By Erin Knutson
Ankors peer health navigator and drug checking technician James Kaufman espouses inclusion, compassion, stigma reduction, and diversity as part of the local branch’s mission statement to protect the well-being of its client base in Cranbrook.
“We work from a wellness model through support and advocacy, harm reduction, prevention and education, delivery of client-centred programs and services focused on the whole person and partnerships with our community network,” he said of their mandate.
Kaufman is part of a team dedicated to assisting individuals dealing with HIV/AIDs, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne pathogens resulting in infectious diseases while promoting health and safety through providing resources, referrals and amenities for clients.
The harm reduction model integral to Ankors’ services provides people with a safe place to check drug supply and dispose of paraphernalia, specifically drug needles, with an accessible needle disposal bin conveniently located outside their downtown location.
“It creates a safe and anonymous option for people – many people are dying from fentanyl-laced products, so if we can check to make sure the supply is clean, we can and do save lives,” he said.
Fentanyl is resistant to Naxolone, meaning many deaths happen around its use. According to Kaufman, people die if they can’t get treatment fast enough.
He’s someone who speaks from lived experience, putting him in the peer health navigator category of help.
“People will confide in someone who’s been through it, much more than in a clinical setting – it’s easier to help someone or get through to that person when you can relate to what they’re going through,” he said.
Kaufman recently completed his Human Service Worker Diploma from College of the Rockies and takes great pride in his work within the community.
On Ankors’ diverse clientele, there is not one specific profile.
“A fair percentage of people who visit are homeless, but we cater to everyone, and we see people from all walks of life,” he said.
According to Kaufman, there’s a significant homeless population locally, and with that, a host of new issues, including increased crime in the city.
“Often it’s survival crime – a lot of the theft that’s been happening is drug-related, owing money, or needing necessities to survive.”
There’s a shortage of affordable housing, programming, funding, and spaces for individuals currently on the street. As a result, treatment and hospitalization for mental health and addiction issues don’t always pan out.
People are often released back onto the streets without resolution or have nowhere to go, and the cycle repeats, exhausting current resources.
The need outweighs the available support leading to the visible disparity in the community, including heightened theft and homeless camps popping up, much to the detriment of residents and business owners, said Kaufman.
“A lot of the people we see are not in a place where they can work – it’s about reducing harm at this point and doing what we can to help them manage their circumstances.”
Kaufman boasts that he loves his profession on a typical day.
“We get people that are scared and have nowhere to go, but just by being here, we help them know they are not alone- and when someone leaves, and they feel just a little bit better, that’s everything, it’s good to be here because we are all vulnerable, every one of us,” he said.
To read more on Ankors visit: About ANKORS – ANKORS
Lead image: Peer Health Navigator and Drug Checking Technician James Kaufman at the Ankors location in downtown Cranbrook. Photos by Erin Knutson
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