Course Description

COMING SOON

The purpose of this course is to convey a working understanding of harm reduction (HR) as it is applied to substance use disorder.

Harm reduction incorporates a spectrum of evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies from safer use, to managed use, to abstinence to meet drug users “where they're at" and addressing conditions of use along with the use itself.

In this course you 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 course will dispel some common myths of harm reduction and illustrate where it fits within the continuum of substance use (SUD) treatment and recovery. Participants will gain an understanding of harm reduction principles and services and will be able to define what it means to “practice” harm reduction.

Practicing harm reduction is not simply the act of doing harm reduction like things. It’s not simply securing a grant and funding and distributing naloxone (the overdose reversal drug) within a community. It is to apply Harm Reduction Principles and Philosophies to strategies and interventions. Then and only then is one practicing harm reduction.

DOWNLOAD Course Overview: GHR ASWB ACE 4059.pdf

Counselor Skills Groups

Clinical Intake and Screening, Clinical Assessment, Counseling Services, Case Management, and Discharge and Continuing Care. 

Distance Learning

Hybrid Asynchronous Reading and Video-based Course.

Course Reviewers

Emma Roberts, Senior Director of National Capacity Building, National Harm Reduction Coalition (HRC). 

Originally from the UK, Emma Roberts started her career in community development work in 1990. She became involved in Harm Reduction in the mid 90's when the National Health Service funded a syringe exchange in a corner office of the community center she worked at. Since then Emma has gone on to manage and lead various community-based programs. She landed in New York in 2008 where she has coordinated a syringe exchange program and mobile health program providing medical and dental services to vulnerable street-based and un-housed populations in the city operating across South Bronx, Harlem, and parts of Brooklyn. 

Emma also worked for the Harm Reduction Coalition as a training consultant since 2009 and in 2014 joined the team fulltime. Her focus is to lead and manage the provision of technical assistance and support to programs promoting syringe access, drug user health, Hepatitis C services, and overdose prevention. When not at work Emma enjoys lots of dancing including organizing community events with a local dance collective Sankofa Soul, practicing yoga and eating.  

For more than 25 years, HRC has worked with communities to create, sustain, and expand evidence-based harm reduction programs and policies, harmreduction.org

Mary J. Didelot, PhD, LMHC, LCAC, NBCCH, BCPC, BC PTSD Clinician, Associate Professor of Education, School of Education and Counseling, Purdue University Northwest.

What You Will Learn

After completing this course you will be able to:

  • 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.

Course CE Credits

In partnership with Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Office of Continuing Education, Overdose Lifeline has developed this online, self-paced course for Social Workers.

CE Accreditation Statement:

Guide to Harm Reduction (GHR): Reducing Harm and Improving Health for People Who Use Drugs and for the Community, Course #4059, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by Purdue University College of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Education as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. 

ACE course approval period: 07/06/2023 - 07/06/2025. 

Social workers completing this course receive 2.5 general continuing education credits.

Notice to providers of New Jersey SW Continuing Education:

ACE individual course approval meets the NJ Board of Social Work Examiners requirements for individual course approval pursuant to NJ Code 13:44G-6.4.16.

Participation in the ASWB ACE Course Approval Program requires that the provider abide by all the criteria set forth by New Jersey Administrative Code Title 13 Chapter 44 G Subchapter 6.

Notice to providers of New York SW Continuing Education:

New York does not accept ASWB ACE continuing education credits. New York-licensed social workers can complete the course for CE credit using the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ (ACCME) is accepted for many clinical continuing education requirements and many societies and credentialing bodies accept the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ as an equivalent as long as the topic is relevant to the applicant’s field or discipline. VIEW CE COURSES

Additional Course Notes

  • This course provides 2.5 ASWB ACE continuing education credits - delivered upon 100% course completion, achievement of 80% (minimum) passing grade on the final exam, and completing the course ending survey.

  • The course may be accessed from a computer, tablet or mobile device. Internet access is required as are speakers for audio.

    The following web browsers are supported: Desktop - Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Edge. Note the course platform does not support Internet Explorer. Mobile - iOS Safari: 11 and up, Chrome, Samsung Internet.

  • The course will remain available in your account for six months - allowing you to complete the course at your own pace and return to the course later for review of key concepts.

  • All faculty, staff and reviewers involved in the planning, review or presentation of continuing education activities provided by Purdue University College of Pharmacy are required to disclose to the audience any commercial financial affiliations with ineligible companies related to the content of the presentation or enduring material. All planning committee members, writers, staff and reviewers of Overdose Lifeline and Purdue University have no relationships to disclose.