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Live Event

Exploring Ethical Considerations in Harm Reduction

Tue, Jan 27th, 2026
11:00am – 2:15pm US Eastern Time
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About the Event

Harm reduction is a general term for pragmatic interventions aimed at reducing problematic behaviors. This training will describe the key principles of harm reduction and explore fundamental ethical considerations. The value of harm reduction strategies in practice and key considerations for clinical practice will be outlined and helpful clinical resources will be shared with attendees. Explore key harm reduction perspectives such as the tree of liberation and the value of utilizing Motivational Interviewing skills. Examples of harm reduction in the areas of hoarding, substance use, and self-injury will be presented. Learners will gain valuable perspectives on harm reduction benefits and ethical considerations and have a framework for evaluating the efficacy of approaches in care.

Live Event This is a live online event. It will be conducted via Zoom Webinar.

Live Event Instructor

Diane Bigler

Diane Bigler

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW has over 25 years of experience in social work and mental health practice. She is a frequent national continuing education speaker and former Professor of Social Work at The University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare. Diane has been involved in the provision of clinical supervision for over 15 years and has trained hundreds of clinicians on succeeding at supervision.

Target Audience

This live interactive webinar is intended for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, MFT's and Addiction Professionals.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Describe key principles of harm reduction and identify at least three ethical considerations.
  2. 2 Identify at least three examples of harm reduction for specific problems and populations.
  3. 3 Explain the value of harm reduction strategies in practice and key considerations for clinical practice.

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Faculty

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Course Creator

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW – None to report

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

Event Agenda

Agenda times are listed in US Eastern Time. That is 3 hours later than US Pacific Time. The event starts at 8:00am US Pacific Time.

11:00-11:10 I. Introduction (10 min) • Welcome and objectives overview • Define harm reduction and ethical relevance • Introduce learning objectives • Opening vignettes (4 clinical case examples) ________________________________________ 11:10-11:30 II. Conceptual Foundations of Harm Reduction (20 min) • Definition and philosophy of harm reduction • Comparison: Abstinence-Only vs. Harm Reduction o Pros and cons discussion • Harm reduction as a client-centered and strengths-based approach • Broader applications (addiction, self-injury, hoarding, hypersexuality, disease management) ________________________________________ 11:30-12:00 III. Ethical and Professional Context (30 min) • NASW Ethics and harm reduction in social work o Self-determination, competence, public health focus • Key ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice • Trauma-informed care and harm reduction (SAMHSA principles) • Cultural and structural considerations: o Intersectionality, equity, and social determinants of health ________________________________________ 12:00-12:30 IV. Practical Harm Reduction Strategies (30 min) • Real-world examples: o Needle exchange programs o Naloxone distribution o Fentanyl test strips o Safer injection and sexual practices o Hoarding and self-injury harm minimization • Video: “Harm Reduction Truths” • Group discussion: “Do You Practice Harm Reduction in Life?” ________________________________________ 12:30-12:45 BREAK 12:45-1:00 V. The Self of the Worker (15 min) • Reflecting on personal values, biases, and boundaries • Worker stances (Springer’s Framework) • Authenticity, transparency, and compassion in practice ________________________________________ 1:00-1:30 VI. Motivational Interviewing and Stages of Change (30 min) • Overview of Motivational Interviewing (MI) o OARS, DARN-C(C), and Change Talk o MI conversation examples • Assessing Readiness to Change • Developing collaborative harm reduction plans • Role-play or reflection activity: therapist-client dialogue practice ________________________________________ 1:30-2:00 VII. Applied Case Studies and Discussion (30 min) • Group or breakout discussions using case vignettes • Identify harm reduction goals, ethical dilemmas, and cultural considerations • Explore resistance, readiness, and clinician responses • Supplemental Case Study: Lexi ________________________________________

2:00-2:15 VIII. Specialized Harm Reduction Applications (15 min) • Hoarding: safety, health, and comfort-based objectives • Self-Injury: safe practice guidelines, slowing process, wound care • Clinical handouts and worksheets review • Closing Q&A

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If you need to cancel your registration for a webinar, please contact our support team for assistance prior to the event. Please note our refund policy, above.

If the activity must be cancelled by the provider, all attendees will receive an email notifying them of the cancellation. The email will also provide details about transferring the registration to another educational activity or receiving a refund of the registration fee. As always, you can contact our support team if you have questions or concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you register, you'll receive an email with the link and instructions to join the live event. The event will be hosted via Zoom Webinar. You may test your Zoom connection prior to the event at the Zoom Test page We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes early to be sure your connection is ready.

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