Second National Philadelphia PA Friday November 2nd through Sunday November 4th, 2007 About Harm Reduction Therapy The term Harm Reduction Therapy (HRT) has been coined to refer to the several treatment models that are currently being developed and tested in the United States and around the world. These harm reduction treatment models can be used in outpatient settings, residential treatment, homeless programs, traditional drug treatment programs, medical services, community outreach programs among other service delivery settings. Harm Reduction Therapy (HRT) is based on the belief that alcohol and drug problems including substance abuse and dependence develop in individuals through a unique interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. HRT is a non-judgmental approach to helping people experiencing alcohol and drug problems to reduce the negative impact of substance use, abuse or dependence in their lives. Harm Reduction Therapy understands that people use alcohol and drugs for a variety of reasons. It addresses the complex relationship that people develop with these psychoactive substances over the course of their lives. In HRT, concerns related to drug and alcohol use are addressed simultaneously with their social and occupational impacts as well as their psychological and emotional implications in an integrated treatment approach to these "co-occurring disorders." Anyone is welcome to enter Harm Reduction Therapy, regardless of the status of his or her alcohol or drug use and regardless of his or her primary concerns or treatment goals. The goals of a person seeking HRT can range from complete abstinence to controlled use or safer use. Paradoxically, Harm Reduction Therapy recognizes that a person's substance use and chosen treatment goals are both based on a complex unfolding of the person's desire to improve his or her health, relationships and overall functioning in the world. Harm Reduction Therapy offers an alternative model of substance abuse treatment based on the principles of collaboration, respect, and self-determination that often runs counter to the addiction treatment industry in the United States with its over-reliance on the disease model of chemical dependency. Typically, "Minnesota Model" or "12-Step" treatment platforms systematically exclude harm reduction methods as a part of the therapy process leaving many who seek help, but do meet treatment entry requirements such as an abstinence goal, with no access to treatment at all. Nonetheless, many professionals in substance abused treatment, in medicine and in allied fields have been working to incorporate harm reduction principles into their working therapy model or have explicitly made the heart of harm reduction front and center in their work with clients and patients presenting with alcohol and drug issues. Both research on harm reduction and clinical applications of Harm Reduction Therapy have been growing internationally at a rapid rate. Today, several books, training centers and conferences are available to guide practitioners in the skillful application of this pragmatic and compassionate approach to reducing alcohol and drug-related harm to the individual user and those in his or her family and community. Links to Further Information Conference sponsors  The Harm Reduction Therapy Center  The Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of Washington  Harm Reduction Psychotherapy and Training Associates Harm Reduction Psychotherapy and Training Associates offers a "harm reduction" approach to substance abuse treatment. Research has found that it is easier for some people to begin counseling when specific goals are not required to enter treatment. In harm reduction treatment, any treatment goal is valid that helps reduce harm to an individual. Therefore, total abstinence is one goal among several alternatives. In other words, abstinence falls under the umbrella of harm reduction. This results in an approach that tailors the treatment to fit the individual, rather than trying to make the individual fit into a treatment model.  The Harm Reduction Journal We are especially interested in studies of the evolving patterns of drug use around the world, their implications for the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne pathogens, and in accurate descriptions and rigorous evaluations of innovative policies and practices for harm reduction in diverse societies. HRJ also seeks to improve the access to authoritative and current harm reduction literature for health professionals and policy specialists in the non-English speaking world, by offering access to translations of published articles, and their data sets. Cascadia Addiction Research and Education Other sources of information  International Harm Reduction Association
History of the IHRA A short history and founders of the International Harm Reduction Association, and bios of its founders.  Harm Reduction Coalition  Drug Policy Alliance Articles, Presentations Harm reduction and traditional treatment: Shared goals and values by Frederick Rotgers, PsyD ABPP, Jeannie Little, MSW and Patt Denning, PhD. Addiction Professional July 2005 20-26 Harm reduction psychotherapy: Extending the reach of traditional substance use treatment by Andrew Tatarsky, PhD, Co-Director, Harm Reduction Psychotherapy and Training Associates. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 25 (2003) 249–256 Harm Reduction Works by G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D. Harm reduction views people as responsible for their own choices. They are helped "where they are" and moved from there in small manageable steps to increasing levels of improved self-care, health, safety, and well-being. And it works. Harn Reduction in Mental Health: The Emergiing Work of Harm Reduction Paychotherapy by Patt Denning, PhD and Jeannie Little, LCSW. Harm Reduction Communication (2001 Spring) Out of Harm's Way by G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D. Traditional Approaches to Addictions Aren't Working. It's Time to Take a Radical Approach, Says UW Professor Alan Marlatt Integrating harm reduction therapy and traditional substance abuse treatment by G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., Arthur W. Blume, M.S. George A. Parks, Ph.D. Addictive Behaviors Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Washington
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