Self-directed course: Harm Reduction Fundamentals: The Foundations

CATIE’s Harm Reduction Fundamentals: The Foundations course aims to build foundational knowledge of harm reduction for service providers working with people who use drugs (including support workers, outreach workers, nurses, workers with lived and living experience, and others who may interact with people who use drugs such as reception and maintenance staff).

This course provides a knowledge base for understanding and reflecting on substance use and harm reduction. In this course, participants will learn about why people use substances and will examine the broader structural drivers of harms related to substance use – including prohibition, criminalization, stigma and discrimination. This course also explores the core principles of harm reduction and how they can be put into practice and adapted to meet the needs of various communities.

Due to a cybersecurity incident in early May 2026, access to the Canvas Free-for-Teacher online learning platform has been temporarily suspended, which includes all of CATIE’s self-directed courses. We are awaiting more information from parent company Instructure on when they plan to resume access to the platform, and we will share updates with CATIE course participants as we learn more. In the meantime, please browse our offerings of courses facilitated by a CATIE educator, which have been unaffected by this service disruption.