Sex workers, allies to discuss health, legal concerns

Members of Project SAFE and the Philadelphia chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project will host a listening session this month to discuss the state of harm-reduction efforts in the city, specifically relating to health and legal concerns.

Action Wellness is also collaborating on the event that takes place from 1-3 p.m. Oct. 28 at the organization’s office on the sixth floor of 1216 Arch St.

The focus will be on two projects: Law Enforcement-Assisted Diversion, called LEAD, and the Patient Advocacy Project.

LEAD is a community-based program started in Seattle in 2011 to address racial disparities in law enforcement. Instead of relying on the criminal-justice system, it focuses on putting resources toward public health and human-service needs like addiction, mental illness, homelessness and extreme poverty.

The Patient Advocacy Project is a new initiative proposed by Project SAFE to tackle barriers to medical care for people who engage in sex work or use substances. The project would seek to connect them with volunteers with knowledge of the medical system. The volunteers will advocate for the people they work with and educate medical staff.

For more information, look up “Listening Session: Structural Barriers to Healthcare Access” on Facebook.

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