Lynn Couper

Senior Training & Development Officer Emergency Planning for Outbreaks of Bacterial Infection

Lynn’s role includes delivering training with the aim of reducing drug related harm related to wound and bacterial infection. She also helps ensure frontline services, people who use drugs and other stakeholders are prepared to prevent and respond to outbreaks of bacterial infection amongst people who use drugs.

Prior to joining SDF, Lynn ran an assertive outreach harm reduction service and was a Harm Reduction Team Leader for a third-sector treatment service both based in the Forth Valley area.

Lynn’s initial interest in substance use began in Tayside where she worked within the local authority after completing a BA in Social Sciences. She worked within the local authority until 2017 in a variety of roles, all with a specific focus on social inequalities and latterly within Community Safety where she helped to develop relationships and share harm reduction advice with frontline local authority workers, women engaging with on the street selling or exchanging of sex, and people using substances.

She is passionate about challenging inequalities, stigma and in ensuring the people who use services in Scotland receive high quality, evidence based interventions that reduce the risk of all harms in their lives.