Harm Reduction Model

. Harm reduction is referred to as a “pragmatic” approach because it starts with accepting that individuals have and always will, use drugs and engage in high-risk behaviors in ways that pose a threat to both themselves and their community. While the focus is placed on reducing consequences, not decreasing or eliminating unsafe behaviors, harm reduction does not preclude abstinence from being a goal as long as it is one which the affected individual identifies, thus rendering it compatible with a number of preexisting treatment modalities. Due to its multidisciplinary involvement, various definitions of harm reduction exist and “reflect a diverse movement that values contributions of both individuals and communities, of scientific discovery and human rights advocacy, and of grassroots and public health movements” (Marlatt, Larimar, and Witkiewitz, 2012, p. 27).
As opposed to being a strict set of policies, harm reduction has been frequently described as an “an attitude” (Marlatt, Larimar, and Witkiewitz, 2012, p. 8) founded on human rights, social justice principles and the desire to reduce health care

137) that emphasizes a personalized approach which centers on meeting the specific needs of the affected individual and their community. Practioners believe one of the harm reduction model’s strengths is that it facilitates engagement and encourages consumers to interact with treatment providers while they are still using substances or engaged in high-risk behaviors. Because helping marginalized populations “stay alive and healthy” (Tatarsky and Marlatt, 2010, p.118) is the foremost goal of the movement, offering low-threshold services lays the foundation for providing other therapeutic interventions when the client is finally receptive to them. Marlatt, Larimar, and Witkiewitz (2012) have identified eight fundamental principles which characterize harm