Harm Reduction Policy in Practice - Webinar

View/download the Presentation Slides:

December 11, 2019

Although government agencies, nonprofit organizations, clinicians, and advocates have made great strides in reducing harm from substance use, they are often hindered by laws and policies that reflect an outdated, punitive-focused approach to drugs and individuals who use them. From naloxone distribution to veterans, legal services tailored towards individuals who use drugs and are in recovery, and community-engaged research that revealed salient intervention touchpoints and policy implications that could reduce overdose deaths, this webinar will provide three case studies of harm reduction in practice. Presenters will describe these interventions and discuss the ways in which law and policy both helped and hindered their implementation.

By attending this webinar, you will:
- Learn about health and other issues faced by people with substance use disorder.
- Learn about evidence-based and community-led harm reduction practice.
- Learn about law and policy opportunities and barriers to implementing interventions.
- Hear about successes and lessons learned from different harm reduction programs and strategies.

Moderator:
- Corey Davis, Deputy Director, Network for Public Health Law—Southeastern Region Office and Director of the Network for Public Health Law Harm Reduction Legal Project

Presenters:
- Brad Ray, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, Wayne State University
- Elizabeth Oliva, PhD, National Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Coordinator, Veterans Health Administration
- Mairead O’Reilly, JD, Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid