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Acronyms First

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This website uses a number of commonly recognised acronyms related to harm reduction, health services, and drug policy. To help you navigate the content more easily, we’ve compiled a quick-reference list of these terms and their meanings.

  • CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • FQHC – Federally Qualified Health Center
  • FSHRP – Fixed-Site Harm Reduction Program
  • FSSSP – Fixed-Site Syringe Services Program
  • HRHD – Harm Reduction Home Delivery
  • MAT – Medication Assisted Treatment
  • MHRS – Mobile Harm Reduction Services
  • OPS – Overdose Prevention Site.
  • OUD – Opioid Use Disorder
  • SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  • SSP – Syringe Service Provider
  • SUD – Substance Use Disorder

Featured Hacks

These featured hacks highlight creative, practical solutions from harm reduction leaders on the ground. From DIY tools to clever workarounds, each one reflects the ingenuity, care, and real-world experience that keeps this movement alive. 

Though largely unsupported by scientific evidence, the dangers of needle stick injury loom large in the popular imagination. As a result, the emotional response to needle stick injury can be intense even if, statistically, the risks are quite low. For this reason, if no other, it’s essential that harm reduction organizations be prepared for how they might deal with such an eventuality.
The term “trauma-informed” emerges from a growing understanding of the far reaching ways that trauma impacts health and well-being. Trauma is defined here, in keeping with the scientific literature, as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience(s) that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, and significantly impacts their mental, emotional, and physical well-being.