👏 A huge congratulations to our peer navigator, Tara, who has received a scholarship to attend the Viral Hepatitis Conference #VH2026. This is such a well-deserved opportunity and a great recognition of the value Tara brings to our Hep C and peer-led mahi. Ka rawe, Tara! 🦄
Peer Navigators play a vital role at DISC Trust — they use their lived experience to offer non‑judgmental support, help people understand their options, and connect them with health and social services. They make our spaces welcoming, safe, and practical for anyone wanting advice, screening, or harm‑reduction information.
Great to see Nelson Weekly highlighting this important local service 💜
DISC Trust’s Nelson service (NICHE) now offers a free, legal, confidential drug‑checking clinic, funded by @healthnewzealand
The clinic uses FTIR spectrometry to support safer decision‑making, and drug checking is fully regulated in Aotearoa to strengthen community safety.
We’re now running weekly clinics in Nelson, alongside our services in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Nelson also offers free Hep C, HIV, and syphilis screening, plus harm‑reduction equipment. Everyone’s welcome to drop in and learn more.
📍 Weekly clinic times: disctrust.co.nz/drug-checking
📰 Nelson Weekly coverage: disctrust.co.nz/in-the-media
#DISCTrust #HarmReduction #CommunityCare #DrugCheckingNZ #NelsonWeekly #StaySafer
💙 International Nurses Day – 12 May 💙
Today we celebrate some of the heroes who support our work at DISC Trust — our incredible Harm Reduction Nurses, Outreach Hep C Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Hepatology Nurses across Te Waipounamu and beyond.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our exceptional community and hospital nurses. You are the backbone of our support network, providing compassionate, stigma-free care and guidance to our community every day. Your aroha, dedication, and advocacy make an enormous difference in the lives of so many.
Ngā mihi nui to:
✨ Leah, Kay, Kirsty, Pam, Toni, Margaret, Jo, Richard, Paula, Ngaire-Dawn, Susan, Jodi, Carla, Victoria, Jess & Judith
✨ And to our amazing nurses supporting our mahi across Te Manawa Taki and Te Tai Tokerau — Bridget, Sarah & the wider team.
Thank you for the care you provide, the trust you build, and the lives you change. We appreciate you today and every day. 💛
May 7 is International Harm Reduction Day. Jason George is our National Harm Reduction Lead with over 20 years of experience, he is a leading voice for peer-based, compassionate care for people who use drugs.
International Harm Reduction Day is a reminder that drug policy must be grounded in evidence, public health, and human rights for people who use drugs.
DISC Trust acknowledges the importance of mana, dignity, and equitable access to care. We've been here for 37 years, we're still here, and we're here to help 🩷
We offer confidential health & wellbeing check‑ins in Christchurch for people engaged in enhancement practices. We’re pleased to introduce this new service and to partner with @timpiatkowski (The University of Queensland ) and Dr Jai Wheelan (@universityofotago ) to strengthen the evidence base for better health support.
Take part in our research implementation trial...
🔗 Book www.disctrust.co.nz/ipeds
#harmreduction
Awesome to see Nelson Mail / The Press sharing the message:
Drug checking saves lives 💜
“The service isn’t here to promote drug use or tell people what to do. It’s here to support informed decisions and help people stay safer,” says DISC Trust National Harm Reduction Lead Jason George.
👍 Free
👍 Legal
👍 Confidential
👍 Judgment‑free
We’re proud to run a regular service in Nelson, funded by @healthnewzealand with plans to expand to three days a week.
Our teams in Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, and Dunedin help people understand potential risks in the local drug market and stay safer. Through our connection to the national #HighAlertNZ system, we help issue warnings when dangerous substances appear, protecting communities across Aotearoa.
#DISCTrust #HarmReduction #CommunityCare #DrugCheckingNZ #StaySafer
Thank you Vaka Tautua Otago 💛💙 We loved being part of the Matua Foafoa & Disability Health Day last week. The wonderful Margaret offered free Hep C & HIV/Syphilis screening via a finger prick test - it's that easy!
#HarmReduction #HealthForAll #KnowYourStatus #OtagoCommunity #ReducingStigma
Congratulations to our Harm Reduction Nurses, Pam & Kirsty, who will be sharing their knowledge at the Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference #VH2026. They're presenting:
💛 “A One Stop Integrated Model: Full Blood Borne Virus Screening in a Nurse and Peer Led Community Harm Reduction Clinic”
💛 “Getting on track and doing what we should: Addressing gaps in Hepatitis C treatment within Mental Health Services”
Huge congratulations to them both — an amazing achievement and a great opportunity to showcase the impact of our mahi on a wider stage 👏
@disc_trust - Christchurch NZ. Health monitoring and safer use conversations to support your enhancement journey. Get involved in this and our research implementation trial.
Reminder: We will be CLOSED across all sites for ANZAC Day Mon 27 April but have vending machines available 24/7 at our three sites in Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin....back open Tues 28 April!
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
E kore rātou e kaumātuatia
Pēnei i a tātou kua mahue nei
E kore hoki rātou e ngoikore
Ahakoa pēhea i ngā āhuatanga o te wā
I te hekenga atu o te rā
Tae noa ki te aranga mai i te ata
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.
