12 minutes
Harm reduction, naloxone and stigma-free language Explain what naloxone does and where Minnesotans can get it, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
What you’ll be able to do Explain what naloxone does and where Minnesotans can get it, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Describe the harm reduction approach in plain terms. Identify stigmatizing terms and their preferred alternatives. Draft a case note that describes substance use without labeling the person. Harm reduction, naloxone and stigma-free language Harm reduction means meeting people where they are and lowering the risks of substance use, whether or not a person is ready to stop. It sits comfortably alongside recovery: keeping someone alive and connected keeps the door to recovery open. In disability services, harm reduction can look like talking openly about safer use, making sure the person knows how to get help in an overdose, and not making services conditional on abstinence unless a program rule truly requires it.
Naloxone is a core harm reduction tool. The Minnesota Department of Health describes naloxone as a lifesaving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose in minutes. MDH notes that it is harmless if given to someone having a different health emergency, although it works only on opioids. People can ask their pharmacy whether it carries naloxone, and MDH points to syringe service programs and harm reduction organizations for free naloxone. MDH advises giving naloxone in any suspected overdose and calling 911 right away, and notes that Minnesota's Good Samaritan law offers legal protections for people who give naloxone and call 911 in good faith. Details of legal protections are for legal counsel. Whether staff carry or give naloxone in a particular setting follows your agency's and the provider's policies and training.
Words shape whether people seek help. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends person-first language, such as a person with a substance use disorder rather than addict or user, because it shows that the person has a condition rather than is the problem. NIDA suggests in recovery or in remission instead of clean, testing positive instead of dirty, and medication treatment for opioid use disorder instead of terms that suggest medication is a crutch. NIDA notes that stigma can make people less willing to seek treatment.
Language in records matters especially, because case notes and provider reports follow people for years. A note that says a person was using again and noncompliant tells the next reader less than one that says what happened, what the person said they wanted and what support was offered. Neutral, specific language is more accurate and more respectful, and it avoids closing doors to services.
Harm reduction keeps people alive and connected so recovery stays possible. Know how naloxone works and where to get it, follow your agency's policy, and use person-first, neutral language in speech and records.
A fictional example to examine Kai supervises a team of case managers. Reviewing notes, Kai sees phrases like 'addict,' 'dirty UA' and 'refuses sobriety' in files for several people, including Selam, who has an intellectual disability and uses opioids. Selam's roommate recently had an overdose that was reversed with naloxone by a neighbor. Selam's provider has asked whether it should keep naloxone in the home, and staff are unsure what they are allowed to do.
Practice and review Look up where naloxone is available in the communities you serve using MDH information, and find out what your agency's policy says about naloxone for staff.
Private reflection Which words about substance use did you learn early in life or in your career? Which ones would you now choose differently?
Carry this forward Harm reduction means meeting people where they are and lowering the risks of substance use, whether or not a person is ready to stop.
Naloxone is a core harm reduction tool.
Words shape whether people seek help.
Language in records matters especially, because case notes and provider reports follow people for years.
Look up where naloxone is available in the communities you serve using MDH information, and find out what your agency's policy says about naloxone for staff.
Look up where naloxone is available in the communities you serve using MDH information, and find out what your agency's policy says about naloxone for staff.
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Previous lesson Back to course Carry this into practice Recognize the barriers people with disabilities face in substance use treatment, help them reach accessible care in Minnesota's system, and use harm reduction and stigma-free practice in disability services work.
Return to the experience: What did you notice or try, whose perspective informed it, and what would you keep or adjust?
Participation and course completion in this program do not count toward DHS-required training credits unless management, a director, or DHS leadership expressly approves an exception.
