Harm reduction therapy pdf

Harm reduction is an umbrella term for interventions aiming to reduce the problematic effects of behaviors. Injecting a drug carries more risk than smoking, snorting or swallowing it. Mark sehl, of the harm reduction psychotherapy and training associates, a treatment and training organization. Dbt utilizes core modules of mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation skills training. Serving as chief medical officer at harm reduction therapeutics, judy is responsible for the strategy, direction and execution of the companys clinical development plans. Linehan with a focus on building a meaningful life after treatment rather than merely eliminating the problem. The role of harm reduction in recoveryoriented systems of. Essential considerations for selected interventions 7 3. The underlying principle behind harm reduction is that the use of drugs does not mean people forfeit their human rights and that people are best served by reducing the likelihood of harm instead of. Harm reduction is an approach to treating those with alcohol and other substanceuse problems that does not require patients to commit to complete abstinence before treatment begins. Policies, programs, and practices that aim to reduce the harms associated with the use of alcohol or other drugs. In harm reduction therapy, any treatment goal that helps reduce harm to an individual is valid both abstinence and moderate drug and alcohol use fall under the umbrella of harm reduction.

A form of cognitivebehavioral therapy cbt, dialectical behavioral therapy dbt was developed by dr. They range from needle exchange sites to managed alcohol programs to drugtesting kits at music festivals. Moral conservatism within government and communities has resulted in a reluctance to support the provision of opioid agonist therapy for people with opioid use disorders in. Harm reduction is an umbrella term for initiatives which strive to reduce the individual and societal harms associated with drug use. Harm reduction is an approach that promotes health in a way that meets people where they are at, accepting that not everyone is ready or capable of stopping their substance use at a given time. Harm reduction diverges sharply from the currently accepted treatment model for alcohol and drug problems. It was initially applied to treat persons who are chronically suicidal but was adapted later to treat persons with substance abuse disorders, borderline personality. Countries should promote scaledup access to harm reduction services including opioid substitution therapy for pwids. Harm reduction therapy in alcohol addiction recovery. Harm reduction dropin groups for multidiagnosed drug users harm reduction therapy groups. Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights it focuses on positive change and on working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or requiring that they stop using drugs as a precondition of support. This approach tailors the treatment to fit the individual, rather than forcing the individual into a treatment model. Harm reduction encompasses a range of health and social services and practices that apply to illicit and licit drugs. Dialectical behavioral therapy for treating substance abuse.

Widely known examples are needle and syringe exchange programs and opioid substitution therapy for intravenous drug users to reduce the risk. Farsalinos, in analytical assessment of ecigarettes, 2017. Instead, harm reduction therapy is focused on reducing the health and social effects that drugs or alcohol can have by encouraging safer use. Harm reduction coalition is a national advocacy and capacitybuilding organization that works to promote the health and dignity of individuals and communities who are impacted by drug use. While absolute abstinence may be preferable for many or most substance abusers, very few will achieve it, and even that small group will take time to do so and may relapse periodically. Harm reduction, positive youth development, and trauma. The role of harm reduction in recoveryoriented systems of care. Harm reduction is any action that attempts to reduce the harm of substance or other behaviors harm reduction has a top down public health component and a grass roots user driven approach. Harm reduction therapy in community settings come as you are. The essence of harm reduction is the recognition that treatment must start from the clients needs and personal goals and that all change that. High retention in an opioid agonist therapy project in durban, south africa. Harm reduction is an umbrella term used to describe programs, policies and practices that aim to reduce the negative consequences associated with behaviours that are typically considered high risk. Harm reduction has a variety of meanings to different people, which has made developing one general definition very difficult.

Individuals chrt the center for harm reduction therapy. Our program offers pragmatic, proven solutions to substance misuse, and has an impressive record of positive results. Accepting that drug use is an enduring part of our communities, whether we like it or not, but knowing that though we cannot rid the world of drug use we. Harm reduction refers to strategies that aim to reduce the harms associated with psychoactive drug use1, and is most widely associated with injection drug use the earliest forms of harm reduction promoted abstinence from drug use and put reducing its occurrence at the centre of substance use policy and interventions. The harm reduction research and treatment harrt center is located in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the university of washington harborview medical center. Regardless of the definition, harm reduction is a philosophy, approach, and a set of principles that combined help achieve certain social and political goals. Harm reduction is the strategy, policy, and philosophy of reducing risk and thus the morbidity and mortality associated with an action or condition. More recently, harm reduction therapy hrt has come forth as a humane and pragmatic alternative to traditional abstinencebased addiction treatment and to the moral model of substance abuse i. Harm reduction programs exist for several types of drugs, including opioids, alcohol, stimulants, ecstasy, and marijuana. The wisdom to know the difference harm reduction handout. Cognitivebehavioral therapies cbt, such as relapse prevention therapy rpt, have shown considerable promise as effective treatments for addictive behaviors irvin et al. Harm reduction is an evidencebased, clientcentred approach that seeks to reduce the health and social harms associated with addiction and substance use, without necessarily requiring people who use substances from abstaining or stopping.

An alternative is to do this roleplay in front of the group with one therapist and one client. The harm reduction therapy center exists to provide integrated mental health care and substance use treatment to people who, because their relationship with drugs is so intertwined with other emotional and social aspects of their lives, need more than simple just say no solutions and mainstream programs. The canadian centre on substance abuse ccsa 1996 offers the following. At its most basic, harm reduction aims to provide care, and in some cases rehabilitation, to active addicts. Harm reduction concentrates on the impact of addiction on the individual and the network of people that surrounds them, and it is founded on a set of key principles that are designed to reduce the risk of harm and enable the individual in question to improve every element of their life. Harm reduction is an oftencontroversial type of addiction treatment for iv drug use, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, opioid painkillers, and prescription stimulants. Pdf harm reduction therapy for cooccurring disorders.

For more information and training resources on harm. White, ma, and roland lamb, ma while harm reduction can be viewed as an end in itself with a focus on mitigating harm to individuals, families and the. The center, founded by leaders in the harm reduction therapy movement, is a certified drug and alcohol treatment program staffed by mental health professionals. Harm reduction keeps focus of attention is the damage done by the behavior and not the behavior itself. Rather than respond with condemnation or enforcement, harm reduction focuses on minimizing the harmful effects of mental illness and addiction, both on the individual and on society. Tatarsky is founder and director of the center for optimal living, where comprehensive treatment and professional training is offered based on integrative harm reduction therapy ihrp. Harm reduction strategies to address anxiety and trauma. Instead of making judgments about where individuals suffering from. The emphasis is on skill sets that help to maintain positive relationships, regulate emotions, and positively handle distressful situations. He has trained professionals and organizations in 14 countries. Harm reduction in response to drug use may also encompass other interventions. Harm reduction therapy is based on four principles.

According to tatarsky 2002a however, the big book of aa is the original harm reduction text and abstinence can be the best harm reduction approach. More recently, harm reduction therapy hrt has emerged as a. Harm reduction therapy with families and friends of people with drug problems. Harm reduction is a set of policies and practices intended to reduce the negative effects of drug and alcohol use. What we do chrt the center for harm reduction therapy. Although harm reduction was originally and most frequently associated with substance use, it is increasingly being applied to a multitude of other behavioral disorders. Harm reduction is a paradigmshifting idea that has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of problem substance users. When it comes to cannabis, using a vaporizer or smoking a joint with a rolled up cardboard filter is safer than using a bong and some pipes. He has a private practice in new york city specializing in harm reduction psychotherapy with drug and alcohol users and is codirector, with dr. Some common principles of harm reduction programs include. Harm reduction accepts that some use of mindaltering substances is a common feature of human experience. Integrative harm reduction maine suboxone treatment. Harm reduction is partly defined by a range of principles in which policies and programmes are grounded. People who seek us out have tried abstinencebased approaches and found them to be ineffective or undesirable.