RESOURCES
Defining Harm Reduction
Is a set of strategies and approaches which aims to provide or enhance the skills, knowledge, resources and support that people who use drugs need to be safer and healthier.
(Definition by Street Works, Calgary)Harm Reduction can be defined as a set of practical strategies with the goal of meeting people where they are at, to help them to reduce harm associated with engaging in risk taking behavior
(Harm Reduction Coalition, United States, 2000)
(Definition supported by Canadian AIDS Society, 2000)Basic Principles of Harm Reduction
Harm Reduction philosophy considers risk taking behavior as a natural part of our world and suggests that our work should be focused on minimizing the harmful effects of these behaviors, rather than focusing solely on the cessation of the behavior.
Harm Reduction philosophy requires the involvement of those individuals who are the intended recipients of programs and services in the creation of these same services and programs and/or the delivery of programs and services that are designed to serve them. These programs and services must be offered in a non- judgmental and non-coercive manner.
Harm Reduction philosophy recognizes that poverty, social class, racism, homophobia, social isolation, past trauma, and other social inequities have an impact on people's vulnerability to, and capacity for, effectively dealing with risk taking behavior.
(Information provided by the Canadian AIDS Society)Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
Cocaine Anonymous
Cocaine Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. There are no dues or fees for membership; we are fully self supporting through our own contributions. We are not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution. We do not wish to engage in any controversy and we neither endorse nor oppose any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay free from cocaine and all other mind-altering substances, and to help others achieve the same freedom.
We use the Twelve Step Recovery Program because it has already been proven that the Twelve Step Recovery Program works.
Narcotics Anonymous
NA is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using. We suggest that you keep an open mind and give yourself a break. Our program is a set of principles written so simply that we can follow them in our daily lives. The most important thing about them is that they work. There are no strings attached to NA. We are not affiliated with any other organizations. We have no initiation fees or dues, no pledges to sign, no promises to make to anyone. We are not connected with any political, religious, or law enforcement groups, and are under no surveillance at any time. Anyone may join us regardless of age, race, sexual identity, creed, religion, or lack of religion. We are not interested in what or how much you used or who your connections were, what you have done in the past, how much or how little you have, but only in what you want to do about your problem and how we can help. The newcomer is the most important person at any meeting, because we can only keep what we have by giving it away. We have learned from our group experience that those who keep coming to our meetings regularly stay clean.
The Stages of Change
The Stages of Change Model was originally developed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente at the University of Rhode Island when they were studying how smokers were able to give up their habits or addiction. See more details here
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Health Canada
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Alberta Health Services/Mental Health and Wellness
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CAMH: Centre for Addiction & Mental Health
Canadian Institutes of Health Research