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.
Ismael was raised in a family of educators who taught him compassion, empathy, and the amazing potential that people have. He graduated from Yuma High School – Proud Home of the Criminals – and Northern Arizona University with a degree in Psychology. He has been working in the field of Behavioral Health specializing in program development, substance use, outreach, and peer support for years. He has a passion for helping those who don’t have a voice and need guidance as well as support in their everyday life. He strives to connect and make an impacting change in his community in any way that he can through the experience and knowledge he has gained. He is an avid gamer and movie goer, and loves to spend quality time with his family.
Miguel has worked in the banking industry for over 20 years. He is currently the Banking Manager at Arizona Bank and Trust. He enjoys travelling and spending time with his dogs.
Nathan was one of the founding members of Sonoran Prevention Works in 2010, and has remained connected to harm reduction ever since. After completing his MS in Counseling at Prescott College, he moved to University of New Mexico to work on his doctorate in American Studies. Nathan enjoys hiking, trail running, bicycling, making music, and spending time with his partner Morgan and son Cosmo.
Geoff is a leader on education policy, with a wealth of experience in advocacy, coalition building and electoral campaigns. He strives to tackle each problem with patience and good humor. Nothing is more important to him than being an effective voice for the causes that improve his community.
Haley Coles is a die-hard Arizonan committed to achieving health equity among people impacted by drug use and drug policy. Her personal experience with chaotic drug use and the devastatingly preventable loss of people she loved informs her personal mission to make meaningful structural change for a more just and healthy Arizona. She is the Vice Chair of the Aunt Rita’s Foundation board, is an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders program, received the 2018 Leadership in Advocacy Award from ASU’s Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy, and has provided consultation for the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors and the CDC.
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.
Rachel Sherman has been volunteering and coordinating volunteers around the valley since 2013. They are driven in their work by a curiosity about how people come together to take care of themselves and one another. For seven years, Rachel has been building community with Arizona Roller Derby, not only as an internationally competitive skater with the Arizona All-Stars, but also as a coach, Member Experience Committee chair, and very loud spectator. Until team sports can happen again, you might spot Rachel dance-skating on whatever slab of concrete they can find. Rachel has only worn this tassel shirt twice in real life, and wow isn’t it fancy?
Graeme Fox is a big fan of Sonoran Prevention Works and officially joins the team after volunteering and taking on various contracts over the past 3 years. Not only does he have background experience in medicine assisted treatment and operational work within a syringe access program, he is a former Russian language teacher and Fulbright scholar. His understanding of people who use drugs is grounded in empathy, lived experience, and a persistence when fighting for the rights of vulnerable people. Graeme is a highly driven harm reductionist who works to empower people affected by the War on Drugs and spreads messages of hope and naloxone in Maricopa County. He also loves large dogs, old books, and making odd music.
Mackenzie has a background in applied anthropology and public health. Having focused on infectious disease epidemiology at both the state and local health departments, Mackenzie now works as a public health liaison, connecting Maricopa communities to public health resources. In addition to a professional interest in harm reduction and stigma elimination, being a part of the board is personal for Mackenzie after losing her sister to an opioid overdose in 2018. She hopes to contribute to the humanization of people who use drugs and support safe spaces for people who use drugs to find their own definition of recovery.
Tracey joins Sonoran Prevention Works to contribute her experience in community work and nonprofit administration. Prior to joining the team, she spent the last few years working for an educational nonprofit that provides social and emotional learning for Title One students in the SE Valley. Her desire to join SPW is motivated by a want to support different communities and learn more about the importance of harm reduction. When not in the office, she enjoys traveling/adventuring, hiking, napping, and curling up with her black cat Orion and a good book.
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.
Karen Broman, MPH, MLS(ASCP)cm is a public health practitioner, epidemiologist, and medical laboratory scientist with a passion for engaging isolated communities and folks who experience health disparities borne out of structural inequities. She emphasizes evidence-based interventions that mitigate the individual and community impacts of substance use. Karen brings specific expertise in working with veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and the LGBTQ+ community. Hailing from Minnesota, she was taught to nurture neighborhood health and camaraderie among those with differing opinions on how to effect positive community change. Prior to accepting the position of Overdose Prevention Coordinator for Northern Arizona, Karen served Sonoran Prevention Works for a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member through Arizona Serve of Prescott College. She is incredibly grateful to be doing this work in memory of her loved ones lost to substance use-related causes.
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.
Turiya (Tur-ee-ya) Coll (Call) is a Program Director at Sonoran Prevention Works with a long term dedication to harm reduction. She brings 15 years experience with HIV/HCV/STI and overdose prevention, as well as advocating for health care rights for pregnant women, people who inject drugs, people with substance use disorders, and other marginalized populations. Turiya has a BA in Health Justice, and has trained with the Center for Disease Control on evidence-based prevention interventions, crisis counseling, and trauma informed care. Turiya has recently developed a Harm Reduction Outreach program to focus on marginalized populations in Arizona and address their social determinants of health related to using drugs for better health outcomes.
