Overdose Lifeline Learning

The Guide to Harm Reduction Trainer Program equips partners with the tools and resources needed to deliver staff and community education within their local areas.

This scalable training model helps organizations meet sustainability goals while reaching multiple sectors—including schools, healthcare, law enforcement, and community-based organizations.

The program is designed for localization, allowing partners to tailor content to the unique needs of their audience and incorporate relevant state and community resources—strengthening engagement and awareness at the local level.

Who This Program is Designed For

This educational program is designed for individuals, professionals, and organizations committed to preventing substance use disorder and addressing the opioid public health crisis.

Whether you're delivering education within your organization or the broader community, this program provides a flexible and impactful solution to build knowledge and drive change.

It is suitable for a wide range of audiences, including—but not limited to:

• Community members and families
• Schools and Universities
• Employers and workplace safety leads
• Faith-based groups and civic organizations
• Healthcare professionals and support staff
• Government agencies, judicial systems, and law enforcement
• Pharmacies, treatment providers, and recovery professionals
• Nonprofits and social service organizations

What Attendees Will Learn

Harm Reduction  incorporates evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies from safer use, to managed use, to abstinence to meet drug users “where they’re at,” addressing conditions of use along with the use itself. 

Participants will learn the benefits of harm reduction and how strategies can be applied to reduce harm and further complications from drug use and reduce the harm and risks to the community. The training will dispel some common myths of harm reduction. Participants will gain an understanding of harm reduction principles and services and be able to define what it means to “practice” harm reduction.

• Define harm reduction as it is used in engaging people who use drugs into services and support.
• List a minimum of four benefits of harm reduction for the individual and/or community.
• Discuss the history of harm reduction and where it fits today in the continuum of SUD treatment and recovery.
• Identify the principles and philosophy of harm reduction and examples of harm reduction tools and services.
• Differentiate an effective Harm Reduction practice in contrast to a practice which does not apply harm reduction principles to the services / tools.

Download Overview PDF

Guide to Harm Reduction Education Training.pdf