Once you have grounded yourself during an escalated situation, next engage in active listening with the person who is agitated. This can seem counterintuitive or difficult when you are dealing with somebody who is, for example, screaming at you, and it may feel like you’re rewarding them for being completely irrational. But it is key to getting them more centered and grounded so they’re less agitated and less likely to become a danger to themselves or others.

Community member agreements are shared agreements regarding behavior expected of everyone who participates in a harm reduction site or service. The primary rule all harm reduction leaders talked about was the need to treat everyone with respect.