Bio Type: CAMP Staff

Jasmine is the Project Manager of the new “Linkage to Care-Embedding Peers in the ED” program. In partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), this work will expand access to MOUD, warm hand-offs to community providers and peer support to patients who present to the HUP Cedar ED.  Jasmine is passionate about building bridges between community members, grassroots organizations, and healthcare systems. She possesses genuine passion for empowering communities to realize their full potential and advocating for equity and inclusivity. She leads several community engagement initiatives at CAMP and has been instrumental in efforts to form and engage our Community Advisory Board (CAB). She strives to partner with community leaders to make harm reduction education and supplies more accessible. Her approach to community engagement is built on active listening, empathy, and collaboration. She believes that every voice matters and that sustainable solutions arise from collective efforts driven by the community. She received her Master of Public Health from La Salle University in May 2022. In her free time, Jasmine enjoys spending time in nature, reading the latest research on pressing public health issues, spending quality time with family and friends and traveling.

Gilly is a Project Manager for the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy’s new Police-Assisted Diversion (PAD) program. Gilly has supported the growth of the CareConnect Warmline and led new initiatives for enhancing MOUD training and education for students and faculty with support from SAMHSA. Their work has also focused on community outreach in West Philly and building new partnerships to better support care linkages. Gilly has extensive experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia and individuals experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use diagnoses. Their past and current work is centered around ensuring equitable low-barrier access to resources and improving existing care models. Gilly is working towards obtaining their Masters in Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. In their free time, Gilly enjoys playing rugby, pickleball, and spending time with friends and family.

Patrick is a Certified Recovery Specialist, Clinical Research Coordinator, and the Lead Substance Use Navigator for the CAMP team. Prior to joining the University, Pat worked for a local Recovery Community Organization serving Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. Patrick is a group facilitator for the “BRIDGING THE GAPS” program, which links the provision of health-related services for under-resourced communities with the training of healthcare and social service professionals. Pat is also the co-founder of “Kensington Cares” – a local outreach providing resources and harm reduction materials on a grassroot level in the Kensington community.

Pat enjoys live music, gardening, and loving his animals, family and friends. As an avid traveler, Pat continues on a lifelong journey of self exploration. 

 

                                                 “EVERFORWARDENDLESSLY….as everything is temporary.” 

Nikki is a Certified Recovery Specialist and Research Coordinator for Women’s Health at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Neonatal Follow Up Clinic & Resilience After Infant Substance Exposure (NFP-RISE) Program and the Penn PROUD (Perinatal Resources for Opioid Use Disorder) Clinic.  Nikki has extensive experience in peer support, behavioral health, and training and development. Nikki is passionate about helping patients address and find balance in their “8 Dimensions of Wellness” while meeting patients where they are so that they can achieve their recovery, health, and wellness goals. Nikki currently serves on the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition Health Committee and The National Federation of the Blind, Keystone and Greater Philadelphia Chapters. Nikki is founder and organizer of two support and social groups which help educate and support people with chronic illness and women of color. Nikki loves to teach and learn new things. In her spare time, she enjoys attending Broadway plays in NY, concerts, traveling, shopping and playing various card games, favorite being pinochle.

M is a clinical research coordinator for the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy. They bring experience working with people who use drugs, people experiencing homelessness, gender diverse populations and people engaged in sex work. M is a passionate advocate for health care equity. Foundational to their work is the belief in harm reduction as a social justice movement that centers and respects the rights of people who use drugs. They are currently pursuing a nursing degree and in their free time they enjoy reading fiction, cuddling their cats, making just about any kind of art, and talking to anyone who will listen about the joys of harm reduction.

Desiree is a Substance Use Navigator as well as the Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator with the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy. She has a burning passion for advocating for those who need a voice and found her purpose in being a strong advocate for the vulnerable. Her journey has been shaped by her pursuit of a master’s in public health (MPH), which has equipped her with the essential skills to make a real impact in the lives of others. As an advocate, she works closely with a team of dedicated volunteers to orchestrate weekly community outreach efforts that extend a helping hand to those who need it most. She also builds and maintains relationships with community partners in Philadelphia and surrounding counties.

Lindsey Jo is a Research Coordinator for the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy’s new intervention study for patients with serious injection-related injuries in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Department. She has spent the last two years as a case manager and patient navigator in Kensington, linking unhoused clients with treatment for OUD (Opioid Use Disorder), infectious disease care, housing, and government assistance programs. In her free time, Lindsey Jo enjoys spoiling her orange tabby Charlie, doing harm reduction outreach in the underground Philly music scene, and spending time with her friends and family.

James is a Clinical Research Coordinator with CAMP. He is dedicated to empowering all individuals who are battling substance use disorder. James has a robust background in street outreach, harm reduction education, and case management for individuals with SUD. Prior to joining CAMP, James’s journey into the field of addiction recovery began with his own experiences overcoming addiction. He focuses on finding connections with individuals facing addiction, offering support and guidance without judgment. When James isn’t at work you can find him at a Phillies game or volunteering with harm reduction organizations throughout the city, furthering his connection with those who are struggling with SUD.

James draws from lived, academic, and professional experience. His approach to harm reduction is trauma invested, strengths based, and person centered. James hopes to provide context that can be lost in translation between participants and hospital staff by meeting each group where they are at and creating rapport. James hopes to enhance the autonomy of participants as they navigate stigma, alienation, institutionalization, and complex systems of bureaucracy in order to receive care. James has worked as a rape-crisis counselor, mobile-crisis counselor, and as a case manager in the epicenter of Philadelphia’s opioid epidemic. James is an aspiring clinical social worker that utilizes a humanistic approach to serve participants and a person in environment to (PIE) perspective to discern their strengths, positionality, and assist them in overcoming intersecting social determinants that often stifle access to harm reduction and recovery resources.

Nam-Huy started his journey in healthcare services working as an EMT in California and Washington states. After a couple of years working directly with patients in the emergency services setting, Nam-Huy explored more teaching opportunities and complemented patient care with becoming a CPR instructor in the Seattle King County area. During his time, he worked and pursued a graduate degree in Public Health with a specialty in One Health, an interdisciplinary approach that recognizes the inextricable connection between human, animal, and environmental health. He also grew his knowledge of safer agricultural practices at the University of Washington’s urban farm by helping obtain its first USDA organic certification label. Now, his passion has expanded toward finding creative ways to navigate an underserved community using harm reduction techniques and tools. 

When he isn’t composting food scraps with his traveling worm bin, Nam-Huy enjoys biking, board games, and exploring the beautiful city of Philadelphia’s Free Library resources.