Browsing by Subject "harm reduction"

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    Application of a Model of Family-Centered Harm Reduction in Community-Based Programming
    (WMU, 2023) Belkiewitz, Johnna; Wilburn, Victoria G.; Larson, Sydney; Schrader, Kate; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Coupling high substance use disorder rates with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation faces a growing mental health crisis and a shortage of adequately trained mental and behavioral health providers. As occupational therapists work toward recognition as qualified providers in this practice area, we must ensure that future therapists can meet client needs. Traditional mental and behavioral health educational practices in occupational therapy use a model of harm reduction that minimizes negative outcomes for a select subset of the population engaging in specific “high-risk” behaviors, such as individuals engaging in substance use and sexual activity. Expanding our understanding of the harm reduction model and incorporating a more holistic trauma-informed care lens can better ensure beneficence for all clients. To do this, educational institutions must train students to identify harm in all of its contexts, such as the household dysfunction of cohabitating with a family member with substance use disorder, and apply practical treatments for addressing the impacts of dynamic family systems through occupation-based interventions. This paper illustrates a family-centered harm reduction model and offers a community-based educational intervention that allows occupational therapy students to gain valuable trauma-informed care practice skills through hands-on experiences.
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    Innovations in Opioid Law and Policy Interventions Workshop: Summary of Proceedings
    (Indiana University, 2018-08-31) Terry, Nicolas P.; Silverman, Ross D.; Hoss, Aila; Beukema, Emily
    In 2017, Indiana University, in cooperation with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and community partners, launched the Grand Challenge: Responding to the Addictions Crisis initiative, a university-wide effort to advance interdisciplinary research and interventions in response to the substance abuse crisis affecting Indiana and the nation. The “Legal and Policy Best Practices in Response to the Substance Abuse Crisis” project is one of sixteen funded under Phase 1 of the Grand Challenge. In July 2018, and as part of this project, the research team convened a group of national experts to discuss legal and policy innovations to respond to the opioid use disorder (OUD) crisis. This report summarizes the proceedings of this workshop and updates some of the recommendations made by the team in their March 2018 Preliminary Report. During the workshop, experts answered targeted questions relating to the challenges in implementing law and policy recommendations to respond to the addiction crisis, as well as identified gaps in the current research. Participants provided examples of innovative interventions to respond to this crisis across four primary topic categories: (1) Criminalization; (2) Public Health; (3) Treatment; and (4) Effectuating Change.
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    Treating Opioid Use Disorders in Drug Court: Participants’ Views on Using Medication-Assisted Treatments (MATs) to Support Recovery
    (Sage, 2019-09) Gallagher, John R.; Wahler, Elizabeth A.; Minasian, Raychel M.; Edwards, Abigail; School of Social Work
    Drug courts began in 1989 in Miami-Dade County, FL. Due to their success in treating substance use disorders and reducing criminal recidivism, they have expanded globally and are currently operating in countries such as Australia, Canada, and Scotland, to name a few. Drug courts can be a key intervention in addressing the opioid epidemic. This is the first known qualitative study to ask drug court participants (n = 38) who have opioid use disorders questions related to their lived experiences in drug court, as well as direct questions related to the use of medication-assisted treatments (MATs) in drug court. Overall, drug court participants felt that MATs were helpful for treating their opioid use disorders; however, some participants reported using other drugs while on MATs and they viewed their recovery through a harm reduction lens. Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of using MATs in combination with counseling that used cognitive and behavioral therapies. Implications for drug court practice and future research are discussed.