CPHSSWCE0448 - The Person-Centered Ethics of Harm Reduction

Course Description

A Harm Reduction approach to care centers autonomy while reducing risks for a person using substances or engaging in other behaviors with potential consequences. At a surface level, harm reduction may seem at odds with traditional models that expect practitioners to “do no harm.” Some practitioners may avoid it altogether for fear of “enabling.” This course will discuss the roots of harm reduction in peer-led action and how this has informed subsequent evidenced-based interventions. Attendees will examine common ethical dilemmas encountered in a harm reduction informed practice approach, and develop their own decision-making framework sourced from a variety of ethical models for navigating complicated situations.

Target Level Audience:  Intermediate

Course Outline

1:00 - 1:15pm Premise of Person-First Language and Drug Use

1:15 - 1:30pm The Foundational Value Basis of Harm Reduction

1:30 - 1:40pm Social Determinants of Health in the context of Harm Reduction

1:40 - 1:50pm Public Health Vs Human Rights as the basis of Harm Reduction

1:50 - 1:55pm Ethics, Harm Reduction, & COVID-19

1:55 - 2:35pm Overview of Common Methodologies in Practical Decision Making

2:35 - 2:50pm Break

2:50 - 3:05pm Common Ethical Challenges posed in Harm Reduction Practice

3:05 - 3:15pm Common Ethical Mistakes Made in Practice

3:15 - 3:25pm Personal, Professional, & Institutional Norms as they apply to Harm Reduction Ethics

3:25 - 4:00pm Utilizing a Decision-Making Model

4:00 - 4:10pm Q&A

4:10 - 4:15pm Wrap Up and Evaluations

Learner Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

· Identify the key values and principles guiding Harm Reduction as a movement.

· Explain the difference and overlap of the public health versus human rights frameworks of harm reduction.

· Articulate an overview of common methodologies in practical decision making.

· Name common ethical challenges in Harm Reduction

When participants return to the workplace, they will be able to:

· Identify and differentiate between personal, professional, and institutional norms as they apply to an ethical Harm Reduction practice.

· Utilize an identified decision making model for navigating ethical dilemmas in the workplace.