Instructors: Candice Brimner

Beyond Harm Reduction is a highly interactive and hands-on training that connects concepts like trauma informed care, motivational interviewing, and crisis intervention to situations and tactics encountered while working with individuals with a history (or current experience) of substance use with hands-on training. Harm Reduction is a philosophy of care designed to lessen the physical and social consequences associated with various social behaviours, and refers to policies, programs, and practices that aim to minimize the negative health, social, and legal impacts associated with substance use, policies, and laws. Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights. It focuses on positive change and working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination or requirements that people stop using drugs as a condition of support.

Beyond Harm Reduction goes further, and examines communication that can be stigmatizing, harmful and counter productive.  Participants will then learn and practice communication techniques that seek to remove biases and discrimination.   This training provides practical tools that can be used in a wide range of circumstances to guide social support processes within the human services sector.

Who is taking this course?

This course is ideally suited for frontline staff working in shelter, respite and residential settings but the techniques can be applied by anyone who is interacting with at-risk populations. Anyone having face-to-face conversations with vulnerable populations will benefit from this session.

Learning Objectives for Participants:

• Builds upon the foundations of Harm Reduction learned in THTC’s self-paced Harm Reduction training
• Gain a greater understanding of personal and wider communication biases that inhibit support, coordination, and cooperation with program users
• Practice approaches to complex situations through role-playing and scenario-based exercises
• Learn communication techniques that help to build deeper and more meaningful therapeutic relationships with program users and effect greater and more meaningful change

Learning Objectives for Managers:

• Improve the communication and relationship dynamics between staff and program participants
• Improve wellness and health outcomes of program participants
• Improve self-awareness
• Practice new techniques for common operations i.e. Wellness checks and intake procedures
• Align staff approach to current best practices in dealing with vulnerable populations
• Increase staff comfort and empowerment when dealing with complex situations

Target Group: All

Additional Training Method: Agency Training 

Course Cost

THTC Member: $100 | Non-Member: $110 

THTC Reminders:

• Once you submit your registration request, THTC staff will respond with a payment link (if you are not part of an invoiced agency). Once payment has been received, you will receive a registration confirmation. This process typically takes 1-4 business days.
• Course registration closes 24 business hours prior to the course start time. If the course is not full and you would like to submit a last-minute registration, please email our Training Coordinator: julian@thtcentre.com.
• If you are part of an invoiced agency, kindly note that only approved staff can submit registration requests. If you are unsure about who is an approved staff member, please speak to your supervisor/manager or contact our Training Coordinator: julian@thtcentre.com.
• If you choose the member price ticket and you or your agency are not a THTC member, you will be charged the non-member rate. To become a THTC member, please follow the link below:
  • Online Membership Application – Toronto Hostels Training Centre (thtcentre.com)
  • You must receive a THTC membership confirmation email before submitting registration requests with the member price ticket.
• You must be on time for the course. Should you miss more than 30 minutes of the course, THTC will not issue a certificate of completion.
• This training is interactive – all participants are required to participate to the best of their ability.
• Participants will receive instructions on how to join the online Zoom session 1-2 business days before the training date. Please be sure to check your junk/spam folder.
• Participants are required to have their camera on for most of the training session (i.e., at least 70% of the session) in order to receive their course certificate. Should you require accommodation, please reach out to julian@thtcentre.comto plan at least 48 business hours before the training session. We also encourage you to use a tablet or laptop as participating using only a cell phone will significantly reduce your learning experience.
• A certificate of completion will be distributed upon successful course completion.

For more information on THTC policies and procedures, please follow the link below:

Policies & Procedures – Toronto Hostels Training Centre (thtcentre.com)