Unsilencing Stories

This episode is a graphic elicitation, which is a research method in which art produced by researchers or participants, are used to invite participants to reflect on  their lived experiences, beliefs, or behaviours. You’ll hear Caitlin Burritt and Chloe Burritt interview Daniel Snyder about three pieces of artwork Chloe created based on Daniel’s interviews. Daniel describes how each piece of art r...

This episode is a graphic elicitation, which is a research method in which art produced by researchers or participants, are used to invite participants to reflect on their lived experiences, beliefs, or behaviours. You’ll hear Giorgia Ricciardi interview Ryan Nielsen about two pieces of art produced by the researcher, Thomas Chanyungco, and one piece of art created by Ryan, to represent concepts i...

This episode is a graphic elicitation, which is a research method in which art produced by researchers or participants, is used to invite participants to reflect on their lived experiences, beliefs, or behaviours. Caitlin Burritt talks to Taija McLuckie about two pieces of art Caitlin created based on Taija’s interviews. Taija discusses how the art makes her feel, and what seeing the art makes her...

In this episode, you’ll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Daniel Snyder for the last time. Daniel talks about a recent overdose death in the community, and the trauma peers face due to high turnover from death and burn out. He discusses which stressors have changed and which have stayed the same over the course of the interview process. This interview was recorded on December 14, 2022.

In this episode, you’ll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Daniel Snyder about exposure to death and trauma and how he copes with it. Daniel describes outlets he uses to deal with stress, the importance of taking breaks to avoid burnout, and steps he is taking to maintain boundaries between his peer work and his personal life. This episode was recorded on December 6, 2022.

In this episode, you’ll hear Daniel Snyder speak to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about the financial realities of peer work and his future career aspirations. Daniel describes the lack of permanent, full-time positions for peers, and how pursuing a career involving only peer work could impact him financially. Daniel also discusses the importance of counter-narratives about substance use, as not al...

In this episode, you’ll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Daniel Snyder about financial security and the lack of standard payment practices across agencies for peer workers. Daniel discusses how many peers do gig work rather than engaging in salaried employment, and the importance of making peers feel valued by compensating them fairly.   This episode was recorded on November 29, 2022. 

In this episode, you'll hear Daniel Snyder talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about differing viewpoints in approaching harm reduction work, the limits of policy solutions, and the importance of human connection for people who use drugs.   This episode was recorded on November 22, 2022.

In this episode, you'll hear Daniel Snyder talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about referring individuals to resources in his community. Daniel suggests that recovery option should be person-centred and tailored to the individual needs of the person seeking treatment. Daniel explains the importance of keeping those struggling with substance use disorder around their support systems and the...

In this episode, you'll hear Daniel Snyder talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about different responses he encounters while doing community outreach, the presence of cynicism in peer spaces in response to the death and trauma peers face in their work and the importance of client centred treatment for those experiencing substance use disorder.   This episode was recorded on November 15, 2022...

In this episode, you'll hear Daniel Snyder talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about the stigma that surrounds substance use and people who use drugs. He describes the internal stigma he faced as his substance use escalated and the lengths he went to hide his substance use. Daniel also explains that many people in the trades are affected by the overdose crisis and discusses his experience ma...

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Chueng interview Daniel Snyder, a peer harm reduction worker in Langley, BC, for the first time. Daniel introduces himself, describes his lived experience with substance use, his journey to becoming a peer and emphasizes the importance of people who use drugs sharing their stories. This episode was recorded on November 1, 2022.

In this episode, you'll hear Lily speak about a recent death in her personal life due to the opioid overdose epidemic with Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung. Lily discusses the shock of her loss as well as the daily impact of grief on her relationships, family, and career.  This episode was recorded on December 12, 2022.

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Lily about her experiences with death and trauma as a peer worker. Lily also discusses the amount of trauma and death she witnessed working in supportive housing, she reflects on the normalization of loss and death amongst peer workers and discusses her coping strategies that allow her to continue her peer work. This intervie...

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Lily about her personal financial stressors as a peer worker. Lily explains that the compensation for peer work remains undervalued and she often struggles to pay her rent and debt as the BC housing market soars. Lily discusses how integral family support is but also illustrates how her own internal stigma has caused her to h...

In this episode, you'll hear Lily talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about the extreme barriers faced in her community regarding supportive, safe and affordable housing. Lily discusses the stigmatising effects of the lack of affordability, as well as the difficulty of navigating government systems for housing support. Lily also describes her experience working in a safe supply program and h...

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung discuss a main stressor with Lily: financial insecurity. Lily discusses how financial compensation for peer workers is often not enough compensation for the extensive shiftwork, stressful working conditions, and burnout that peers face daily. Lily discusses the difficult cycle peer workers can find themselves in as they experience burn...

In this episode, you'll hear Lily talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about the strain that Winter puts on both peer workers and the people they are supporting. Lily discusses de-escalation techniques, stressful situations at work, and the burnout that often accompanies peer work. Lucas and Esther also ask about Lily's work at workshops, where she discusses the importance of harm reduct...

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Lily for the first time. Lily introduces herself and talks about her previous work in Supportive Housing and her current work at a Safer Supply clinic. She also discusses her personal experiences with substance use and the destabilizing effects of a time period where she was unhoused.   This episode was recorded on October 31...

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Ben for the last time, Ben discusses an upcoming workshop he's hosting about ending internalised stigma. Lucas, Esther, and Ben review the list of stressors to see if Ben has noticed any changes in how the stressors affect him and his work since the interview process began.   This episode was recorded on December 13, 202...

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Ben about how often he personally faces death and trauma in his work. Ben explains that it is a constant presence in his work due to the toxic drug crisis and shares some specific incidents and emphasises the importance of safe supply and accessible resources. This episode was recorded on December 12, 2022

In this episode, you'll hear Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung interview Ben about exposure to trauma and workplace stress. Ben speaks about the ongoing traumatic experiences he faces related to the toxic drug crisis, the lack of support for vulnerable populations in his community and the challenges associated with sending people away from rural areas to receive support.   This episode was recorde...

In this episode, you'll hear Ben talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Cheung about his current living situation and the need for supportive and low-income housing. Ben also tells Esther about his overall confidence in his work and the prospects for future funding.   This episode was recorded on November 22, 2022.

In this episode, you'll hear Ben talk to Luca Akai and Esther Cheung about the positive and negative experiences he had while attending a conference in Vancouver, BC. You will also hear Ben discuss the effect local municipalities can have on peer workers efforts.   This episode was recorded on November 22, 2022.

In this episode, you'll hear Ben talk to Lucas Akai and Esther Chung about how housing impacts stability, how peer workers face burnout due to the combination of the toxic drug crisis and the COVID 19 pandemic. And how bureaucracy makes it difficult to come to terms with the reality of working with active drug users. This episode was recorded on November 9, 2022.