The Harm Reductionist

 Harm Reduction for Young People Young adults who use drugs face a wide array of sociopolitical, organizational, and structural barriers to accessing harm reduction services, including stigma and social condemnation associated with substance use, fear of law enforcement, and, in some settings, policies that restrict access on the basis of age. Expansion of harm reduction education in school health curriculum, nurse distribution of harm reduction materials, and naloxone access in schools may require changes to local laws. Good Samaritan laws, which encourage people to call for help if they are witnessing an overdose, can encourage help-seeking and engagement by protecting witnesses from drug-related arrests. In areas where syringes are criminalized, fear of arrest may be even more pronounced, and individuals may avoid seeking out harm reduction services. The expansion of harm reduction approaches into nontraditional venues, should include places such as:  pharmacies,  scho...

  There is HOPE "Recovery is a process. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes everything you've got."  Whether a person is new to recovery or a person has tried one or more pathways to recovery, the path to recovery is hard. No one single pathway or recovery option is for everyone. While the path of recovery may be bumpy, there is HOPE! Everyone’s journey through recovery looks different and with the endless options available to people in all stages of recovery, this can be intimidating. A person doesn’t need to take on this monumental decision alone. Peer Support Specialists offer a  range of activities, services and interactions between people who share similar experiences of being diagnosed with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, or both. By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer support workers help people to develop their own goals, create strategies for self-­‐empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfill...

                                                              A Proven Technique: Harm Reduction Harm reduction is an approach that emphasizes engaging directly with people who use drugs to prevent overdose and infectious disease transmission, improve the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of those served, and offer low-threshold options for accessing substance use disorder treatment and other health care services. Harm reduction plays an important part in addressing substance use disorders through prevention, treatment, and recovery where individuals who use substances set their own goals. Harm reduction organizations incorporate a spectrum of strategies that meet people “where they are” on their own terms, and may serve as a pathway to additional prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Harm re...