Here We Talk About It Session - Family Matters

Hosted by Here We Talk About It

This session will examine the role of individuals in harm reduction, recovery, and public health spaces who do not have living or lived experience, but who have been impacted by the loss of a loved one. Across these fields, there is an ongoing and necessary conversation about who holds power, who is centered, and what accountability looks like in practice. While grief can be a powerful entry point into advocacy, it does not automatically equate to an understanding of the structural realities that shape the lives of people who use drugs.

These realities include criminalization, systemic neglect, stigma, poverty, and trauma factors that must be central to any meaningful harm reduction response. There are increasing concerns from community members and frontline workers that some individuals who enter this work following personal loss may carry forward stigmatizing beliefs, including those held prior to their loved one’s death. In some cases, these perspectives continue to influence policy, programming, and public narratives in ways that do not align with harm reduction principles or the expressed needs of the community. Intent does not negate impact, and proximity to loss does not replace lived experience.

At the same time, family members have played visible roles in advancing awareness, mobilizing resources, and influencing policy. This dual reality creates tension within the movement requiring an honest examination of both the contributions and the limitations of grief led advocacy. This session will bring together advocates who have experienced different walks of life. Panelists will explore their roles within the field, reflect on issues of power and accountability, and speak to how they navigate alignment with people who use drugs and harm reduction values.

This session will not avoid difficult or uncomfortable truths. It will hold space for grief while also naming harm where it exists. It will challenge the idea that good intentions are enough, and instead focus on what it means to show up in this work in ways that are aligned, responsible, and rooted in harm reduction principles