Harm Reduction Learning Institute
DC Health

The Third Annual DC Engage Harm Reduction Conference

The DC Engage annual Harm Reduction Conference brings together harm reductionists, community members, and experts to discuss the latest practices, techniques, and important issues in the harm reduction community.

DC Health and HealthHIV held the third annual DC Harm Reduction Conference on Thursday, April 11, 2024 at the Gallaudet University Kellogg Center in Washington, DC. The purpose of this day-long, in-person conference is to engage clinicians, service providers, and community members in harm reduction prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies.

The conference is free to attend and some of the sessions will include free continuing education credits.




Archived Conference Sessions

  • Destigmatization of Drug Use

    This session explores the impact of stigma on people who have been diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) and those who are not clinically diagnosed but display symptoms. The presenter examines the relationship between stigma and systemic racism, as well as racism’s compounding effect on access to healthcare services for people who use drugs. The…

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  • Drug User Health in a Syndemic Environment

    This session addresses challenges related to living and accessing services in a syndemic environment. It covers those strategies that ensure individuals are able to address co-morbidities. All four 2023 Harm Reduction Conference training sessions must be taken to receive a total of 3.25 credit hours.

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  • Drug User Health in a Syndemic Environment – Strategies, Priorities, and Outcomes

    These group discussions focus on drug user health in a syndemic environment.

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  • Equitable Care: Empowering Clinicians in Pain Management for OUD and SUD Populations

    This module provides a comprehensive understanding of pain management in individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), through exploring the physiological and psychological implications of these disorders on pain perception and management; challenges may include balancing pain relief with the risk of addiction, addressing stigma and discrimination, and navigating complex medication…

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  • Harm Reduction and Family

    This training provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of harm reduction and its practical application in daily life.

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  • Harm Reduction Approaches for Providers Addressing Opioid Use

    This module identifies and discusses relevant harm reduction techniques for people who use opioids, including people who use injectable drugs. The module will address how to hold patient-centered clinical conversations, incorporating harm reduction techniques. These strategies are then applied to a case study.

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  • Harmony in Healing: Uniting Faith and Harm Reduction Practices

    This webinar will cover key aspects of faith-based communities’ involvement in harm reduction. These include non-judgmental approach, sense of belonging and support, moral and ethical guidance, integrated approach, outreach and awareness, stigma reduction, partnerships with healthcare services, prevention programs, and spiritual healing and transformation.

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  • Harnessing the Fury: Overcoming Barriers, Unveiling Pathways, and Minimizing Harm

    Dive into a discourse centered on the policy limitations impeding the implementation of comprehensive HIV prevention programs for injection drug users. Uncover the pivotal role of policy change as a linchpin of public health action. Explore the transformative potential of research-driven insights and harm reduction approaches in minimizing the deleterious effects of HIV within this…

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  • Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: The Seven Therapeutic Tasks, Skills and Strategies

    Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy consists of seven therapeutic tasks: managing the therapeutic alliance, the therapeutic relationship heals, enhancing self-management, assessment as treatment, embracing ambivalence, harm reduction goal setting and personalized planning for positive change.

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  • National Perspectives on Harm Reduction and Community Health

    This session describes the impact of drug use from a national and local perspective, examines the social impact of drug use on communities, and identifies national and local harm reduction activities. Surveillance data will be presented to highlight national and local trends. All four 2023 Harm Reduction Conference training sessions must be taken to receive…

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  • Needs of Returning Citizens with Substance Use Disorders

    This module covers the various health and social needs of previously incarcerated individuals with substance use disorders upon returning home to their Washington, D.C. communities.

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  • Nurturing Resilience: Building Stronger Futures Through Harm Reduction

    This module provides insights on and discusses evidenced-based strategies to promote harm reduction among the youth population.

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