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Alongside End Overdose's volunteer program, we have a selective internship program to show college students the ropes of overdose prevention and response. With the amazing initiative being shown by our spring and summer interns, we want to finally highlight their efforts, so this month our inaugural intern spotlight features Meagan Barrera! Attending CSU Long Beach, Meagan is a Volunteer Nonprofit Development Intern at End Overdose HQ.
We spoke with Meagan to learn more about her efforts and interest in overdose prevention and response!
What are you majoring in at CSU Long Beach? Can you tell us about your academic background? I’m pursuing a BS in Health Science with an emphasis on Community and School Health Education at CSULB, but I transferred with an AA in Math and Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences from Cypress College. Earlier last year, I was accepted into the Long Beach Public Service Corps fellowship, where I was able to work with the Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control division inside the Long Beach Health Department, specifically with the launch of their Harm Reduction Distribution Program. It was then that I learned that I love teaching people about the importance and benefits of harm reduction, like naloxone and fentanyl test strips, and doing outreach to communities who are deeply affected by the opioid overdose epidemic and would benefit the most from these services. When my fellowship came to an end, I felt fulfilled. I discovered what I was passionate about, but I didn’t want to stop doing the work I was doing. That is when I reached out to End Overdose to start a chapter for the city of Long Beach!
When did you first learn about End Overdose? And what inspired you to intern here? When I started attending Insomniac events a couple of years ago, I would always see their tent, whether it was in passing from one stage to another or if my friends wanted to have our meet-ups near their tent. My curiosity grew every time I passed the tent and one day, I walked in and learned about the organization and its mission. I have always been interested in health services because I, like many others, want to help others. I’ve learned that multiple reasons can push a person towards substance abuse, but there are even more reasons that can keep them there, and just because people are in disadvantaged situations, it doesn’t mean that we should leave them there, especially when there are other ways to help them. Harm reduction follows an overall principle of meeting people where they are without judgment or discrimination, especially when abstinence isn’t achievable, and I believe End Overdose fully embodies that principle, which is why I wanted to pursue an internship with them.
What have been the most interesting and rewarding aspects of your internship? I’m currently working on two projects with End Overdose. One of those projects is a free online program for libraries across the state of Arkansas. I have helped create awareness handouts and materials, as well as called and set up meetings with several libraries. When I explained the training and resources we would be able to provide for free, I was met with a tremendous amount of gratitude and kindness, and that feeling of being able to bridge inequitable gaps in health is the most rewarding aspect of my internship this far.
What lessons have you taken away from interning at End Overdose over the past 10 weeks? During recent years, I have seen and heard how opioid overdoses have affected communities local to me. I’ve learned about the opioid overdose epidemic throughout my classes, seminars, and conferences, but now, I’m hearing personal stories of how it’s affecting people elsewhere, and I realize there is so much more important work to be done. So many people, who are already affected or can be affected by the reality of the overdose epidemic, don’t know these resources exist, but every time it is shown to them, all I’ve heard is how much they wish they had known about this sooner, how they hope others hear about this, and how important our work is.
What are your ultimate goals post-internship and post-graduation? After my internship and graduation, I wish to continue to pursue areas of public health and harm reduction, whether it be in the public, private, or non-profit sector, or pursuing a master's in public policy, public administration, or general public health. All I am sure about is I want to continue helping others be safe and stay safe.