Need someone to interview about safe consumption services, overdose prevention, substance use, or harm reduction?
Contact one of our media spokespeople.
Vitka Eisen, MSW, Ed.D (any/all pronouns OK)
Vitka is the President and CEO of HealthRIGHT 360, a healthcare provider for very low-income and otherwise marginalized Californians. With over 30 years of experience in human services, Vitka has dedicated her career to supporting people and communities struggling with addiction and incarceration. Vitka is a former injection heroin user; she participated in substance use disorder treatment over 30 years ago at the agency she now leads. Vitka offers expertise on addiction and substance use services, primary care, mental health, and re-entry services. To interview Vitka, email veisen@healthright360.org.
Gary McCoy (he/him)
Gary is the Vice President of Policy & Public Affairs at HealthRIGHT 360. Gary experienced homelessness and a substance use disorder as a young adult in San Francisco. Since getting back on his feet over a decade ago, Gary advocates for policies that directly relate to people experiencing homelessness, people in recovery from substance use disorder, people involved in the criminal justice system, and life-saving harm-reduction approaches for people who use drugs. Gary can offer a personal perspective on substance use and homelessness and how public policy affects people in need. To interview Gary, contact gmccoy@healthright360.org.
Dr. Leslie Suen (she/hers)
Dr. Suen is a primary care physician and an Internal Medicine VA fellow in the UCSF National Clinician Scholars Program (formerly known as the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Fellowship). Her research focuses on using mixed methods research and implementation science to improve health systems, policies, and outcomes for people with substance use disorders. She is available to speak about the benefits of safe consumption services from a healthcare provider’s perspective. To speak with Dr. Suen, please email Emily to arrange an interview at media@sfaf.org.
Links to Press Coverage
Safer Inside Coalition calls for immediate action on safe consumption sites in response to SB 57 delay. Published in San Francisco AIDS Foundation (7/7/2021)
Holder, Sarah. A Controversial Fix for Overdose Deaths: Safe Injection Sites. Published in CityLab (9/5/2018)
KTVU News. City Leaders Tour Mock Safe Injection Site. Video (8/29/2018)
Fracassa, Dominic. SF Demonstrates How Safe Injection Sites for Drug Users would work. Published in SF Chronicle (8/29/2018)