Arizona communities and look forward to working with a diverse group of people in a very special time in history. When I am not working or going to school, I enjoy time with my son, DIY projects and eating mutton with frybread.

Lisette Geraldo relocated to Arizona from their hometown of NYC in 2016. Lisette has 10+ years experience working with disenfranchised folks through her work in case management, advocacy and organizational leadership. Because she has witnessed and experienced domestic violence and substance use first hand, she has devoted her life to empowering folks who have had similar experiences to take control of their own lives and make decisions that are right for them. As a harm reductionist and Overdose Prevention Coordinator, Lisette hopes to provide the tools to destigmatize substance use and help the community get the resources it needs to support its members.

Katalina Olea’s hometown of Nogales, Arizona is the reason for her love and commitment to raising awareness and supporting those affected by health disparities. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with her degree in Health Science, concentrating on Public Health. Her studies have empowered her to dedicate her time to helping individuals attain health equity by volunteering, internshipping and working with organizations who strive for the same outcomes. Katalina is proud and excited to continue stoking her passion with Sonoran Prevention Works as one of Maricopa County’s Overdose Prevention Coordinators.

A long time Arizona resident, Cori joins SPW with a background in mental health.

Cori has found her work with SPW to give her life long work in assisting peoples needs to be the most practical. Rather than “going by the book, where some bureaucratic board decides what people need, SPW lets people decide what they need, and we meet them where they are at in life, offer services curtailed towards what best suits what they want, not what we think they need.”

When she is not working, Cori likes to hike various parts of Arizona, practice the art of woodburning, spending time with her family.

Julien is ecstatic to be a part of the Sonoran Prevention Works team. Mutual aid and self empowerment have been key factors to where they are today. They started harm reduction in his own life to help hold down a job and keep themselves out of jail. What started off as a way to survive the punitive and biased justice system, became a passion for empowerment and autonomy. They strive to combat misinformation around people who use drugs, while helping empower individuals in their community based on their needs at that moment. Outside of this fulfilling work they enjoy dance arts, nature, and bringing their dog with them wherever they can.

Born and raised in Phoenix, Camille’s lived experience with disability and substance use has made her a fierce advocate for those forced to live on the margins. She is happy to be part of a rad community organization like SPW that is actively reducing the greatest harm that people who use drugs face: stigma. When not hitting the pavement to hand out supplies, Camille enjoys spending time with her rescue dog Grizzly, dancing around her apartment to EDM, and eating delicious vegan food.

My name is Elizabeth & I’m 24 years old. I am in recovery from, well, a lot of things! I became addicted to meth at the age of fifteen and would continue to use throughout jails, treatment centers, Mohave County’s most wanted, and finally Drug Court. Through inclusiveness and support throughout my own life chapters, I’m blessed to be involved in the invaluable experience of helping others navigate through life. I am a hardcore mental health & justice reform advocate & my personal hobbies include collecting autobiographies and addiction memoirs, dying my hair bright colors, & houseplants.

Lauren Johnson is a Harm Reduction Outreach Worker at Sonoran Prevention Works. Originally from Southern California, Lauren moved to Arizona to attend Arizona State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Service and Public Policy with an emphasis in Criminal Justice. Currently, she is pursuing a Masters in Public Administration with a focus in Nonprofit Management at Arizona State. She also is completing a Certificate in Drug and Alcohol Counseling. Having overcome her own issues with substance use, Lauren hopes her personal experience will help her efforts to assist others who are in similar situations. Her career goal is to work in the nonprofit sector in the area of drug policy and criminal justice reforms. Her hobbies include horseback riding, camping, and taking care of her two dog, Truly and Waffles. Currently, she lives in Tempe, Arizona.

Yezmin Villarreal grew up in Phoenix. They come to SPW with a background in media and journalism. As Operations Associate, they help create processes and systems to improve the internal workflow of the organization. Yezmin is proud to work at a mission-driven organization that provides necessary resources for people across the state of Arizona. In their free time, Yezmin likes to read, play sports, and enjoy nature.

After spending many years in the food service industry, Francisca joined SPW full of energy, excitement, and admiration in March 2021. Having been involved in community organizing and mutual aid efforts, they are deeply aware of the direct impact structural systems have on our neighbors. Francisca hopes to continue serving and learn new ways of serving with our community. They believe that harm reduction centered in a collaborative effort helps us all. Outside of the office, Francisca likes reading around town, cooking at home, and playing games with friends.

Mariana joins Sonoran Prevention works with a background in business and a passion for harm reduction. Her business experience has helped her build an analytical and data driven mindset, but she finds most motivation in community collaboration and mutual aid. Mariana hopes to be an advocate for some of our most marginalized members of society and help build stronger communities.

