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Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma

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Harm reduction work is emotionally demanding. This section offers guides and frameworks for recognising, addressing, and mitigating burnout, secondary trauma, and fatigue—so you can sustain yourself and your team in the long run.

Tend Academy and the Tend Academy Resource Library

Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project

Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime and Vicarious Trauma Toolkit

Books

The Burnout Challenge, Christina Maslach & Michael P Leiter

Help for the Helper, Babette Rothschild

Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress, Brian C. Miller

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. 

Trauma-Informed

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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.
Read this Hack

Hacks for Developing Internal Community

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Building internal community means building relationships based on your shared values as a part of a harm reduction organization.
Read this Hack