Douglas Rusk (he/him, they/them)

Harm Reduction Co-Manager

Douglas is a white, cis-gender, gay man working as Harm Reduction Co-Manager. Douglas provides holistic care to community members seeking support that attends to the specific needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. Reflecting on his position, he says that “although providing harm reduction supplies and education are key components of my work, the foundation of everything I do is based on offering non-judgemental spaces for individuals to explore what their goals are and offering support and encouragement to move in that direction. We call it peer support, but, really, it’s about meeting people as a human being first and a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who may or may not use substances second.”

Douglas’ own experiences of childhood neglect, abuse, addiction, and other attendant traumas have provided him a deep capacity for empathy and compassion for folks who are experiencing similar difficulties.

Douglas is an alumni of the QTHC’s Investigaytors program. He is also a registered counselor with Dark Waters Navigation, a private practice that seeks to decolonize mental health services by providing low/no barrier access to mental health supports. He is also passionate about psychedelic therapy and is a founding member of the Ethical Psychedelic International Community (EPIC), an organization that is currently developing standards of practice for psychedelic healing work. 

Douglas enjoys camping in the summers with his 3 cats, dog, and loving partner of 14 years. He also has an insatiable passion for Star Wars, Lady Gaga, and music festivals

You might reach out to Douglas with questions about the Peer N Peer program or to access the program’s supports.

You can contact Douglas by emailing douglas.rusk@ourhealthyeg.ca