Valerie was raised in the border city of El Paso, TX, just south of the Rio Grande. She graduated with a degree in Human Services at the University of Phoenix. Valerie started her career with social services back in early 2000. She has been working in the field of drug use, harm reduction, and HIV prevention. She has dedicated her career to giving individuals the opportunity for success through education and leadership. Not only does Valerie have a passion for community building but the love of being her children’s cheerleader.

Noah joined the Tucson Harm Reduction Outreach team in October of 2020. Originally from Phoenix, they have been involved in harm reduction work since 2017 when they began volunteering with Phoenix-based syringe access programs. Their work in harm reduction is grounded in an intense commitment to individual autonomy and self-determination. As such, they seek to promote the autonomy of people who use drugs through the overcoming of health disparities and by fighting for the decriminalization of all drugs. Outside of work, Noah enjoys reading, hiking, camping, and cooking.

Sherri Rhodes is a registered nurse and doctorate student specializing in psychiatry & addiction medicine. Ms. Rhodes recently passed her board exam and will work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner starting in May of 2020. She is the founder of the Harm Reduction Nurses Coalition of America, which is the first nurse-interest group in the U.S. Sherri is an advocate for people who use drugs and/or are affected by the war on drugs. Ms. Rhodes has personal experience with poverty, homelessness and harm reduction and works tirelessly to ensure evidence-based harm reduction initiatives are incorporated into standard medical practice. Sherri is honored to be a part of Sonoran Prevention Works and plans to use this platform to work with lawmakers and lobbyist to advance public policy and negate the marginalization of underserved groups while promoting positive change for the people of Arizona.

Tayler Tucker is a born and raised Arizonan who dedicates her time to realizing repro justice and health equity with her work in communications and media relations for non-profit and cultural organizations. Offering a curator’s eye and extensive experience in social media content creation and maximizing engagement through inclusive narratives that center those most impacted. Tayler is well versed in being nimble and collaborative to break through a fast-paced media cycle turn moments into movements and currently gives her energy, talent, and time as Communications Associate for If/When/How Lawyering for Reproductive Justice along with volunteering and showing up for the community she calls home.

Miles Kent has had many different kind of jobs, but few have given him the solace and meaning he finds in the mission of harm reduction at Sonoran Prevention Works. Motivated by his frustrations with the criminal justice and healthcare systems in the United States, he joined the team at SPW to alleviate the problems and stressors that arise out of these systemic deficiencies. He first began his time at SPW in a temporary administrative position. He currently works full-time assisting with bookkeeping and administration tasks. In his free time, Miles is found playing with his cat Spinach, listening to club music from the comfort of his apartment, and cooking a new a recipe.

Danielle Russell holds a BS and an MS in Justice Studies from ASU. She is currently a PhD candidate at Arizona State University, where she hopes to expand on her past research and continue to study how the criminalization of substances used for personal pleasure has become a key issue and tool for social control, contributing to the ongoing legacy of racialized criminalization and mass incarceration in the U.S. Having personally experienced many of the harms that impact people who use illicit drugs, she is passionate about harm reduction and fighting back against the structures that impose these harms on the bodies of drug users.

Steven Levin is super excited to be a Harm Reduction Outreach Worker at Sonoran Prevention works. He brings to the role his experience as the child of a parent in long term addictions and his own struggles with substance use. Since his time in recovery, Steven has found his purpose in harm reduction and human rights activism. He hopes to advocate for and with people who use drugs to achieve their desired outcomes and build a safer, stronger, and more inclusive community where people’s circumstances do not determine their access to health, justice and self-determination.

Stephanie Karpas relocated to Prescott, Az from her hometown of Atlanta, Ga. Years of experience working as a Certified Medical Assistant inspired her to pursue a career delivering person centered care to those who need it most. Drawing from her own experience as a cancer survivor and person in recovery, her drive to humanize, destigmatize and empower those who struggle with chaotic substance use, serious illness, or simply unfortunate circumstances is unparalleled. Her passion for learning and continued education introduced her to the study and practice of positive psychology. Forever changed by the idea that identifying and cultivating strengths is a more direct route to success then a system built largely on swift judgments and cultural bias. She is dedicated to changing the healthcare landscape to include those the system has forgotten, and creating a more compassionate atmosphere committed to improving quality and continuity of care. As the newest member of Prescott’s harm reduction team, we are excited to welcome her to the SPW family.

Deeadra started working in prevention in 2013 when she accepted a position with the Gila County Public Health Department as a Community Health Specialist working to educate the community on sexual health education. Deeadra left public health briefly but is so excited to return to community education with SPW. Deeadra spends all of her free time with her husband Steve, son Anthony, daughter in love Sally and their 10 amazing grandchildren.

Amanda Melcher: Person of the World, Member of the Board, a native Arizonan, and a former and future ASU student.

