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Harm reduction and new/social media
Nigel Brunsdon, Trainer and Blogger, injectingadvice.com and Allison Downing, Specialist Harm Reduction Worker, Project 6, Keighley

Abstract
Most drug services are still delivering services in the traditional ways, face to face contacts, telephone support and print media. A few services in the UK have even started embracing the use of websites, although most of the time these offer little more than an advert for the charity and a list of jobs to apply for.

What we'll be talking about is using new/social media routes; to not only engage with clients who are becoming increasingly technologically literate, but also to develop worldwide networks of drugs workers and advocates.

We will be looking at the use of email campaigns, social sites like Facebook, Twitter, blog based web services and even podcasts (don't worry we'll explain what they all are to the uninitiated). We plan to cover costs of setting up these services, benefits of having them both to the service and to professional development and, of course, how to do it.

Everyone attending this talk will receive a resource CD to help them get started.

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Biographies

Nigel Brunsdon is a trainer and blogger who specialises in delivering harm reduction advice. Nigel has been working in harm reduction services for almost 10 years in a range of roles and is currently the Co-deputy Chair of the National Needle Exchange Forum (NNEF).

He has been running the harm reduction blog for NSP workers and injectors Injecting Advice.com for the last two years. Recently Nigel and Allison have also started the Hooked drug talk podcast.

Nigel has delivered talks at NCIDU conferences before but so far has only managed to injure one attendee with his presentations; we are hoping that at this one no one will require medical attention.

Allison Downing's interest in Blood Borne Viruses began in 1990 when she joined Bradford's Youth Forum on HIV & Aids at 16 years old. The following year, she spoke at The National AIDS Trust's 'Living For Tomorrow' event, urging education ministers to critically evaluate sex education in Britain. After graduating, Allison went on to work for Leeds Housing Concern in the UK's first wet hostel for women drinkers as a Housing Support Worker. She helped develop the service from its opening for 6 years, before joining the team at Project 6 in 2002. Initially employed as a structured treatment worker, she eventually moved to the Harm Reduction service. Allison is proud of her development of both the service and her role as Specialist Harm Reduction worker, and enjoys strong, trusting relationships with her service users.

Allison has also been podcasting with Simply Syndicated (the largest independent podcast network in the UK) since 2004. She presents three weekly shows and is a guest on others across the network. She takes an active role in production and editing. She maintains and moderates the online community of listeners that has sprung up around the network and takes an active part in the forum.