Sarah’s experience in drug policy began in Washington as a research assistant on investigations of drug trafficking and money laundering in South America. After a stint organizing congressional advocacy campaigns to raise awareness of Venezuelan humanitarian crises, she moved to Santiago, Chile to conduct research for a think tank on drug flows between Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. She returned to the US in the midst of the overdose epidemic, determined to advocate for policy that moves from a criminalization model to an approach based in health and human rights. When she’s not working you can find her playing volleyball or eating sour candy.
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!
Contributions to Qualifying Charitable Organizations
An individual income tax credit is available for contributions that provide assistance to the working poor. The credit is available only to individuals. You report the name of the Qualifying Charitable Organization you donated to as well as the dollar amount of your donation to the Department of Revenue on Form 321. You must also total your nonrefundable individual tax credits on Form 301 and include all applicable forms when you file your tax return.
Maximum Credit Amount for Contributions
Taxpayers filing as “single” and “head of household” status may claim a maximum credit of $400. Taxpayers filing as “married filing separate” may claim a maximum credit of $400. Taxpayers that file as “married filing joint” may claim a maximum credit of $800.
Only Allowed to Claim the Contribution as a tax credit, not a deduction
You may only claim a tax credit for your charitable contribution on your Arizona state return if the organization you donated to is considered a Qualifying Charitable Organization. A complete listing of Qualifying Charitable Organizations is published on the Department of Revenue’s website. Donations made to organizations not listed on the department’s published website are typically allowable as deductions. You cannot claim both a deduction and a credit for the same charitable contribution on your Arizona return.
Period for Making Eligible Contributions
Beginning with the tax year (month of January for each year) credit eligible contributions made to a Qualifying Charitable Organization that are made on or before what is considered the last day to file taxes in April (usually between the 15th – 20th day of the fourth month following the close of the taxable year) may be applied to either the current or the preceding taxable year and is considered to have been made on the last day of that taxable year.
Sasia Reyes, the Development Coordinator for Sonoran Prevention Works, is responsible for researching and developing grants and fundraising initiatives to drive and support SPW’s continued growth and community impact. Sasia studied English Literature and Nonprofit Management at Arizona State University. She is committed to providing compassion, respect and dignity to all people in Arizona. Outside of her professional work, Sasia enjoys reading and discussing Renaissance revenge tragedy lit, spending time with her family and expanding her indoor plant collection.
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.
Maria Jagles joins Sonoran Prevention Works with a passion for nurturing healthier communities through empowerment and advocacy. She brings to SPW 12 years of experience in HIV/STI/HCV prevention, testing & education, and linkage to care for individuals experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, mental illness, substance use disorder, as well as those in transactional sex work. She’s facilitated CDC evidence-based prevention interventions and has conducted community outreach throughout Maricopa County. She was born and raised in the small mining town of Globe-Miami, AZ and currently resides in Tempe, AZ. She enjoys the arts, soul-moving music, and a good laugh. Maria continues to be dedicated to enriching the lives of marginalized communities and is excited to be joining SPW on this crucial mission.
Christopher Lee Thomas AA, C.P.S.S, F.P.S.S,is a survivor of the War on Drugs and a compassionate advocate for evidence based, harm-reduction strategies that improve the quality of life for people who use drugs and their families. Christopher uses his background in substance use, recovery, peer support, and harm reduction work to identify and navigate peer networks so as to better engage stigmatized individuals into services such as substance abuse treatment, syringe access, and overdose prevention. He was most recently managing the SAP at SAAF as a Sr. Health Education Specialist while also conducting HIV/HCV testing, linking clients to care, providing overdose prevention and distributing naloxone, and leading cohorts of the SHIELD evidenced-based intervention. Christopher is the Southern Arizona Overdose Prevention Coordinator at Sonoran Prevention Works
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Jill Bird joins the Sonoran Prevention Works team with many years of interest in SPW and overdose prevention work. She comes to SPW with personal experience having lost a life partner, several family members, and close friends to overdose. Jill has worked in the Accounting/Bookkeeping and administrative fields for seven years, most recently having spent time operating a business that focuses on botanical alternatives for wellness and Ayurvedic medicine. Jill has wanted to be involved with SPW for several years and is excited to help implement our mission as our Office Administrator.
Denise Wisdom considers herself a “Jill of All Trades”. Arriving in the Valley of the Sun from Colorful Colorado, with over 20 years fund development, operational, and programmatic experience in community-based organizations, Denise is dedicated to working with nonprofits to strengthen programs and services, build resource capacity, and create a stronger community impact via grant writing, fundraising, and relationship-building. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Millikin University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Denise balances work with playful life endeavors of sight-seeing travel, smooth jazz concerts, and cultural festivals.
