Bio

Joanna Mallinson started working with young people in 2002 and became a drug and alcohol specialist in 2010. Through various youth work roles, including 7 years at Bristol Drugs Project, she has built extensive practice-based knowledge and an insight into the lives and needs of young people. The Bespoke Education Project (BE project) combines Jo’s public health knowledge and harm reduction expertise to deliver high quality education and training packages that are congruent with young people’s experiences. Alongside her work with the BE project, Jo also holds a current caseload of young people, and provides youth work consultancy services. Jo is committed to using and further developing the evidence base around drug education and interventions to reduction drug harms. She has previously worked for Bristol University researching drugs education, and she now works as a Visiting Research fellow at The University of the West of England.. Jo's passion is to affect change in young people’s attitudes and risk-taking behaviour through the influence of parents, professionals, peers and better self-awareness.

Photo by Cairo Sealey