Liberatory Harm Reduction
At Yarrow Collective, we view harm reduction not just as a set of public health tools, but as a political act of love and a pathway toward collective liberation.
Our Liberatory Harm Reduction training moves beyond the clinical "prevention" model and into a space of radical hospitality and bodily autonomy.
What is Liberatory
Harm Reduction?
Standard harm reduction often focuses solely on "reducing negative consequences."
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Yarrow Collective’s approach is deeply informed by the work of Shira Hassan and her seminal book, Saving Our Own Lives: A Liberatory Practice of Harm Reduction.
We align with Hassan’s vision of harm reduction as a practice rooted in the survival strategies of Black, Indigenous, and people of color, trans and gender non-conforming folks, and sex workers.
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It is an approach that:
Honors Autonomy: We trust people to make decisions about their own bodies and lives.
Centers Shared Power: We move away from "service provider" hierarchies and toward mutual aid.
Acknowledges Systemic Harm: We recognize that "harms" are often the result of policing, poverty, and state violence—not just individual choices.
Challenges Stigma: We actively dismantle the "good/bad" binary of substance use and move into a relational space with substances that are neither good nor bad.
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Liberatory Harm
Reduction Training
Whether you are a peer supporter, a community organizer, or a provider looking to shift your practice, our training offers a deep dive into the philosophy and application of liberatory care.
We’ll learn about the radical roots of harm reduction—from the Black Panthers and the Young Lords to modern-day street-based outreach. We explore how communities have been "saving their own lives" long before harm reduction was medicalized into public health systems.
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This training also explores how to hold space for people who use drugs without falling into the "recovery-only" trap. We focus on relationship-building and radical love, regardless of whether someone is using drugs or not, moving towards “recovery” or not, or finding their own unique path with substances.
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As Hassan points out, it isn't enough to "meet people where they are"—we must also be willing to stay with them there, and not just wait for them to move toward a more "acceptable" lifestyle.
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"Harm reduction is a movement built on the love and survival of the people society was willing to leave behind." — Shira Hassan
If you are someone with lived or living experience with drug use, a peer recovery coach, or another provider in behavioral health and are interested in taking a liberatory harm reduction training, reach out to us at Yarrow Collective to learn about upcoming training opportunities. In the meantime, check out our Liberatory Harm Reduction and Recovery groups here.