The Incremental Strategy of Harm Reduction in Youth Work

Your Course Description

Your Competency Focus Area

At-Risk Behaviors

Many youth do not know how to avoid or escape harmful situations and circumstances, even if they want to.
The philosophy of harm reduction meets youth where they are with respect and without judgement and works with them to build step by step strategies toward positive change.
As a youth worker, implementing harm reduction practices allows you to focus on their immediate needs and incremental solutions to best support them. This is an emerging practice that all youth workers will benefit from.

Your Learning Objectives

Understand the positive short-term and long-term effects of harm reduction practices for youth
Identify the components that make harm reduction successful
Be aware of aspects of harm reduction that could be challenging to you
Learn how to articulate to young people and community partners how and why you use harm reduction practices

Your Course Details

Completion Certificate
Youth Worker Track
This training will count as 1.5 CE hours for most boards. Please contact your board directly with questions on submitting. Course details for CE submissions provided.

Your Trainer

James Scott is the Senior Training Manager for StreetWorks, a collaborative of youth-serving agencies in the seven-county metro area and a program of Lutheran Social Services. Before joining StreetWorks, James worked for HCMC’s Inpatient Psychology Department and managed the shelter, transitional living, and outreach program for Hope Street in South Minneapolis. During his time with Hope Street, James worked as a street outreach case manager. Before his career working with youth experiencing homelessness, James worked for Sesame Street Live and was widely regarded as “a very good Cookie Monster.” James received a B.A. in History from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.