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."
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.
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.
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.