lo que hacemos
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.
lo que hacemos
Standard harm reduction often focuses solely on "reducing negative consequences."
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.
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.
lo que hacemos
Alternatives to Suicide es un espacio gratuito, sin prejuicios, no clínico, dirigido por pares y confidencial donde las personas pueden compartir pensamientos y sentimientos difíciles sin asumir que tienen una enfermedad o ser evaluados para una intervención involuntaria.
La frase “Me siento suicida” puede tener muchos significados. Tener el espacio para explorar abiertamente los pensamientos, sentimientos y experiencias subyacentes suele ser útil para avanzar hacia algo diferente.
Estos grupos no son solo para personas con tendencias suicidas activas, sino para cualquier persona que se beneficiaría de un espacio sin prejuicios para explorar sus pensamientos y emociones con un grupo.
Gratis para asistir
Aperitivos proporcionados
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.
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.
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.
"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.