CRA Harm Reduction Protocol
This protocol is informed by the practice of Harm Reduction Outreach, as operated by the Chicago Recovery Alliance since January 1992. The refinement of this protocol will facilitate any person interested in practicing Harm Reduction in applying it their population in a manner most consistent with the principles of Harm Reduction. As with all Harm Reduction efforts, this Manual is a work in progress, always looking to make additional positive changes.
This protocol is being developed by CRA under a grant from the Chicago Department of Public Health. It purpose is to generate a system for practicing assistance in helping others reduce drug-related harm in their lives.
Extract:
Harm Reduction acknowledges that policy makers, educators and health promoters can tell drug users how and why they should prevent harm, and provide them with the means to do it, but only the users themselves can actually prevent the harm. Research has clearly shown that users will change their behavior in response to information about safer use, and that this change is greater if skills training as well as the means to ensure safety are provided.