August 13-15, 2024 | Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale | 155 Temple St, New Haven, CT
Mark Jenkins
CEO
CT Harm Reduction Alliance (CTHRA)
Pathway:
HARM REDUCTION
Session Title:
Harm Reduction – A Pathway to Recovery
Session Details:
Too often, harm reduction and recovery are pitted against each other as distinctly different goals. In this session, we will explore how the principles of harm reduction are not only compatible but mutually supportive of recovery pathways. Engaging people where they are at, building trusting relationships, supporting folks to stay safe, and celebrating any positive change are fundamental tools for cultivating the personal agency to build and rebuild recovery.
What are you looking forward to most at #MPRCCT2024?
This is my first time attending, and I am looking forward to the total experience!
"Mark Jenkins, the founder and CEO of the Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance (CTHRA), is a nationally recognized expert in harm reduction. A service-connected disabled veteran, a person with lived experience and passion for serving, Mark has been advancing harm reduction in Connecticut and beyond for nearly three decades.
Mark reliably provided direct SSP services in central Connecticut for many years before he founded the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition (GHHRC) in 2014. Mark envisioned GHHRC to “Stand in the Gap” of services and support for the huge number of people who were not being served by existing program structures and funds. Leaving his salaried position behind, Mark started with his personal finances and minivan, a cheap basement office, and his free labor. GHHRC evolved to become the CTHRA, and has since grown to include three physical locations: “The Drop” on 557-559 Albany Avenue, and “The Hub,” our Main 4620 square foot building on 28 Grand Street in Hartford, and 555 Columbus Ave. in New Haven. CTHRA delivers services nationwide with a full-size multi-service RV Mobile Unit (Mobile One), six additional minivans. Now a staff of 45, all from the community with lived/living experience, and more than half Black and Hispanic, CTHRA services now cover roughly 50% of Connecticut.
Mark always seeks opportunities to center the folks we serve. In recognition of Mark’s exceptional service leadership, the National Harm Reduction Coalition recently honored him with the Dan Bigg Memorial Award. Mark’s expertise and wisdom are now regularly sought by State Senators, Mayors, Congresspeople, State Commissioners, and other public leaders. He is a member of the SAMHSA Harm Reduction Steering Committee and several Boards of Directors of National-level harm reduction organizations.