Paul just graduated with his MSW from UBC after being an active member of the Concordia chapter of CSSDP in Montreal. His lived experience of addiction has led to the pursuit of work related to substance use. Paul meets people where they are at through both outreach and harm reduction services. Paul also assists people along their recovery process in both live-in and outpatient treatment contexts via both group and individual counselling. Paul is a simple dude, he loves feeling connected with his people and just straight chillin’ pretty much as often as possible.
Personnel Liaison
Paul Rusu (he/him)
More Team Members
Alex Betsos (they/them)
I am a PhD Candidate studying the history of drug addiction research in Canada in the 1960s-90s and its relation to national and international statecraft. My background is in anthropology, sociology and Science and Technology Studies; I study the relations between science, technology, law, drugs and the ways people use them. I’m also a bit of a Canadian drug history nerd. From 2012-2014 I was part of CSSDP’s SFU chapter, and joined the Board first from 2013-2016, and then again from 2017-2021 as its International Representative. Attending the 2016 UNGASS on drugs with CSSDP, completely changed my life. CSSDP taught me that youth voices matter not just because they can speak to the experience of young people, but because they have the creativity and knowledge to dream big; what happens in the rest of the world matters here; and our best work is done together!
Co-Chair
Thea Sheridan-Jonah (she/her)
Thea is a student at the University of British Columbia studying Political Science and First Nations and Indigenous Studies. Thea has been on the board of CSSDP for about 5 years first as a general member, then the treasurer and has served as chair or co-chair for the past 3 years. Thea is also part of the Vancouver chapter and has served as president or co-president for the past four years. Thea is an organizer in so called Vancouver working in broad collectives for justice and abolition for and beyond drug user liberation. Thea also serves on the board of the Pivot Legal Society and a founding member of the Devil’s Club Medic Collective.
Rebecca Haines-Saah, PhD
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. I am a public health sociologist, with a PhD (2008) in Behavioural Health Sciences and Addiction Studies from the University of Toronto. My research interests are in public health and harm reduction approaches to substance use and drug policy reform. My recent projects have focused on youth and young adult cannabis use and opioid use, the family contexts of substance use, and parent advocacy for action on Canada’s overdose death emergency.