Phoebe A Wheeler-Crum, MPA, MA, is the Harm Reduction Training Coordinator with the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Harm Reduction Program, a role she began in 2023. In this capacity, she serves as the Planning Section Chief for the annual Kentucky Harm Reduction Summit and develops care navigator-focused trainings and webinars. She also coordinates harm reduction and syringe services program planning meetings, collaborating with public health professionals, educators, and subject matter experts to achieve program goals and objectives.

Before joining KDPH, Phoebe worked with the CDC Foundation as an OD2A Public Health Educator and School Disease Intervention Specialist. She also served as the HEAL Program Coordinator for Voices of Hope, LLC., where she managed the day-to-day operations of the University of Kentucky’s HEALing Communities Study. This is the largest grant ever awarded by the National Institutes of Health designed to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40% over three years. Earlier in her career, she served as a Targeted Case Manager in behavioral health, supporting individuals with complex co-occurring conditions and reducing stigma through patient and family education. Her professional experience also includes roles as an educator, nonprofit development director, and entrepreneur in the landscape industry, shaping her belief in meeting people where they are and fostering community-driven solutions.

Phoebe’s guiding philosophy is to teach not what to think but how to think. She applies this belief in her training development, working to ensure that harm reduction opportunities are meaningful, engaging, and impactful for professionals and communities alike.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends through outdoor adventures, sporting events, and visiting historic sites and museums. She values these experiences as opportunities to remain grounded, inspired, and connected to her community.