Steph Tzanetis is the workforce development lead at Penington Institute. She also works at the CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service fixed-site pilot as a peer worker from the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy (CAHMA), having volunteered with Harm Reduction Australia’s Pill Testing Australia for several years and leading the service delivery of Australia’s festival-based drug checking pilots in 2018 and 2019.
Previously she was the Principal Project Officer at AIVL, and she has experience in peer-based outreach and program management roles at Harm Reduction Victoria. She has a particular interest in health promotion and harm reduction initiatives in music festival and nightlife settings, including peer support, psychedelic care, and ‘pill testing’/drug checking services.
Steph has spent several years practising as a volunteer community lawyer, as well as volunteering for several organisations that promote the health rights and human rights of people who use drugs. She originally studied law and humanities and more recently completed higher qualifications in medical and health law and addictive behaviours.