2026-2027 | On-Demand Session | Working Together to Reduce Harm and Improve Safety for People Who Use Substances | August 2026-Working Together to Reduce Harm and Improve Safety for People Who Use Substances Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session focused on harm reduction as a practical, evidence-based approach to reducing the harms of substance use, emphasizing that abstinence is not required for care and that any positive change matters. Dr. Alex Wally reviewed the U.S. overdose crisis, noting its scale, its different “waves” (prescription opioids, heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl-plus-stimulants), and the unequal burden on American Indian/Alaska Native and Black communities. He highlighted key interventions with evidence of benefit: syringe service programs, naloxone distribution, overdose prevention centers, drug checking, and safer use supports.<br /><br />A major theme was using alone: naloxone only works if someone is present, yet most overdose deaths occur when people are alone. The group discussed safety planning, the importance of the lowest effective naloxone dose, and strategies like using with others, virtual spotting, and SafeSpot, a peer-run hotline that stays on the line while someone uses and can dispatch help if needed.<br /><br />The second hour was a discussion with Kimber King and Teresa Raleigh, both of whom shared lived experience. They described how lived experience strengthens care through empathy, trust-building, and meeting patients where they are, while also creating risks such as burnout and stigma. They stressed the need for flexibility, persistence, culturally responsive care, interpreter use, hiring people from affected communities, and advocacy within hospitals and clinics.<br /><br />The session closed with a live call to SafeSpot, demonstrating how warm handoffs work in practice and how the hotline supports people who use drugs alone.

Keywords

harm reduction

substance use

overdose crisis

naloxone

syringe service programs

overdose prevention centers

drug checking

safer use supports

using alone

virtual spotting

SafeSpot hotline

lived experience

culturally responsive care

stigma reduction

warm handoff