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De-Escalation Resources

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De-escalation is more than a set of techniques—it’s a practice grounded in care, communication, and situational awareness. These tools, guides, and trainings support the development of calmer, safer environments for staff and participants alike.

Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) and the COE-NF Toolkit a project of SAMHSA

Crisis Prevention Institute and their Resource Library

Right Response and their free e-book De-escalate Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime:

Unplug the Power Struggle with Principle-Based De-escalation

Powershift De-Escalation Guide

The American Organization for Nursing leadership, AONL has a Guide to Mitigating Workplace Violence

Joint Commission has a Guide to De-Escalation in Healthcare

Books

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, Marshall B. Rosenberg

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. 

Edie Springer’s Worker Stances for Clients Who Use Drugs & Harm Reduction Worker: Best Practices

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Harm reduction immediately resonated for Edie, who was herself a former drug user and methadone patient. Faced with the devastation of HIV’s impact on drug-using communities, Edie fully embraced harm reduction and trained hundreds of harm reduction workers who have carried her legacy with them. She developed these worker stances in 1996 and they have been shared among many of us in the harm reduction community for generations.
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Hacks for Community Member Agreements

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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.
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