Developing a Homegrown Harm Reduction Conference

1. Developing a Homegrown Harm Reduction Conference Heather Lusk CHOW Project, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi hlusk@chowproject.org

2. Hawaiʻi’s Homegrown Harm Reduction Conferences • November 2007 • 170 attendees, fancy hotel, mainland speakers, large budget • November 2009 • 190 attendees, small budget, all local • November 2010 • mini conference focus on transgenders • October 22, 2012 • 230 attendees, small budget, all local

3. HawaiʻiHR Conference Planning Basics • Community collaborative conference • Come one, come all • No leader (but having chair important) • Collective decision-making • Tasks distributed • One agency must be willing to be fiscal agent • Planning starts one year out for large budget, 9 months out for smaller

4. Step 1: Planning Committee • Diverse agency representation • Type of participation – need those with: • Vision • Community connections • Willingness to do legwork • Develop budget • Develop timeline and task list • Assign each committee member • Subcommittees • Program, marketing/outreach, fundraising • Agree upon meeting frequency/length

5. Planning Committee Tasks • Develop and send out press release • Scholarships • Compile Bios • Compile handouts • Develop and Print Final Program • Develop and print evaluations • Order portfolios • Stuff portfolios • Registration • Coordinate volunteers for conference • Order and pick up leis • Buy and deliver food • Signs • AV coordination on-site • Thank yous • Exhibits • Volunteers • Donations • Raffle

6. One Collective Definition of Harm Reduction Harm reduction is a philosophy and set of strategies for working with individuals engaged in potentially harmful behaviors. The main objective is to reduce the potential dangers and health risks associated with such behaviors, even for those who are not willing or able to completely stop. Harm reduction uses a non-judgmental, holistic and individualized approach to support incremental change and increase the health and well-being of individuals and communities. 6

7. Step 2: Identify Co-Sponsors • In beginning, no commitment other than supporting conference • Later asked for donations • Donations included sponsoring parking for meetings, copies, buying folders etc • Each planning member assigned agencies to ask, formal letter created • Demonstrated community buy-in • Made fundraising and marketing easier plus easier to find speakers

8. Hawaiʻi HR Conference Co-Sponsors AIDS Education Project  AIDS Community Care Team  CHOW Project  Community Alliance on Prisons  Domestic Violence Action Center  Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i  Gregory House Programs  Harm Reduction Hawai‘i  Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Injury Prevention and Control Section  Hawai‘i Department of Health’s STD/AIDS Prevention Branch  Hawai‘i Island HIV/AIDS Foundation  Hawai‘i Pacific University’s School of Social Work  Hawai‘i Youth Coalition  Hawai‘i Youth Services Network  Hep Free Hawai‘i  Hepatitis Support Network of Hawai‘i  Kawai Foundation Life Foundation  MālamaPono  Maui AIDS Foundation  National Association of Social Workers, Hawai‘i Chapter  Office of the Lieutenant Governor  University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry  University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Office of Public Health Studies Waikiki Health Center’s Care-a-Van Program

9. Step 3: Save the Date and Location

10. Step 4: Develop Program • Pros and cons to abstract process • Abstracts take longer but you may identify unknown star • Brainstorm topics for plenary and breakout sessions • Identify experts in field who could discuss topics – focus on homegrown • Give each plenary and each breakout session a contact on the planning committee • Use form to collect title, description, objectives, AV needs, contact information • Harm reduction police??

11. Step 4: Develop Program

12. Step 4: Develop Program 8:30 AM Opening Plenary Garden Lanai Laurie Temple, Legislative Program Director and Staff Attorney, ACLU Hawaiʻi A Cast Study in Effective Legislative Activism for Social Change Dr. ValliKaleiKanuha, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Chair, Sociology Dept. UH Mānoa Homegrown Harm Reduction Approaches Community Voices in Harm Reduction 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM Breakout Sessions: Harm Reduction: Beyond the Basics – Garden Lanai Reducing Harm through Trauma Informed Practice – Carnation Room How to Speak Harm Reduction: Cultural Competency for Pacific Islanders – Plumeria Room Sex Work and Trafficking: A Harm Reduction Perspective – Pakalana Room

13. Step 4: Develop Program 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM Breakout Sessions: Addressing Substance Use and Intoxication within Hawaii’s Shelters – Garden Lanai Using Harm Reduction Strategies to Decrease Bullying and Suicide – Carnation Room Cultural Competency when Supporting Transgenders – Plumeria Room Working with Active Users – Pakalana Room 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM Breakout Sessions: Understanding and Working with Hawaii’s Youth – Garden Lanai Harm Reduction and Body Art – Carnation Room Reforming Drug Policy: Past and Future Harm Reduction Strategies – Plumeria Room Kupuna Community and Harm Reduction – Pakalana Room 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Closing Plenary

14. Step 5: Marketing and Outreach • Wordpress.com has free websites • Identify tech-savvy committee members • QR codes, social media • Identify volunteer to write press release • Create email blurb for committee to send to contacts • Send copies of fliers to every co-sponsor • Registration online if possible

15. Step 5: Logistics for Day of Conference • Volunteers • AV • Room monitors • Runners • Have last committee meeting also be materials assembly • Committee task list and cell phone contacts for everyone • Speaker confirmations

16. Step 6: Debrief Afterwards • Importance of meeting soon after to capture lessons learned • Ensure thank-yous are sent to speakers and sponsors • Review evaluation data • Capture feedback for next conference • Appreciate planning committee

17. HawaiʻiHarm Reduction Resources • Harm Reduction Hawaiʻi www.harmreductionhawaii.org • CHOW Project www.chowproject.org • Drug Policy Forum of Hawaiʻi • www.dpfhi.org 17