She is passionate about the scope and vision of SPW, and has served as a member of the Board since April 2019. Being amicable to safe recreational drug use herself, she appreciates that SPW models their outreach and programs on applicable data and science, providing no-strings-attached services to folks.

Outside of her efforts with SPW, perpetually working in the service industry has afforded her time and a variety of opportunities to contribute within her community through volunteering, activism, and political employment. Formerly a Site Leader with Read Better Be Better, she empowered youth leaders to help solve the literacy crisis in AZ. Ever political, Amanda has worked locally for campaign finance reform and against dark money. She is especially excited by citizen-led referenda and initiative projects, having personally influenced over 350,000 acts of direct democracy across various campaigns, including Save Our Solar AZ, Independent Voters for AZ, Repeal SB 1516, and Outlaw Dirty Money. In this work, she’s proud to have worn many hats, from volunteer door-to-door canvasser all the way on up to State Field Director.

Amanda currently tends bar in downtown Phoenix at a politically-themed bar, The Theodore (of course).

Kendric Speagle is a seasoned healthcare entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience working in Pain Management, Opioid Addiction Treatment, Drug Development, and Clinical Research. Mr. Speagle has successfully developed and managed over a dozen health care business ventures in the areas of pain, addiction, and mental health. Mr. Speagle has been involved in the development and commercialization of novel medications for the treatment of pain, depression, and opioid addiction, by conceptualizing, implementing, and managing programs of research that support new drug approval.

Bianca “Brogan” Shell, MBA, joins Sonoran Prevention Works with a background in public health, local government, community engagement, racial equity, and food justice. She says her activism began in the third grade and hasn’t stopped since. They are a systems-level, data-driven, civically-minded asset with a passion for designing more inclusive processes. She sees her work as both a means toward personal survival as well as a practice in building solidarity through support. When they’re not at SPW, they’re probably talking politics, taking a million pictures of their dog, and working on their freestyle stroke.

Alexa is an AmeriCorps VISTA member currently serving with Sonoran Prevention Works in Prescott through July of 2020. She is an undergraduate student of psychology, as well as a lecturer and researcher at Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. She brings an array of personal and professional experience to her role with SPW through her lived experience with Substance Use Disorder and other mental health diagnoses and working in a mentoring capacity to individuals recovering from SUD. She has a passion for harm reduction and its underlying philosophies of radical compassion, human agency, and non-judgement of peoples. Alexa has a great fervor for justice for marginalized communities and has years of experience in advocacy for LGBTQ and Latinx individuals. She lives at home with her fiancé, Aiden, and their dog, Bruce, and enjoys playing video games and reading comic books in her spare time.

My name is Nicholle Kennedy and I am the new Americorps VISTA member that will be serving with Sonoran Prevention Works in Phoenix for the next year supporting our volunteers. I am from Illinois and I recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Illinois State University. Most of my professional experience is in advocating for and supporting crime victims and their loved ones.

Monica Anderson Snyder is the Chief Administrative Officer for Crisis Response Network. Monica recognizes that drug use is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon and believes that harm reduction at its most basic level is designed to reduce harms to individuals, their families, and communities by working from ‘where people are at.’ Monica is an Arizona native, mother of two amazing humans, partner to the funniest man on the planet and proud daughter to parents who taught her to “love hard.” Monica holds a Bachelor’s in Social work and a Master’s in Business and is a proud graduate of the Hispanic Leadership Institute.

Michaela joins Sonoran Prevention Works after being a social work intern with SPW for 9 months. She is a student at Arizona State University, graduating with her Bachelor’s in Social Work in May 2019, and beginning a Master’s in Social Work the same year. She has volunteered with a local syringe service program since the summer of 2018 and has worked as a data collector for two different data projects looking into the health and need for services for people who inject drugs. She has also worked in wilderness therapy for three years. Harm reduction has given her the ability to let go of shame she felt about her past experiences and she hopes to bring that acceptance to others in the community, especially as she helps structure the Sonoran Prevention Works Community Health Advisory Committee, which will function as group for people who use drugs to advocate for their needs and the needs they see in their communities.

Deseree Barbee joins the SPW team with a huge amount of hope, determination and an enormous drive to be a part of any positive change in the lives of all people. She come to us from opioid prevention where she spent time learning about harm reduction and the special needs of rural communities. She is honored and excited to join the SWP family and will be working as a Harm Reduction Outreach Worker for Gila County.

