Harm Reduction at Work: A guide for organizations employing people who use drugs

This document is a guidebook, detailing strategies to address challenges that are often seen by organizations that want to hire people who use drugs-specifically in harm reduction lines of work. The 4 chapters lead us through the process starting with chapter 1 describing the benefits to hiring people who use drugs. Looking at this staffing model from perspectives of program development, pre-existing staff, and people who use drugs, examples of the benefits to hiring people with lived experience are enforced. The guide then proceeds to outline many relevant policies to have in place for employing people who use drugs. Chapter 3 focuses on recruitment, training, supervision, support, evaluation, conflict resolution, and boundaries for employing people who use drugs. Outlining expectations in a clear and simple way, as well as encouraging peers to be a part of the development of policies and procedures. This guidebook finishes with a couple examples of very successful harm reduction initiatives run by and for people who use drugs.

Key findings related to emerging/promising principles for engaging PWLLE:

• Recognition of the value of hiring people with lived/living experience. The expertise they bring, and the ability to break down barriers to accessing care. They know what supports are needed and gaps remain in existing services, making them so valuable in program development and operations.
• Recognition for the service peers provide to the community, and to the workplace.
• Helpful information for staff as well, to best integrate people who use drugs in a workplace that may not have experience with this.

Key findings related to emerging/promising practices for engaging PWLLE:

• Avoid abstinence-based policies and the reinforcement of abstinence-based behaviour.
• Ensuring peers know rules and understand policies (ex: education around confidentiality, or explaining the rules about workplace boundaries and professional relationships, so that peers don’t unintentionally cross those lines with people they are connected to outside of their employment.

Key finding on policy:

• Importance of policies protecting staff as well as employers.
• Policies around substance use at work, Inebriation while working, drugs and dealer referrals, buying and selling drugs, borrowing and lending money, injection assistance, drug use and triggers, workshops and professional developments, as well as trainings.

Key Findings Related Implementation Approaches:

Involve people who use drugs in developing harm reduction strategies, they know what they need, and how best to serve their population.