Human service providers in a variety of settings often engage with people who use drugs (PWUD) who may be at risk for overdose. Meeting the specific needs of PWUD is vital to keeping our program participants safe from overdose and other adverse health effects. Broadly speaking, there is a lack of comprehensive training on how we can effectively support this population, while being nonjudgmental and non-stigmatizing in our approach. This three-hour training will offer participants an opportunity to explore the reasons why people may use drugs, how we can assess overdose and other risk using the “drug, set, setting” model, and how we can design our physical program spaces to support engagement among our participants and clients who use drugs.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Understand the intersection between harm reduction and recovery and name the similarities and differences between these two approaches
- Explore the societal context of drug use through the “drug, set, setting” model and develop an appreciation for the various reasons people use drugs
- Learn non-stigmatizing approaches to interacting with prospective program participants who use drugs and designing the physical program space
- Develop skills in the asking, listening, and informing strategy of motivational interviewing to hold conversations about drug use and harm reduction with clients/participants
Topic: Massachusetts, Substances: non-opioid, Training
Audience: Employers/worksites, Providers, Substance Use Services
