My Latest Posts
• • •
- When an Emergency Becomes RoutineIt’s been 10 years since the opioid crisis was declared a public health emergency. I remember when that language first started being used, emergency. It implied urgency. At the time,… Read more: When an Emergency Becomes Routine
- Why “Just Quit” Isn’t a Real Question“Why don’t they just quit?” It’s a question that comes up often, especially as the crisis on our streets becomes more visible and more severe. But it assumes something that… Read more: Why “Just Quit” Isn’t a Real Question
- Living as a Grief WalkerThere are parts of this work that are hard. People expect that. They imagine the difficulty in broad terms. What is harder to convey is the accumulation, the steady and… Read more: Living as a Grief Walker
- More Than Their Worst DaySome days don’t announce themselves as important. They start like any other. I pulled up to work and saw small groups of people scattered around the neighbourhood, clients gathering in… Read more: More Than Their Worst Day
- Good Intentions Are Not a Clinical SkillNo one overdoses because staff did not care enough. That is a hard truth, but an important one. Over the years, I have worked in a range of settings and… Read more: Good Intentions Are Not a Clinical Skill
- When Caring Crosses a LineSometimes the hardest part of this work is not the overdose.It is not the pneumonia. It is not even the withdrawal. It is the moment you realize you have stepped… Read more: When Caring Crosses a Line
- The Quiet Work of TrustThis has been a busy week at work. The kind of week where there are so many moving pieces it feels like you are constantly carrying them, trying to make… Read more: The Quiet Work of Trust
- Why Some of Us Stay: A Decade in Difficult WorkThis work is hard. There is no soft way to say that. It is clinically complex, emotionally heavy, and often done in systems that are under-resourced and strained. I feel… Read more: Why Some of Us Stay: A Decade in Difficult Work
- The Importance of NoticingI was up early today to take my dog to the groomer. Driving through town on a quiet Saturday morning, I watched the slow hum of the day beginning. Businesses… Read more: The Importance of Noticing
- Compassion Without Structure: The Ethical Tension Inside Harm ReductionHarm reduction is grounded in compassion. It asks us to meet people where they are at. It rejects coercion and prioritizes survival in the face of risk. In street-based nursing,… Read more: Compassion Without Structure: The Ethical Tension Inside Harm Reduction
- Harm Reduction Without Accountability Is Not CareHarm reduction is often framed as the opposite of structure or expectation. As if offering safety means removing all boundaries. As if challenging someone’s choices automatically becomes judgment or punishment.… Read more: Harm Reduction Without Accountability Is Not Care
- When Care Loses Its ShapeI spend a lot of time thinking about why some care helps people move forward, and why some care seems to quietly hold them in place. On the surface, it… Read more: When Care Loses Its Shape
- When Help Makes Things WorseI want to talk about something that is uncomfortable to name, especially in spaces where compassion is the currency and good intentions are assumed. Sometimes, help makes things worse. This… Read more: When Help Makes Things Worse
• • •
