Permanent education on harm reduction: The experience of psychosocial care course in alcohol and other drugs

Abstract

Report about the Psychosocial Care Course on Alcohol and Other Drugs, offered by Centro Regional de Referência para Formação em Políticas sobre Drogas, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (CRR/ UFSJ), oriented towards to Harm Reduction (HR) training. Groups of around sixteen students were gathered, encompassing professionals and community leaders from 18 cities within the region of São João del Rei, MG, Brazil. Through field notes and management reports the study elaborated three units of meaning related to the educational process of HR: (a) estrangements regarding the HR proposal; (b) problematizations, resistances and appropriations of HR; and (c) impacts of the HR proposal on students’ practices. The involvement in the Course promoted a first step towards change and produced awareness of HR, a major challenge on drug policy reform.