HSABC: Current Events and Issues in the Homelessness Sector

In this episode, we’re talking Client Care and Advocacy with our roundtable of instructors who have all been in this work for a long time as peers, as frontline workers, and as advocates, and still are committed to advocacy and good care. 

We get into the real tensions of frontline client care and advocacy — navigating involuntary care, responding to weapons and safety concerns, and working within the limits of staffing, time, and capacity. We unpack how “care” and “safety” are often defined, challenged, and negotiated in real time — and how those definitions don’t always align across workers, organizations, and systems. We also talk honestly about what advocacy looks like in a system that’s stretched thin, where needs often outpace resources, and where the stakes are high for both workers and clients.

Some of the questions we take on include:

• When you think about good care, what does that actually look like in the environments you’ve worked in—especially when things are complex or unpredictable?
• Where do you see the biggest gap between what clients need and what systems are actually able—or willing—to offer?
• What does advocacy look like when you know the system isn’t set up to respond in the ways clients need, particularly around safety, substance use, or basic needs?
• How do you decide when to push harder for a client versus working within system limits to avoid unintended consequences?

This is a conversation about making tough calls, holding boundaries, and finding ways to keep showing up with care, clarity, and purpose — and why, despite it all, people stay committed to this work.

Guests:

Kevin Parker

A Peer Support Specialist in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with The Spencer Creo Foundation, bringing over 15 years of experience supporting marginalized communities. His work focuses on frontline care, including crisis response, overdose prevention, and supporting people navigating homelessness and substance use.

He spent over a decade with RainCity Housing in various frontline and leadership roles, and now runs Parker & Assu Consulting, offering peer-led training and support to community organizations. Grounded in lived experience, Kevin’s approach centers on trust, equity, and practical, relationship-based care.

https://www.parkerandassu.com/

 Dawn Campbell

A is a Registered Social Worker and Veterinary Social Worker with the Vancouver Humane Society, supporting people facing financial hardship through access to emergency veterinary care. Her work focuses on the intersection of social services and animal welfare, using a trauma-informed, pet-inclusive approach.

She brings nearly a decade of frontline experience in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, offering crisis support, advocacy, and systems navigation. Dawn also serves as a Board Director with the BC Bereavement Helpline and runs a private practice specializing in grief, trauma, and the human–animal bond, with a focus on building more connected, responsive systems.

https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/

Leanne Tombe

A Social Worker with nearly two decades of experience supporting people impacted by sexual exploitation and sexualized violence. She has held leadership roles with Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse, including managing the Calgary Sexual Assault Team and education programs supporting police, courts, and communities. Leanne is recognized for developing innovative prevention, education, and capacity-building initiatives that strengthen responses to sexual and gender-based violence.

Kennedy Lewis

A trauma therapist based in Vancouver, BC, founder of Extraordinary Workers, supporting frontline staff in trauma-exposed roles 

For more training and resources, go to hsa-bc.ca.

Not yet a member? Sign up today at https://hsa-bc.ca/membership-overview.html

For more training and resources, go to hsa-bc.ca.

Not yet a member? Sign up today at https://hsa-bc.ca/membership-overview.html

In HSABC’s inaugural Instructor Roundtable, host Sarah Kift brings together an extraordinary panel of frontline leaders, clinicians, peers, and harm reduction advocates to talk candidly about the realities of homelessness, health, and overdose response work in 2025.

Calling in from across multiple Indigenous territories in BC and Alberta, the panel shares grounded introductions shaped by decades of experience in nursing, palliative outreach, substance use health, peer leadership, emergency medicine, and policy advocacy.

Together, they explore:

• The current harm reduction climate — what’s shifted, why so many workers feel exhausted, and how political backlash, under-resourcing, and misinformation are shaping front-line realities.
• Workforce challenges — high turnover, lack of training and mentorship, moral distress, and the impacts of long-term crisis response.
• Peer-led leadership and community wisdom — especially the unique strength and expertise of people with lived experience.
• Sustaining ourselves in the work — how seasoned practitioners recognize bias, regulate burnout, and stay grounded in compassion even in moments of frustration or grief.
• Why they’re still here — small victories, community, reframing, and a shared commitment to dignity and safety for people who use drugs.

This conversation is honest, nuanced, and deeply human—offering both validation and guidance for anyone working in homelessness services, harm reduction, or community health. Whether you’re new to the field or feeling the weight of long-term frontline work, this roundtable offers mentorship, solidarity, and hard-earned wisdom from those who continue to show up with courage, humour, and heart.

Guests:

Corey Ranger (he/him)

Clinical Director at AVI Health & Community Services, a board member of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC), and a research and communications intern with the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC). Based in unceded Quw’utsun Territory, Corey is a registered nurse with extensive experience in street outreach, community, and public health nursing. 

https://www.hrna-aiirm.ca/our-team/

Shari-McKenzie Ramsey (she/her) Forensic Nurse Examiner at Island Health - Vancouver Island Health Authority, ER nurse, frontline staff trainer and early adoption Naloxone trainer

http://www.spiritustraining.com/our-story.html

Rachael Edwards (she/her) 

RN, MPH- Indigenous Peoples Health, Harm Reduction Nurse, Advocate, Educator, Community Health Nurse

https://www.mtroyal.ca/Summit/helping_the_homeless.htm

Rachel Plamondin-Assu (she/her)

 Empowering PWLLE Leadership and Employment Opportunities | Culturally Innovating Community-Driven Harm Reduction | Low-Barrier Employment & Peer Leadership | We Wai Kai Nation

https://www.parkerandassu.com/

Dr Heather Fulton

Registered Psychologist specializing in mental health, substance use, and severe concurrent disorders. She provides clinical care and oversees psychotherapy training at Royal Columbian Hospital, while supervising and mentoring trainees across multiple MHSU programs. With certifications in CBT, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing, and Brief Action Planning, she also consults and trains providers in trauma-informed, evidence-based concurrent disorder care. Dr. Fulton frequently publishes and presents on innovative approaches in MHSU treatment. 

https://www.drheatherfulton.com/

Topics include handling vicarious trauma as frontline workers, supporting safe co

For more training and resources, go to hsa-bc.ca.

Not yet a member? Sign up today at https://hsa-bc.ca/membership-overview.html