The concept of harm reduction is both a strategic philosophy and a social justice movement centering on respect for the rights of people who use drugs and their overall safety. It incorporates a spectrum of approaches that focus on safer use, managed use, abstinence, and conditions of use while demanding that interventions reflect specific individual and community needs.
Peer support and harm reduction align on meeting people where they are and respecting the choice of the individual first. Drug use and behavior is complex; rather than ignoring, condemning, or asserting a “just say no” approach, it is important to reduce the harmful effects of drugs. When someone is in active use, they expect that the systems surrounding them will shame and punish their use. Peers can come from a place of non-bias and without judgment and open up the conversation for safer practices. This webinar explores: how to integrate harm reduction principles into your work; how to address resistance to the harm reduction philosophy; and harm reduction programs that have seen great success.
Presenters:
Justin Schumacher is a peer wellness specialist and certified recovery mentor in Portland, Oregon. Two years ago, Justin received a liver and kidney transplant due to severe alcohol use. Justin currently works with the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) as a peer support specialist as part of the Navigator Program in the Multnomah County Jail. He previously worked at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Hospital as a peer on the addiction medicine team.
Adrienne Scavera is the Director of Training and Outreach for MHAAO, where she works to support the peer workforce from initial entry and training to systems-level advocacy. Currently, Adrienne is a member of the Oregon Health Authority's Peer Delivered Services Core Team and the Unity Center for Behavioral Health Advisory Council in addition to serving as chair for the state Office of Equity and Inclusion's Training Evaluation and Metrics Program Scoring Committee. She also has the privilege to be on the Traditional Health Worker Commission and University of Washington’s Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Advisory Board.
This webinar was originally conducted on December 17, 2019.