Continuing Education Event – An Introduction to Harm Reduction: Concepts, Evidence, Actions – webinar – 2/10/2022

Recovery Centers of America has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7002. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Recovery Centers of America is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This course qualifies for 1 credit hour.

This 1-hour, 1 NBCC CEU training introduces what harm reduction is, some of the evidence behind it, and some concrete examples that anyone can learn and implement today. As drug overdose deaths continue to climb, it is clear that our current approach to substance use is not optimal. Individuals with lived experience of using drugs have been advocates of an approach that is based in harm reduction principles. The medical community is starting to embrace this concept and utilize harm reduction practices more broadly in substance use disorder treatment. This talk will provide an introduction to harm reduction and the ways in which it can benefit people who use drugs and their communities.

Learning Objectives:
1. Define harm reduction and 2 of its key principles
2. List 2 ways in which the war on drugs has led to increased harm for people who use drugs
3. Explain 3 evidence-based harm reduction interventions

Trainer: Dr. Heidi Ginter
Dr. Heidi Ginter, MD, FASAM has nearly two decades of experience working in the addiction treatment field, is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine, and is a prominent voice in medication for addiction treatment (MAT). MAT, the use of FDA-approved medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, is widely considered to be the evidence-based best practice for battling addiction to opioids and other drugs.

Dr. Ginter graduated from Yale University and earned her doctorate at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She has lectured extensively on MAT and opioid use disorder. Dr. Ginter started her career as a family doctor for underserved populations and eventually found a passion for helping pregnant women struggling with addiction. Prior to joining RCA, she was the Chief Medical Officer for an outpatient addiction treatment provider with opioid treatment programs at 16 sites in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut.