Who We are
All four partners at RHI have over 25 years of experience in every aspect of harm reduction services, garnering a century of experience in Harm Reduction direct services, recovery, program and organizational start-up, development, and leadership.
Mark Jenkins (he/him/His)
CEO
Mark Jenkins has been advancing harm reduction in Connecticut and beyond for well over two decades. He founded the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition to deliver services and supports for people who were not being served by traditional program structures and funds. GHHRC evolved to become the Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance (CT-HRA), with services now covering roughly 50% of Connecticut. Reduce Harm, Inc. (RHI) is the natural third phase of this work, expanding efforts to support harm reduction programming across the country, with special emphasis on Black-led and rural programs. In recognition of Mark’s exceptional service leadership, he was recently honored with the Dan Bigg Memorial Award by the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
Kevin Irwin (He/Him/His)
Partner
Kevin Irwin has been advancing the development, funding, and public support of harm reduction programming across the US and overseas for twenty-five years, serving in several, often concurrent roles as an outreach worker, case manager, counselor, program developer, implementer, evaluator, researcher, consultant, educator, trainer, mentor, advocate, coalition builder and leader. He has been the co-founder of three statewide harm reduction coalitions, and the co-founder and President of many non-profit Boards of organizations serving vulnerable populations. A catalyst for systems-change, his expertise includes the development of partnerships, networks, integrated service models, sustainable business plans, and establishing the basis for public funding of harm reduction programming.
Shilo Jama
Partner
Shilo Jama has worked in harm reduction for over 28 years. In that time, he has founded multiple harm reduction organizations that focus on people with lived experience being at the front of decision-making. Shilo is a co-founder of the Urban Survivors Union, a national grassroots coalition of drug users (both former and active) dedicated to insuring respect, dignity and social justice for our community. Shilo is well-known for facilitating the development of safer smoking materials, information, and support, as well as many other cutting-edge practices for harm reduction, for example, the heroin pipe, which is now distributed nationwide. Shilo serves as Executive Director of Safer Alternatives through Networking & Education (SANE) in Sacramento, CA.
Van Asher (He/Him/His)
Partner
Van Asher has worked in SSPs since 1992. As a formerly unhoused drug user, my passion lies in getting access to self-identified services for the drug using community. I’ve run three SSP in NYC. One in Midtown Manhattan, one in the South Bronx, and most recently one on NYC’s Lower East Side where my Harm Reduction journey began. While working in the Bronx Van introduced using Fentanyl Test Strip to test our substances in 2016. He has recently relocated to Oak Park, IL and is continuing my Harm Reduction work in the Midwest. He has worked with several different SSPs in Illinois, The Chicago Recovery Alliance, The Puerto Rico Project, and The Perfectly Flawed Foundation. Van has developed several harm reduction videos and a comic book, The Young Injectables, which can be seen here.
View Van’s YouTube channel for more Harm Reduction-related videos.
Vernon Mitchell
Partner
A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Vernon Mitchell has experienced addiction firsthand, as well as its impact on individuals and entire communities. Personal loss and a recovery journey that has spanned more than thirty-five years have driven Vernon to join the crusade to minimize the negative impacts of substance use. A community activist advocating for a range of perspectives and approaches for those struggling with addiction, Vernon has been engaged in the harm reduction movement for more than five years. Promoting increased awareness of the complexity of substance use challenges and responses, Vernon is engaged in providing support to participants, and those seeking a better understanding of evidence-based initiatives.
Verna Mathis-Gaines
Partner
A native of Albany, Georgia, and a devoted mother of two, boasts an extensive career spanning over three decades in the realms of Psychology, Program Management, and leadership. Verna has been instrumental in propelling numerous nonprofit organizations to the forefront of the United States’ nonprofit landscape, with a strong emphasis on advocating for harm reduction as a primary approach to working with individuals who use drugs. Since 2008, she has been an influential figure in the fields of HIV/AIDS education, Viral Hepatitis education, drug use education, and street outreach services. Verna’s selfless commitment to sharing her expertise has been a valuable asset to agencies employing street outreach strategies, both on a local and national scale. Her vast experience in group facilitation, meticulous monitoring and evaluation, adept data collection and reporting, rigorous quality assurance, diligent client record oversight, and efficient project data management has allowed her to successfully implement a multitude of comprehensive programs. Verna has played a pivotal role in championing policy and advocacy initiatives, leading to the legalization of syringe exchange programs within Fulton County, and subsequently, statewide. Her unwavering dedication to her community has attracted a diverse range of funding sources, ensuring the sustainability of vital organizations. Verna holds a BS in Psychology from Troy State University.