Thriving Mind South Florida Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Session Description: Many people in recovery will tell you "insanity" is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. By this definition, the addiction treatment industry—and America's response to the escalating overdose crisis—is insane. Over 93,000 Americans died last year of a drug overdose, representing the greatest overdose-involved loss of life in a single year (CDC, 2021). According to the National Survey on Drug Use & Health (SAMHSA, 2020), 40% of people with substance use disorder who do not receive treatment report they are “not ready to stop using” and another 42% do not receive treatment due to stigma, underscoring the need for greater adoption of harm reduction. Scientifically-proven, life-saving strategies include—but are not limited to—opioid use disorder medications (methadone/buprenorphine), co-prescription and community distribution of naloxone anti-overdose kits, fentanyl test strips, need-exchange services, low-threshold bridge clinics in emergency settings, and overdose prevention sites. While many harm reduction strategies remain underutilized, recent steps taken by the federal government (e.g., American Rescue Plan Act contained $30 million for harm reduction recovery services) potentially signal a major shift in America’s drug policy. Latest research will be reviewed demonstrating return on investment of harm reduction in terms of lives saved and cost savings.
Learning Objectives:
After this activity participants should be able to
List several evidence-based harm reduction strategies
Describe how abstinence can still fit into a harm reduction framework
Identify opportunities for integrating harm reduction into their own program or practice