LEARN Harm Reduction: A Collaborative Organizational Intervention in the US South

Abstract

The US South continues to face increases in HIV diagnoses and drug overdose deaths (predominantly opioids). There is a need for organizational changes that enhance quality of care for impacted communities. Harm reduction approaches have the potential to transform organizations to ultimately ultimately provide high quality care. However, little is known about the use of harm reduction approaches in the US South, and there are no known interventions focused on HIV service organizations. Therefore, the aims of this paper are to 1) Examine the status and needs of harm reduction approaches and services in the US South; 2) Describe the translation of findings from Aim 1 into the structure and content of Leading through Education, Advocacy & Resistance with our Neighbors (LEARN) Harm Reduction (HR), and 3) Provide an overview of the LEARN HR intervention. Through qualitative interviews with stakeholders, authors found a) drug use was stigmatized which ultimately perpetuated harm, and b) some organizations lacked knowledge about harm reduction approaches, while others were harm reduction leaders. LEARN HR is the first collaborative learning intervention created to build knowledge, change attitudes, and enhance skills around harm reduction approaches. Future studies should test the impact of LEARN HR on participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills toward harm reduction approaches.

Keywords:

• Harm reduction
• South
• capacity building
• shared learning
• HIV
• group intervention

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all of our partners throughout the nine Southern states as well as the LEARN Harm Reduction pilot cohort.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grant funding from Gilead Sciences, Inc., through the Gilead COMPASS Initiative.