Over the past year, I have been lucky to be working as a research assistant and now project coordinator for the HEALing Communities Study through Boston Medical Center. The study is an NIH-funded grant aiming to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40% in four states: Kentucky, New York, Ohio and Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, we are working with 16 communities to implement opioid overdose prevention and medication services by working with local community coalitions. My day to day involves attending community coalition meetings, conducting interviews with local community stakeholders and analyzing qualitative data. Through this experience, I learned I want to work in harm reduction services with people who use drugs in the future. I just finished applying to dual Masters in Social Work and Masters in Public Health programs to pursue my goal of providing both clinical services and continuing to use research to advocate for safe injection sites in the U.S.

Outside of work, I have loved living in Boston with close access to both hiking in the mountains in New Hampshire and visiting my family on the island. I am very lucky to have a close community where I live in Boston, and have enjoyed getting to know the area as vaccines became more available over the spring and summer. I am so grateful for MVYouth’s generosity, and I feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful and supportive island community.