Get Woke!
Harm Reduction Initiative
GET
Our program implements harm reduction and holistic health promotion practices designed to improve the health and well-being of substance users in Washington, DC. Services include opioid overdose prevention, expanded access to healthcare, sexually transmitted infection prevention and education, chronic disease risk reduction, and the distribution of essential harm reduction supplies such as wound care items, condoms, dental dams, lubricant, and personal hygiene products. Through these efforts, we promote safer practices, dignity, and overall wellness for the individuals and communities we serve.
Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies, practices, and programs aimed at reducing negative consequences (health, social, legal) associated with drug use. Harm reduction is grounded in respect, social justice, and human rights of people who use drugs. The practice of harm reduction focuses on "meeting people where they are" and providing an array of strategies, from safer use to managed use, to abstinence without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or ultimatums. Though harm reduction is traditionally thought of in relation to drug use, the same underlying principles can be applied to prevention of a wide range of health outcomes, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and various cancers.