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Nathan Leach has helped cultivate a variety of community-based projects in Phoenix, including a local bike co-op that provides resources and education to community members who rely on bicycles as their main form of transportation. In 2011 Nathan co-founded the first syringe access program in Maricopa County and in 2016 he completed a master’s level clinical internship focusing on harm reduction counseling in rural areas. He is passionate about the integration of critical theory and creative processes within psychotherapeutic modalities, and hopes to bridge the gap between radical sociological research and counseling approaches while utilizing creative, art-based interventions.
Patrick received a BA in Creative Writing in 2001 and a BS in Psychology in 2013. Entering the behavioral health field in 2014 with La Frontera in Tucson, he worked with the GMH and SMI population for almost a year before moving to the Hope Center, his agency’s methadone clinic in January, 2015. In addition to duties as a recovery coach, Patrick has spearheaded his clinic’s naloxone prescription program, the first such program at a behavioral health agency in the state of Arizona. After successful implementation, Patrick worked to expand the program to all of La Frontera’s outpatient clinics. Patrick also works as a volunteer with Sonoran Prevention Works.
Thoi was born and raised in the Valley of the Sun, and has a deep love and strong connection to the people and places he grew up with. His experiences living and working in Phoenix have informed his engagement in community organizing which began in 2012. He hopes to work alongside his neighbors to build powerful solutions to the problems we face, by doing what needs to be done when and where it is needed. Thoi’s professional experience includes stints as a dishwasher, bank teller, cook, street advertiser, and freelance photographer. He is a second-generation Asian American and in his spare time he likes to grow, cook, and eat food.
(@Layalzebub) is a third culture kid who has spent years practicing the fine art of parachuting into projects as the need for her skills arises. She takes an intersectional approach to her work in immigrant rights and public health and does not shy away from any cause where injustice is present and her contribution is welcomed and necessary. Her experience lies in traditional and digital communications using all mediums from her own voice to videos to writing to tweeting, assembling audience-specific information for delivery in an infinite amount of ways. An infinitely curious researcher and an obsessive collector and assembler of information, she is often seen managing projects, playing a supportive role in the background and amplifying the voices of those directly affected by injustice in her community. Fluent in English & Arabic, knows a few words in Spanish & Armenian.
Sonoran Prevention Works’ program is close to Brendan’s heart. Many friends and loved ones have been affected by the disease of addiction and he enthusiastically supports the program in its growth and development. Brendan began his career as an Auditor at Deloitte & Touche LLP, supervising audit teams for public and non-public entities. Most recently Brendan has been worked as a Financial Controller. As Treasurer of Sonoran Prevention Works Brendan is involved in overseeing the management and reporting of the organizations finances, Brendan graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in Accounting, earning a Master of Accountancy from the same institution the following year. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Arizona.
Calicia White is the Program Director for the Ebony House Outreach Department, a division of Ebony House, Inc. that works to increase health outcomes for African Americans who are HIV-positive and reduce new diagnoses in the community. Calicia’s goal is to eliminate the stigma of HIV in the African American community to ultimately eliminate HIV transmission. Calicia has been a part of the Arizona community for over 30 years and works tirelessly to improve the health status of Arizonans. Mother of a wonderful son and member of the community she services, Calicia loves her family, friends and community. A graduate of Keller Graduate School, Calicia earned her Master’s in Public Administration Health Services Management and is dedicated to decreasing health disparities in the African American community as a means to increased lifestyle.
Zeenat Hasan is a learner and an amateur anthropologist who looks for innovative and mundane ways to make healthcare equitable. Her interests include ethics and human rights, immigration/migration issues, humanitarian aid, activism, reproductive justice, racial justice, and population health. She has held jobs/volunteer positions as a/n helper in her mother’s dry cleaning/tailoring businesses, receptionist at doctors’ offices, volunteer for hospital radiation department, brain trauma rehab assistant, bio lab instructor, program/policy director, co-chair for Aim for Equity National Coalition, Co-founder of Arizona Chapter of the National Asian American Women’s Forum, and most recently, mother of one. The last of these has reinforced her drive to create equitable and ethical spaces in healthcare and the systems that support it. Zeenat moved to the valley in 2004 and stayed because of the beauty and vastness of the Arizona desert and the open community of people she found here.
Stacey Cope comes to Sonoran Prevention Works with a fierce passion to improve the lives of Arizonans who use drugs and their loved ones. Stacey has enacted her dedication to harm reduction in the work she has done as an advocate for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, supporting formerly incarcerated youth living in group homes, HIV and Hepatitis C testing, education and linkage to care, and in serving one of the top few syringe access programs in the state. Stacey is a fourth generation Arizonan. She lives in Tucson with her wife and two dogs, where they spend most of their time on Mt. Lemmon.