From Words to Weapons Episode 11 features Part 2 of a panel discussion about harm reduction in the context of interactions with law enforcement and solutions that could better promote community well-being and help mitigate mistrust.  

Obscured partnered with the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium and the Pennsylvania Action Coalition to hold the discussion with support from the Independence Public Media Foundation.  

On this episode, Part 2, we’re going to hear a conversation moderated by Obscured’s Stephanie Marudas and Namaijah Faison of the Pennsylvania Action Coalition and National Nurse-Led Care Consortium.  

As we heard on the previous episode, the three panelists are: Talitha Smith, Chad Bruckner and Laurie Corbin. 

Talitha Smith is a nurse navigator with RIvER, which stands for Rethinking Incarceration and Empowering Recovery. It’s a clinic within the Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Inclusion Health -- the same clinic we heard about in episode 8 of our series with Talitha’s colleague Divya Venkat. In addition to her work at the RIvER clinic, Talitha is an adjunct professor at Carlow University and works as a local travel nurse. 

Chad Bruckner is a retired police detective and spent his career in policing in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He now heads a private investigation firm and is a coach and recovery specialist. Chad reflects on his policing experience in his book, The Holy Trinity of Successful and Healthy Police Organizations: Improving Leadership, Culture and Wellness. 

Laurie Corbin is Managing Director for Community Engagement at Public Health Management Corporation or PHMC. She oversees a range of programs that provide social services prevention, intervention, treatment and education to at-risk individuals and their families. Laurie explains how these programs focus on diversion from incarceration and advance release from incarceration, treatment readiness and recovery support for people who are justice-involved. 

Links of Interest: 

https://www.paactioncoalition.org/news/item/789-event-recap-harm-reduction-in-the-context-of-interactions-with-law-enforcement.html