Objectives of the Project
The Canadian Harm Reduction Network and the Canadian AIDS Society collaborated on a project to identify and document effective and innovative harm reduction programs and practices, and to disseminate this information in order to enable organizations across the country to draw on each other’s experiences and successes.
They conducted a harm reduction symposium, focus groups with people with drug-use experience and site visits at community-based organizations in nine Canadian cities that offer harm reduction programs and services.
Harm Reduction Symposium
The results of the harm reduction symposium are available in a Key Messages report. To obtain original copies of the information offered in the report appendices, please contact Lynne Belle-Isle or Walter Cavalieri.
Cross-Canada Tour
A webpage was created to document the cross-Canada tour.
Results of Consultations
The results of the focus group and site visit consultations are compiled in a document, in the hope of enriching the practice of harm reduction in Canada. The focus group participants shared their experience of what works well for them and what does not, the impact of harm reduction on their lives, and ideas about what is needed to improve programs and services. The site visit interviews provided information on their harm reduction programs and practices and revealed the lessons learned in their development and implementation which would be of benefit to others.
Whether you are a person who uses or has used drugs, a frontline service provider, an administrator, a program developer, a researcher, a public servant or an advocate, you will find the following documents useful.
Executive Summary
Full Report: Learning from Each Other: Enhancing Community-Based Harm Reduction Programs and Practices in Canada
To order FREE hard copies of the report, please visit the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange web site or call 1-800-263-1638.
Production of this report has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada. Support for the work of a photojournalist in association with this project was provided by the Ontario HIV Treatment Network and an anonymous donor.
A follow-up report to Learning from Each Other Enhancing Capacity to Provide Services for People Who Use Substances, explores the perspective of those who provide services to people who use substances. This document summarizes the results of findings from a community-based, muti-phased assessment of the needs and assets of the Canadian AIDS Society’s member organizations with respect to providing services for people who use substances. It identifies the effective and challenging aspects of their work and shares the successes and lessons of experienced practitioners in the field of harm reduction.