Cara McDermott is a Recovery Community Officer working across the Scottish Borders, where she supports individuals and communities affected by substance use. She brings a strong combination of professional practice and lived experience, offering valuable insight into the realities of recovery, harm reduction, and community-led support.

In her role, Cara works closely with people at different stages of recovery, facilitating peer-led approaches, promoting self-management and wellbeing, and supporting the development of inclusive, compassionate services. Her work is grounded in evidence-informed practice and a belief in empowering individuals to make meaningful, self-directed change.

Cara is passionate about reducing stigma, amplifying the voices of people with lived and living experience, and ensuring that drug policy and practice reflect real-world needs. As a Board member of Scottish Drugs Forum, she is committed to contributing to strategic leadership that centres dignity, inclusion, and harm reduction.