Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Harm Reduction in Emergency Women’s Shelters - Implications for Practice: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT

This scoping review explored available research focused on ways emergency women’s shelters address substance use issues with survivors of intimate partner violence. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. The articles tended to identify more barriers (e.g., concerns about safety of all residents and staff) and fewer facilitators (e.g., clear policies to guide practice) to implementing harm reduction within women’s shelters. Comprehensive training and education about substance use and harm reduction for shelter staff and residents was suggested for successful implementation. More high-quality evidence is needed to understand the viability of implementing harm reduction in emergency women’s shelters.

Practice Points

• An organizational philosophy supporting harm reduction should be accompanied by appropriate and clear guiding policy and procedures.

• Staff require adequate training in substance use, intimate partner violence, and harm reduction in order to support women who use substances and are accessing emergency women’s shelters.

• Implement flexible harm reduction approaches that support the needs of women who are using but also balance/consider safety for all residents and staff.

• Staff should interact with residents in a way that allows residents to feel comfortable and safe discussing their substance use.

• Harm reduction services and supports should be offered to all residents, whether directly by the shelter, or through referrals to other community organizations.

KEYWORDS:

• Emergency women’s shelters
• harm reduction
• intimate partner violence
• policies and procedures
• substance use

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).