A Community
of Support
of Support
We are building an inclusive
community of support that includes
relationships with towns throughout
MetroWest and providers.
We started Rise On to lift up our communities through innovative access to care.
The Rise On application offers free, anonymous and confidential support to help you on your journey, no matter where you are. When you need us, we will be there.
Harm
Reduction
Reduction
Remove
Barriers
Barriers
Access
to Care
to Care
Our Story
Rise On began in response to the expressed needs of our community. We wanted to make a difference among those who use substances by facilitating connection to appropriate services. Among the issues we heard among people seeking services, was the lack of empathy and compassion for the people who use drugs or alcohol or struggle with addiction, as well as a lack of understanding among providers of why addictions develop in the first place.
Many clients report that providers are not knowledgeable about addiction and do not treat them with compassion as a result of stigma around substance use. To help people who use substances to better reach their healthcare goals, we need to better connect them with providers who understand the challenges they may be facing. By meeting people where they are at, we can best provide support for what is appropriate for them at that time.
This may mean harm reduction services for a person who is not ready to stop using but wants to reduce risks, or connecting to support services for someone who is in recovery. In making recommendations, it is important for services to be culturally responsive, such as being accessible for someone whose primary language is Spanish or Portuguese or understanding the unique barriers facing LGBTQ+ folks.
Services for people experiencing addiction or seeking harm reduction are limited in MetroWest. People who reside here often need to travel outside of their communities in order to find care.
We can create something that works for our communities. At Rise On, we offer free, anonymous and confidential support to help you on your journey, no matter where you are. When you need us, we will be there.
Culturally
Responsive
Treatment
Responsive
Treatment
Mental
Health
Health
Dismantle
Systematic
Racism
Systematic
Racism
Our Core Initiatives
Lifting up our communities,
through innovative access to care.
through innovative access to care.
Across three core initiatives—Build a community of support, Access to Care, Harm Reduction & Understanding
—we pair innovative resources with community based outreach to rethink the model of care and provide access to historically marginalized groups.
Innovate, Direct
Access to Care
Access to Care
Change can be difficult.
We must be easy to access,
available, and break the mold of
existing access points.
Individualized
Treatment
Treatment
We provide care that is focused on understanding of folks’ needs & harm reduction. We promote healthier options, not judgment.
Our Team
Ismael "Izzy" Rivera
Director of Quality Assurance, JRI Health Division
Larry Day
Program Manager of Peer Support Services, JRI
Raul Ortiz
Manager of IT Networks, JRI
Aron Thiim
Program Manager, Infectious Diseases & Prevention
Ismael de Oliveira, RN
Infectious Disease Nurse
Gene Hurtado
Harm Reduction Specialist, Mobile Health Coordinator
Christian Laura
Harm Reduction Specialists
Patti Parker
Nurse Practitioner
Claude Joseph
Manager, HIV Programs
Raymond Rodriguez
LGBTQIA+ Community Coordinator & Advocate
Yairaliz Diaz
Support Team Member
Camilo Rincon
Support Team Member
Iris Anglero
Support Team Member
Currently the Director of Resources, Integrated Services and Education with 20+ years of experience in HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis prevention, testing, treatment, and education.
Supervise all HIV Client Services personnel, including evaluating performance, disciplining, hiring, training, and providing administrative supervision to all programs. Serve as liaison with public and private funding sources and assure compliance with guidelines.”
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Hello, my name is Aron Thiim. I serve as the Program Manager for Infectious Diseases & Prevention at Rise On and JRI.
I am a mission-driven public health professional and social justice advocate committed to expanding healthcare access to improve the well-being of people within under-resourced communities. I am interested in pursuing a career in community-oriented primary care.
My professional interests include substance use disorders, HIV risk behaviors, sexual and gender minority health, incarceration and chronic homelessness.
I am fluent in English.
Hello, my name is Ismael de Oliveira and I am an Infectious Disease Nurse for Rise On and JRI Health. I enjoy using my nursing skills to provide the best health care possible to clients in communities with diverse cultures and walks of life.
I graduated from Assabet Valley LPN program in 2020. While I was in the nursing program, I was nominated the class President and I earned an Academic Excellence Award for my achievements.
I am inspired by my wife and my son and in my free time, I like to spend time outdoors with my family.
I am fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
Hello, my name is Gene Hurtado. I’m a Harm Reduction Specialist for Rise On and Program RISE. I also have the privilege of being the main driver of our Rise On Mobile Health Van.
Working for Rise On and JRI Health has given me the opportunity to work in my passion and to help people in need with the different services and programs that we have. Doing our part to make as much as possible a better space for future generations.
I am fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
Hello, my name is Christian Manuel Laura and I am one of the Harm Reduction Specialists at Rise On and Program RISE’s SSP program.
I have worked with other community-based non-profit organizations in the past. For many years, during my adolescence into my early 20s, I worked with the LGBTQ+ youth community while working for BAGLY (Boston Alliance of GLBTQ Youth) and offering services for their HEART team (Health Education and Risk Reduction Team). Later, I worked for Victory Programs’ Mobile Prevention Team for a few years, serving the HIV-positive community and substance users in various recovery programs.
I am a certified Community Health Worker (CHW) with the Boston Public Health Commission.
I am fluent in Spanish and English.
Hello, my name is Patti Parker. I work as a nurse practitioner at JRI Health Program RISE. I primarily work in the Counseling and Testing program in JRI’s Framingham office, but can I also be found working on JRI’s Rise On Mobile Health Van delivering specific services to local communities.
I have had a long career working in sexual and reproductive health, focusing on serving clients and communities where those health care services are particularly needed.
I am fluent in English.
Hello, my name is Claude Joseph. I am manager of HIV programs that facilitate access to care and social services to communities in the Metro west area. I combine clinical and public health knowledge to understand and address challenges facing underserved, marginalized individuals living in MetroWest.
I work to implement sound interventions that help our target population enjoy productive, healthy, and meaningful lives while mitigating the negative impact of classism and racism.
I am interested in research and evaluation of health interventions from a clinical and a public health perspective.
I am fluent in English.
Hello, my name is Raymond Rodriguez. I am a member of the Afro-Latinx and LGBTQIA+ community with 15+ years of public health experience related to HIV/STI testing, peer support and case management, health education and navigation, event coordination/social media/outreach, recovery coaching and group facilitation.
I strive to be an advocate and ally actively engaged in the community outside of work, ranging from the Ryan White Council to the Latinx Advisory Group and Ending HIV Epidemic Steering Committee for the State of Massachusetts DPH, as well as coordinator for the Latinx/a/o/e LGBTQIAPK Digital Wellness Conference and Latinx/a/o/e Community Excellence Awards. The list goes on…
I am extremely dedicated and passionate about the work at GLASS and serving LGBTQIA+ Youth of Color.
I am fluent in Spanish and English.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
