Alana Wade, an experienced Outreach RN in Calgary, AB, offers over ten years of frontline nursing experience to her role as a candidate for Vice President of ANCHR. Her career is marked by significant contributions in various settings, including corrections, inpatient consulting, and community outreach, primarily serving marginalized populations. Alana played a pivotal role in establishing Alberta's first injectable Opioid Agonist Therapy (iOAT) clinic in 2018. During the pandemic, she co-created a low-barrier outreach service (aka MOAT) for complex case management in severe substance use scenarios. Her expertise spans a range of opioid therapies, including oral, topical, injectable, and prescribed safe supply, focusing on stabilizing use, treating chronic pain, supporting palliative care, and reducing stigma and barriers. A current member of the ANCHR board, Alana is dedicated to continuing her advocacy in harm reduction and peer education, advocating for exemplary nursing care for all people who use drugs. Her involvement with ANCHR has fostered a deep appreciation for nurses' collective political advocacy, and she is excited to contribute her passion and strengths to the board in 2024.
Angie Staines, based in Edmonton, AB, is a passionate advocate for harm reduction, aiming for the position of Vice President or General Board Member. As the founder of the 4B Harm Reduction Society (4BHRS), her efforts are informed by her own experiences with substance use and houselessness. Angie's involvement with 4BHRS, Moms Stop the Harm, and Albertans for Ethical Drug Policy focuses on public education and advocacy, pushing for evidence-based drug policies that emphasize harm reduction, safe supply, and decriminalization. A Licensed Practical Nurse and a graduate of Norquest College, she is currently working at an Edmonton hospital, serving in the Neurosciences department. Angie is dedicated to using harm reduction to rebuild relationships with the most marginalized community members, empowering them to enhance their health outcomes amidst challenges like the toxic drug supply, houselessness, and untreated mental health issues.
Morgan Magnuson, a faculty member at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, is a dedicated nurse specializing in harm reduction. She facilitates student placements with community organizations serving people who use substances (PWUS), integrating academic and practical approaches. Morgan's Ph.D. research focuses on the politics of harm reduction in Lethbridge, analyzing policy impacts on PWUS. Her work is supported by a grant from the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse, studying the effects of a local supervised consumption site's closure. She warns against the de-politicization of harm reduction, stressing that reducing it to a mere set of health services is contrary to the goals of social justice and health equity. Her commitment extends beyond providing evidence-based services to being politically active in changing the systemic conditions that lead to disproportionately poorer health outcomes for people who use substances.
Michael Lee is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner with a rich background in Addictions and Mental Health, bringing a decade of experience in the field to the table. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, he has spent the last six years with the Addiction Recovery and Community Health (ARCH) team in a hospital setting, following four impactful years as a Registered Nurse. Michael's commitment to holistic care is evident in his strong advocacy for harm reduction in nursing, recognizing its critical role in addressing addiction and its intersection with social determinants of health. As a founding member of ANCHR and a candidate for President, he aims to continue fostering relationships with organizations to champion a strategic harm reduction agenda, ensuring the voices of the socially vulnerable are heard and their needs met.
Kinnon Ross is a compassionate Clinical Nurse Educator in Treaty 6 territory (colonially known as Edmonton), deeply committed to harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and supporting individuals who use substance. Her journey in nursing education began in Vancouver in 2012, on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Kinnon's career, oriented towards working with people who use drugs in both acute and community settings, is informed by her personal experiences with substance use and mandated treatment programs. As a candidate for General Board Member, she brings a unique perspective, advocating for essential harm reduction practices in nursing, particularly vital amidst the current toxic drug supply and poisoning crisis.
Elections will take place during our AGM on February 28th. We will circulate Ballots in advance for those who will be unable to attend the AGM.
If you would like to run for a board position, you must:
Be employed in Alberta as a RN, NP, LPN, RPN registered with CRNA, CLPNA, and/or CRPNA,
Be committed to the principles and philosophy of harm reduction
