Description:
This workshop provides a comprehensive exploration of harm reduction as a person-centred, trauma-informed philosophy and practical framework for supporting individuals who use substances within shelter, supportive housing, and outreach settings. Participants will examine how harm reduction promotes dignity, safety, autonomy, and inclusion while aligning with Toronto Shelter Standards and supportive housing requirements.
Through interactive discussions, case-based learning, reflection exercises, and real-world scenarios, participants will develop the knowledge and skills required to apply harm reduction principles in daily practice. The training explores overdose prevention and response, safer use strategies, policy alignment, stigma and bias awareness, trauma-informed engagement, and collaborative case planning.
Participants will leave with practical tools to create safer environments, respond confidently to substance-related incidents, balance safety with autonomy, and build trusting, relationship-based approaches that prioritize compassion over compliance.
This training is ideal for front-line staff working in shelters, supportive housing, outreach, and homelessness services, as well as supervisors, program managers, and system partners committed to implementing harm reduction in practice.
Learning Objectives:
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Define harm reduction and describe its core principles, including dignity, choice, safety, empowerment, and social justice.
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Differentiate harm reduction from abstinence-based and recovery-only models.
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Apply person-centred and trauma-informed approaches when supporting individuals who use substances.
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Recognize the connection between trauma and substance use, and respond with empathy and practical strategies.
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Identify overdose risks and confidently implement overdose prevention and response protocols, including naloxone administration.
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Integrate harm reduction into case planning while balancing safety, policy, and tenant rights.
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Examine stigma, bias, microaggressions, and systemic barriers that impact service delivery.
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Align harm reduction practices with Toronto Shelter Standards, Housing First principles, and supportive housing policy requirements.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
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Implement harm reduction strategies that reduce risk while respecting client autonomy and dignity.
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Respond effectively to substance-related incidents in shelter, housing, and outreach environments.
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Apply trauma-informed communication techniques to build trust and engagement.
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Support clients in safer use practices without enabling harm.
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Develop collaborative case plans that reflect harm reduction principles and client self-determined goals.
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Maintain professional boundaries while fostering inclusive, judgment-free environments.
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Identify and challenge stigmatizing language and unconscious bias in workplace practice.
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Align daily practice with Toronto Shelter Standards and supportive housing harm reduction frameworks.
Instructor: Bobbie Gunn
Mode(s): Live in Person (65 Wellesley Street east, suite 501. Toronto, Ontario)
Length: One Day
Cost: $140 per person
Target Group: All