The key principles associated with harm reduction can be applied to practice in a variety of health care settings, not just programs that work exclusively with people with substance use disorders. For health care providers working with people experiencing homelessness, substance use is an issue for many clients and can co-exist with and exacerbate a variety of health conditions, which makes an understanding of harm reduction relevant to many different aspects of clinical practice.

The Council’s latest CME-accredited issue of Healing Hands describes key principles and practices associated with harm reduction initiatives, as well as specific ways these principles and practices can be integrated into various settings that provide health care for people experiencing homelessness.