Starting Where The Client Is: Guidelines for Harm Reduction Practice with People who use Drugs
Information
Date & Time
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Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Identify and describe three or more foundational harm reduction tenets and principles.
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Identify two or more person-first alternatives to commonly used stigmatizing terms in substance use treatment and healthcare.
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Explain the history and origins of the harm reduction movement.
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Identify one micro, one mezzo, and one macro-level harm reduction intervention, strategy or policy for people who use drugs.
Educational Goal
The educational goal of this workshop is to increase knowledge about key harm reduction principles and tenets and what they look like at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
Description
This presentation begins with an overview and background on the harm reduction movement. Dr. Vakharia will introduce the foundational tenets and principles of a harm reduction approach to drug use. Attendees will learn about person-first language and micro, mezzo, and macro harm reduction interventions.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Medical Doctor
- Psychologist
- Registered Nurse
- Social Worker
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Presenters
Sheila P. Vakharia is the Deputy Director of Research and Academic Engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance. In this role, she helps DPA staff and others understand a range of drug policy issues. Dr. Vakharia builds relationships with drug researchers and helps to advance policy-relevant research. She also mobilizes researchers in support of DPA policy campaigns and organizes conferences on key issues in drug policy. She has also written the upcoming book, The Harm Reduction Gap: Helping Individuals Left Behind by Conventional Drug Prevention and Abstinence-Only Treatment, which will be released on February 9, 2024 with Routledge. Before joining DPA, Dr. Vakharia was an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Long Island University. She has also worked as a clinical social worker in both abstinence-only and harm reduction settings. Her research interests include harm reduction therapy, drug policy reform, drug stigma, overdose prevention, and social work education. She is on the Board of Directors of Filter magazine. Dr. Vakharia received a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from Florida International University, a Master’s in Social Work from Binghamton University, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Addictions from New York University.
Financially Sponsored By
- Aetna Better Health of Louisiana