Addiction in Philadelphia and Impact of the Kensington Caucus: A Panelist Event and Open Discussion

In this panel discussion, addiction specialists with expertise in harm reduction, community health, and law will address the complex and pressing issues surrounding substance use in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The discussion will explore the causes and implications of a recent policy shift that privileges enforcement of drug control laws at the expense of harm reduction services. The panelists will offer thoughts – and solicit participant perspectives – on how to maintain essential services while supporting the return and expansion of a healthier policy response.

Our panelists include:

Dr. Judy Chertok, MD – Director of Addiction Medicine in Family Medicine; Program Director, Fellowship in Addiction Medicine; Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Community Health

Dr. Heather Klusaritz, MSW, PhD – Director of Community Engagement for the Penn Center for Public Health Initiatives and the Associate Director of the Center for Community and Population Health in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health

Dr. Evan Anderson, JD, PhD – Professor of Public Health at Jefferson University, specializing in public health law research; his work focuses on evaluating and advancing efforts to promote healthier drug policies and reform the criminal justice system through evidence-based interventions

Kelsey Leon (she/they) – Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania, Member of Community Action Relief Project, Member of the Philly Coalition for Dignity in Treatment, Harm Reductionist