The SUSTAIN Wellbeing COMPASS Coordinating Center is excited to announce an intensive virtual training opportunity for HIV service providers working in the US South.
Donor Name: SUSTAIN Wellbeing COMPASS Coordinating Center
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Training or Mentorship
Deadline: 08/22/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The US South continues to see rising HIV diagnoses and opioid overdose death rates, which disproportionately impact Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. Harm reduction is an evidence-based approach known to improve the health and well-being of various communities, including sex workers, people who use drugs, and people living with HIV. HIV service providers are best positioned to practice harm reduction approaches because they often already do so in relation to safer sex and HIV health promotion. They surveyed providers of community-based HIV service organizations across the South and found that only 26% provide harm reduction services due, in part, to a lack of training. Despite this, 84% of respondents wanted harm reduction training. This training opportunity is a direct response to providers’ expressed desire for training in harm reduction. This 3-part virtual training is an opportunity to dive deeper and more intentionally into how to apply harm reduction in your everyday work.
Training Topics
- Harm Reduction 101 Revisited – History & Principles
- Destigmatize & Decriminalize: Understanding Oppression Through a Harm Reduction Lens
- Nothing About Us Without Us: Meaningful Community Involvement in Harm Reduction
Training Goals
- Recount the history and principles of harm reduction philosophy.
- Explore how structural oppression (ex: racism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty) impacts us as service providers, as well as the people serve.
- Practice harm reduction as a relational approach (non-judgmental, non-coercive) to service provision.
- Illustrate how harm reduction requires the Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV (MIPA).
Incentives
Upon completion, participants will receive:
- A $50 SnackMagic box
- A $100 Amazon gift card
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must live in the 12 US southern states supported by COMPASS (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX).
- Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to serving people living with HIV and people with lived experiences who are most systematically impacted by HIV.
- Applicants must meaningfully answer a series of brief application questions related to their knowledge and experience related to harm reduction. Note: No prior knowledge of harm reduction is required to apply or participate.
For more information, visit SUSTAIN Wellbeing COMPASS Coordinating Center.
