Jess Williams

Jess Williams has a long-term interest in social support for people who use drugs. As someone with a history of addiction, she has benefited from various sources of support, including 12-step groups, Heart of Recovery, Recovery Dharma, and an ever-growing array of online resources. However, she has repeatedly seen the ways that abstinence-oriented groups inadequately serve people who don't want to--or can't--abstain from drug use. In her roles as a volunteer with Prevention Point Pittsburgh, the event manager of the Pittsburgh Recovery Walk, a social work student, and as a plain old member of the community, she works to create opportunities for anyone struggling with substance use to access the hope and support that they deserve.