Panel on “Continuum de la réduction des méfaits et les défis de son implantation dans les milieux de soins en santé mentale” Photo by Cédric Pek, 28 November 2024.
On November 28, the Annual Scientific Day of the Centre of Expertise and Collaboration in Concurrent Disorders (CECTC) took place. Hundreds of stakeholders in the fields of mental health and substance use, including those from hospital, community, and political sectors, participated in this event focused on integrating harm reduction interventions* into mental health care services. The presentations highlighted the effectiveness of certain interventions, such as the distribution of injection and inhalation supplies and supervised injection sites, in reducing HIV and hepatitis C infections and lowering fatal overdoses among people who use drugs. Lively and enriching discussions throughout the day helped identify significant barriers to integrating harm reduction approaches into mental health services. Notably, the lack of training among mental health professionals, political and legal barriers to collaboration between different sectors of the health and social services system, the stigma surrounding psychoactive substance use, and the lack of recognition of peer workers’ expertise limit access to and the quality of harm reduction interventions. Many solutions to these barriers were proposed, including improving working conditions and integration of peer workers into clinical teams, establishing multidisciplinary teams that include ethics specialists, promoting the coexistence of harm reduction services with the general population, and fostering collaboration between frontline teams and research institutions.
*Harm reduction is an intervention approach aimed at minimizing the negative consequences associated with psychoactive substance use. The most well-known harm reduction strategies include programs providing access to injection and inhalation supplies, supervised consumption sites, and the distribution of naloxone kits (a medication that reverses opioid overdoses).
If you are interested in free training on naloxone administration, visit the PROFAN 2.0 program website at the following address: https://www.profan.ca/fr/offre-de-formations.
To easily locate centres providing access to injection and inhalation supplies near you, please refer to the following search tool: https://sante.gouv.qc.ca/en/repertoire-ressources/cami/.
