Resources
Balanced Imperfection Resources
Posted in Resources.
Materials from Balanced Imperfection, the origin point of the Space Hacks and Harm Reduction Hacks series. These resources bring lived experience and practical insight into the realities of harm reduction, leadership, and cultural shift work in community services.
Other sets of external resources including toolkits, practical guides, and deep-dive materials on topics like de-escalation, mental health support, participant accountability, overdose response, and more:
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.
Hacks for Empathetic Active Listening
Featured in: Featured, De-Escalation In the Moment
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.
Creating and Defining Community
Featured in: Featured, Hacks for Preventing Escalation
Over and over, harm reduction leaders interviewed for Space Hacks centered the creation of community as central to their efforts to create safe, humane harm reduction spaces services that are trauma-informed and minimize the potential for escalated situations.