Faith Watkins

Social justice and harm reduction advocate with experience in strategic planning, workshop development and implementation, community collaboration, and emotion regulation with communities exposed to homelessness, substance use, and violence. Eager to augment social work education with an internship at the District Attorney's office, focusing on leveraging insights from research findings to develop effective programs and support local communities.

• Volunteer, Sunrise Navigation Center, 01/01/22, present, During weekly two-hour shifts, assist ~35 clients experiencing homelessness to retrieve their mail and route to resources., Engage in emotion regulation for clients, our internal team, and self, as clients are facing mental illness, substance use, exposure to violence, and other factors.
• Guardian ad Litem, CASA of Travis County, 01/01/22, present, Advocate for youth in the child welfare system, including co-identify their needs and priorities, compose intentionally written court reports, and maintain confidential records.
• Outreach Volunteer, Austin Harm Reduction Coalition, 01/01/18, 12/31/22, Conducted weekly street outreach, including emotion regulation, destigmatizing care, and distribution of harm reduction supplies and education materials (e.g., Narcan and fentanyl test strip education)., Co-wrote organization volunteer manual., In collaboration with Travis County, distribute Narcan and educate/train downtown bars as part of overall opioid overdose prevention strategy.
• Secretary, Texas Harm Reduction Conference, 01/01/19, 12/31/20, Identified and collaborated with local business and community stakeholders for the conference, including awareness raising and planning and implementing smaller fundraising events.

• Undoing White Supremacy Austin (including an alternative to 911 deep canvassing project), 01/01/16 - 12/31/23
• Reproductive Justice Workshop (Hosted by Neonatal Task Force Austin)
• Allyship
• Racial Equity Training
• Anti-racism Workshop Series (Hosted by The Growing Edge)
• Texas Overdose Naloxone Initiative (TONI) Overdose Prevention Training
• Leadership Austin: Beyond Diversity

Volunteer ▪ Sunrise Navigation Center 2022 - present

▪ During weekly two-hour shifts, assist ~35 clients experiencing homelessness to retrieve their mail and route to resources.

▪ Engage in emotion regulation for clients, our internal team, and self, as clients are facing mental illness, substance use,

exposure to violence, and other factors.

Guardian ad Litem ▪ CASA of Travis County 2022 - 2023

▪ Advocate for youth in the child welfare system, including co-identify their needs and priorities, compose intentionally-

written court reports, and maintain confidential records.

Outreach Volunteer ▪ Austin Harm Reduction Coalition 2018 – 2022. Safe Haven 2023, & N.I.C.E Project 2023-present

▪ Conducted weekly street outreach, including emotion regulation, destigmatizing care, and distribution of harm reduction

supplies and education materials (e.g., Narcan and fentanyl test strip education).

▪ Co-wrote organization volunteer manual.

▪ In collaboration with Travis County & Safe Haven, distribute Narcan and educate/train downtown bars as part of overall opioid overdose

prevention strategy

Secretary ▪ Texas Harm Reduction Conference 2019 – 2020

▪ Identified and collaborated with local business and community stakeholders for the conference, including awareness raising

and planning and implementing smaller fundraising events.