Harm Reduction Framework: Intervention Strategy for Substance Use Disorders

The purpose of this article is to outline an intervention strategy for substance use disorders using Harm Reduction as a framework. This paper provides guidelines for the reader on Harm Reduction, Principles of Harm Reduction, and how to develop a harm reduction plan for clients or patients. Furthermore, a guideline for Motivational Interviewing is provided and its associated fundamentals. Ethical considerations for working in the field of substance abuse are also discussed as a guideline for practitioners to be mindful when engaging in treatment with those suffering from a substance use disorder.

Substance use disorder is a global health problem and harm reduction is a treatment regime that has been showing effectiveness. This is closely linked to the consideration of the consequences that substance use, and abuse might cause the service user. The primary focus of the approach is not total sobriety; however, it is to minimize the consequence of the use and abuse of substances for the individual, family and community at large. 

The methodology used in this article is a scoping review often also referred to as mapping review (Peters et al., 2020). This methodology approach is an evidence synthesis that are more commonly being used internationally (Peters et al., 2020). The article is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).