Sam Rivera
Executive Director, OnPoint NYC
Sam Rivera has 31 years of progressive experience in social services. His primary focus of expertise lies in Criminal Justice/Reentry, HIV/AIDS, Addiction/Recovery, and Mental Health. He currently serves as the Executive Director of OnPoint NYC, a long-standing wellness organization that provides services to active drug users and sex workers in Northern Manhattan and The South Bronx, many of whom are low-income or homeless as well as of color and LGBTQ. As an Afro-Taino, he brings to this role his several decades of cutting-edge service provision experience and a commitment to social justice. He has dedicated his professional career to ameliorating the harms associated with the War on Drug Users, racism/sexism, structural inequality, and mass incarceration and will continue to work to end systemic as well as systematic barriers to populations that are most vulnerable. Due to his dedication to this work, Sam Rivera was recently recognized as one of Time100's Most Influential People of 2023.
Join us for an engaging and interactive workshop focused on how peer recovery programs can better serve and empower historically excluded communities, with a special emphasis on Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income individuals. Drawing on real-world examples from OnPoint NYC’s impactful work, we’ll explore strategies to build inclusive peer-led programs, create meaningful leadership opportunities for marginalized peers, and shift organizational culture toward equity and harm reduction.
This session invites you to participate in open discussions, hear powerful peer perspectives, and learn from case examples grounded in equity-focused peer support skills. Together, we will highlight the critical role peers play as leaders and changemakers, while honoring diversity and promoting recovery-oriented, inclusive practices.
Whether you’re a peer specialist, ally, or advocate, join us to deepen your understanding and commitment to building equitable, supportive recovery spaces for all.
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1:30pm - 2:30pm
MAC 206
Workshop