HARM REDUCTION IS HEALTHCARE by Toni-Lee Danso

What are Harm Reduction Strategies?

And why are they vital to those experiencing homelessness due to Substance Abuse and Drug Related Incidents/Offences?

 Harm Reduction is the strategy implemented by particular organizations whom understand the likely mind of an addict or substance offender/abuser and acknowledge the struggles which they face with addiction. Particularly, this is used for those who are facing health challenges, mental health despair, and social barriers due to their relationship with drugs / substances.

Harm Reduction strategies follow a "Client-First" instead of "Treatment First" approach which basically means they put the person first instead of in traditional rehabilitation "strategies” which lay a contingency of abstinence or sobriety before they can progress and obtain particular RIGHTS such as housing, healthcare, education.. etc. It's ridiculous. The Client and their needs come first with the goal of healing or at least managing their use and following the clients pace... Also acknowledging that everyone is at a different stage. 

This is done in a few ways, like assigning vulnerable persons (alot of whom tend to be homeless, involved in the justice system, or facing mental health crisis) with case workers, supports, and healthcare practitioners with special experience ...

All things that they would not have access to, otherwise.

And YES it is the truth... the stigmatized “Addict” cannot walk into a regular clinic and expect the same respect or priority that everyone else does. And that's a fact not to be argued. Just like they cannot walk into our neighborhood or leasing offices and get the chance to rent or live among the rest of us. They will not be taken seriously due to stigma and discrimination.

So Harm Reduction Strategies are in place to provide a fair execution of the BASIC needs and rights of the vulnerable. Yes, this does include the Safe Supply Chain which does offer them needless and drugs which are clean supplies by the government or organization. But it's not in any way meant to be a channel for distribution of drugs.

That's not what it's for.

It is a safe means of use for people who are using substances REGARDLESS, with the hopes of fostering healthier habits and reducing the risk of developing many health conditions which people in precarious conditions face because they share needles and increase their likelihood of contracting disease like Hepatitis C and more.

Also, just because they do not enforce abstinence in these centers, doesn't mean that participants in these programs do not rehabilitate.

They do.

But you cannot rehabilitate from one thing and not the other. Most people who find themselves in these particular situations are victims of other systemic failures which may have caused or maybe just contributed to their demise.

Children who were failed by CPS. 

Adults who were failed by housing. 

Marginalized groups who have been failed by justice. 

The list goes on....

Therefore, when these people are found to be homeless, with mental health issues and abusing drugs for whatever reason.. enforcing sobriety is not going to fix that. You must fix all the rails of the ladder before you may climb it again. Meaning of these people have BEEN facing much bigger issues other than their "drug habits" which seems to be the only thing anyone ever focuses on.

Look at the bigger picture. These must first be fixed.

Harm Reduction Acts and Strategies also believe in everyone's right to housing. Meaning that you can't tell someone who was possibly given drugs as a teen by a malicious adult, who fed their addiction to convince them to do other unnamed acts…deserves to be homeless because they are an "addict" now. 

Or a woman who fled her home due to domestic violence and ended up in a shelter where she was first exposed to street drugs and became addicted... now deserves to remain homeless. 

As I said, the OTHER factors are the major contributors here and that's not fair.

Instead, a "Housing first" approach is followed instead of a sobriety-first approach which drastically changes peoples lives. You'd be surprised what a happy healthy home, decent healthcare, and stable living conditions can do to a person. 

These strategies have helped alot of people overcome their unhealthy relationships with drugs and actually find sobriety and at the least, better health management.

Whoever doesn't believe in this, may as well lock everyone up except themselves since they're so perfect.

Harm Reduction IS indeed Healthcare.

It is also housing.

It is rehabilitation.

And it is the end of a long journey which people struggle with and finally find themselves in a non discriminatory, non biased and healthy environment. 

One that they haven't experienced. So let's not be privileged and assume that homeless addicts are lesser of society just because the rest of us posses a privilege which they do not. 

You never know what these people go through to lead them where they are. Unfortunately I have heard a lot of sob stories in my work, and if you did, you would understand as well. 🎗️🎗️🎗️