Liz Evans has over 30 years of frontline experience working with marginalized individuals struggling with drug use. With a Nursing degree and a Masters in Adult Education, she founded the PHS Community Services Society, introducing housing first and harm reduction policies in Canada establishing North America’s first legally sanctioned injection site in 2003. She is a former Open Society Foundation Fellow. In New York, she led harm reduction organizations to pioneer a drug users health hub and expand overdose prevention services. Currently, as Senior Director of Harm Reduction at Liberation Programs, Liz advances harm reduction approaches for individuals at risk of overdose in Connecticut. She also works as a consultant, continuing her dedication to marginalized communities.

President and CEO of Liberation Programs, John Hamilton re-joined the organization in 2018, having previously served from 1996-2006. He is nationally recognized as an expert in addiction treatment and prevention, with three decades of experience. John chairs the advisory board for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and serves on the Governor’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Council. His extensive background includes leadership roles with the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network and the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD). Throughout his journey with Liz, John has been advancing the understanding of how harm reduction principles can save lives.