Our Presenters

Parti Project

Sesh.ED

Peer-led Online Harm Reduction to Engage and Empower Young People Who Use Drugs

Young people who use drugs in late night venues are an often-overlooked cohort that does not access traditional health and harm reduction services. The Peer Advocacy Response and Training Initiative (PARTi Project), a collaboration between Better Health Network and Thorne Harbour Health, utilizes Instagram as a platform to inform, empower and educate young people via our ‘Sesh.ed’ page. Sesh.ed provides effective drug specific harm reduction information and safer partying tips while expanding the reach of state government ‘drug alerts’ to online peer networks.

Sesh.ed is viewed as an online safe space where young people access and share information with their peers. Sesh.Ed’s content aims to be informative, practical and accessible while being created by peers, for peers. This presentation will demonstrate the efficacy and value of peer-led initiatives at engaging with their communities, whilst also highlighting the importance of peer-networks in keeping their communities safe.



Linda Cowan | PARTi Project Worker, Thorne Harbour Health

Linda Cowan is a harm reduction specialist with extensive experience in research, peer outreach, and engagement. She leads the Sesh.ed Instagram initiative, creating inclusive resources, social media content, and conducting program evaluations through surveys and community engagement to advance evidence-based practices and health promotion for LGBTQIA+ and drug-using communities.

 

Liam Neale| PARTi Project Worker, Better Health Network

Liam has been a peer-worker on the PARTi Project at Better Health Network since 2020, where he has managed the Sesh.ed Instagram page. Liam is passionate about harm reduction, drug education and advancing the health and human rights of people who use drugs. Liam has extensive experience working and volunteering across a number of harm reduction initiatives including with Harm Reduction Victoria’s DanceWize program, Student’s for Sensible Drug Policy, and as a Peer Harm Reduction Worker at Victoria’s new Drug Checking Service.

 

Ben Yonson | PARTi Project Worker, Better Health Network

Ben has worked in harm reduction as a peer educator since 2018 as a member of Harm Reduction Victoria’s DanceWize program. With education in Community Development & fueled by a passion for drug education and community building he now focuses on policy and advocacy at HRVic and the PARTI project at Better Health Network.