May 20 2026

Demystifying Drugs Panel & Training: Stigma, Harm Reduction, and Overdose Prevention & Response

Odehmenan Health Equity Speaker Series

May 20, 2026

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Location

Odehmenan Health Equity Center

Address

1750 W. Polk St., Suite 220, Chicago, IL 60612

Calendar

Download iCal File

We are so pleased to announce our partnership with Community Outreach Intervention Projects (COIP) within UIC’s School of Public Health (SPH) for our May program.

Please join us in being in solidarity with drug-using and harm reduction communities in our May Odehmenan Health Equity Speaker Series taking place on Wednesday, May 20 12:00 to 1:30 pm. This panel will bring together experts in the fields of substance use treatment, harm reduction, and peer support services to provide our audience with multiple perspectives of the current substance use landscape in Chicago.

The goal of this program is for audience members to learn tangible skills, language, and resources related to substance use, practice harm reduction strategies to be prepared to respond to an opioid overdose, and ultimately reduce substance use related stigma.

More details on the session’s agenda, discussion, and catering to follow in our next newsletter, so please register and bring a friend. Naloxone and fentanyl test strips will be available to all who attend.

Please note: This program will be hybrid. It will be livestreamed via Zoom and will not be recorded. The Zoom link will be sent the morning of the program. We will be providing lunch for all in attendance.

RSVP

Contact

Cassandra Solis
cmsolis2@uic.edu

Date posted

Mar 31, 2026

Date updated

Apr 14, 2026

Speakers

Maggie Kaufmann, MA, MPH | Director of Harm Reduction Programs, Community Outreach Intervention Projects (COIP), UIC School of Public Health

Maggie has been with the COIP team for over 10 years in several roles including overseeing both research studies and service provision for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD). She has expertise in harm reduction, hepatitis C prevention interventions, case management/recovery support, and clinical capacity building. She earned her Master of Public Health and Master of Arts in Anthropology from University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), in 2014. Prior to her work with COIP she taught courses in anthropology at the undergraduate level with a focus on the effects of racism and other modes of discrimination on equitable healthcare access and quality. Currently, she is the Harm Reduction Programs for COIP, a role that sits at the intersection of research and public health practice. She also regularly speaks to diverse groups including healthcare professionals about harm reduction and how to integrate these principles and practices into clinical settings and beyond. She is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of PWUD and reducing stigma around substance use to increase access to nonjudgemental, person-centered care and supportive services.

Kristine Kim, DO, MPH | Family Medicine Resident, Class of 2026

Kristine is a family medicine doctor with a longstanding background in public health. She will be completing her residency training this summer and will be staying at UIC to do a fellowship in addiction medicine. Her clinical interests include broad spectrum primary care, addiction medicine, street medicine and correctional medicine. She strives to understand the interplay between social determinants of health, personal circumstance, and clinical management while addressing barriers to care.

Nick Podjasek | Peer Specialist, USAF Veteran.

I am a 35 y/o male (he/him) who is an Air Force veteran and peer specialist. I work with veterans looking for recovery from SUDs. I am also an advocate for understanding recovery and suicide prevention efforts as these are very personal areas of my lived experience. My aspirations are to be a social worker and part time silversmith. My cat Pixie is my best friend and I enjoy art, music, and any activity involving movement and socialization.