My name is Roberto Carlos Garcia, I am the oldest of four. I have a BS in Psychology and a Masters of Ed in Human Relations. I been clean from drugs (cocaine, mushroom, acid, ecstasy, weed, pills) for almost thirteen years. I stopped when I was twenty years old. I have worked in the behavioral are for the past three years. I started working as an outreach specialist then I became a Peer Support Specialist Trainer as well and a Peer Support. This experience has given me the inside to meet and work with people who have different addictions or mental problems and has taught me to be able to work with them in their own pace. Also, what I believe has helped me is that I have taken some courses in Neuro Linguistic Programming in Mexico and that has given me more tools to work with people and see what they need to make a change in their lives. I hope this experience will help me to keep serving those who are in need.

Rachael Sweet joins the Sonoran Prevention Works team with a long term dedication to patient care. She brings 21 years as a Registered Medical Assistant with the last three years working for the Ryan White Program of Mohave County doing coordination of care. She has experience with HIV/HCV/STI prevention, and brings with her training and certifications from the University of Nevada in Drug Related HIV, Hepatitis and Harm Reduction, and Suicide prevention. She is excited to join the SPW family and will be working as a Harm Reduction Outreach Worker in Mohave County.

As a young child, Angelica grew up in a tight knit community in Mexicali, Baja California. Angelica learned the value of being part of a community and just how much neighborhoods can accomplish when people come together. When Angelica immigrated to the US as a teenager, it was natural for her to get involved in the community and be of service to people in need. Angelica’s passion grew when she had the opportunity to volunteer and later work for a non-profit that was focused on ending a variety of health disparities in the Latinx community in Maricopa County. Angelica brings with her over 12 years of experience in the HIV/HCV/STI prevention field and is thrilled to be a part of the SPW family. Angelica’s personal and professional goals are to be a supportive presence in people’s journey to a healthier life.

Tripti Choudhury comes to Sonoran Prevention works as one of our new Harm Reduction Outreach Workers for Maricopa County. She realized her passion for people who use substances through her personal experience and loved ones lost along the way. Tripti was raised in New Jersey and moved to Arizona over 3 years ago to pursue the completion of her counseling degree at Grand Canyon University. Over the brief period of time in the southwest, her passion became her drive and every week she brought clothing, food and water to help at various parks surrounding the Phoenix area because she lives through the harm reduction values of “meeting people where they are at.” She lives in the east valley and brings her strong east coast voice to stand up for people who often feel isolated through substance use.

Enrique joins SPW eager to apply his lived experience in service to others in his community. He brings with him a high capacity to relate and engage with participants “where they are at”, and embodies the ethos of Harm Reduction through a belief that we are all equal, worthy, and deserving of the respect and care that Sonoran Prevention Works exist to deliver to the state of Arizona.

Monique joins SPW with a background in public health, education and prevention. She is a first generation American driven to support marginalized folx and communities within Arizona. Although she will be caravaning around six counties of Southern Arizona with her HROW counterpart, you can find her in Tucson on her time off jamming at one of the local dance studios.

Harm reduction is very close to my heart. I have lost close family and friends to the effects of using drugs and suicide. Prior to SPW I worked in administrative medical roles at a naturopathic medical clinic as well as a chiropractic assistant and massage therapist. I myself have been in recovery for 5 years. Outside of SPW, I enjoy mini golfing with my 4-year-old and teaching my 19-year-old how to drive.

5:30-7:30
South Mountain Community Library
7050 S 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85042 (Room TBC)

7-7:30 *This is just for people who use drugs
2431 E Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85006

5:30-7:30pm
Mohave Community College Neal Campus
1971 Jagerson Ave., Kingman, AZ 86409

Phoenix AZ Advocacy Day Trainings
Burton Barr Public Library
4th Floor Lecture Room
1221 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004

9:30am-11:00am – Training
11:30am-1:00pm – Training
1:00pm-2:00pm – Drop in Story Framing Workshop
This is where we will work one on one with individuals or teams on how they would like to share their story and message. Drop on in!

Juliana has been active in harm reduction education for over a decade, training with MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) in crisis intervention and integration care, and offering workshops in safer drug use at music festivals. She covered the global drug war for a UK publication and volunteered on the Operation Identification project to identify the remains of Central American refugees who died in the desert fleeing to the U.S. She has a degree in anthropology and her academic work focuses on traditional plant ceremonies and intergenerational/historical trauma. As a Coahuiltecan and Maya descendant, her advocacy centers on the disproportionate impact of the drug war on Indigenous communities and improving access to culturally-sensitive healthcare.

Courteney Wettemann joins Sonoran Prevention Works as a dedicated advocate for health equity and dignity for people who use drugs. She has worked as a volunteer throughout Arizona doing community outreach, providing Naloxone supplies and education, and supporting syringe access programs. She draws on personal experience to inform her work with people at risk for overdose and their communities. Courteney is currently pursuing a degree in public health with an emphasis in sexual and reproductive health. If you can’t find her in the office, she is probably out exploring with her dog, Rascal.