The first students of the International Harm Reduction Academy graduated this summer and include a number of NTA-sponsored ex-service users well advanced in their recovery journey. Their academy qualifications will help reinforce their reintegration into society.
The academy is an opportunity for committed harm-reduction practitioners to increase and demonstrate the learning and skills gained from attending the annual conference of the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA).
Harm reduction is an internationally well-established, evidence-based approach to drug treatment, rooted in public health and human rights. The UK has lead the way in harm reduction over the past 20 years, hosting the first and most recent IHRA conferences.
The NTA continues to support harm reduction and worked with local experts to identify 18 people to attend this year's conference and academy. In all, 23 people from around the world attended the academy, working towards a first-year certificate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) run and accredited by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
For some NTA-sponsored students it is their first academic qualification. For all it has been a chance to gain further qualifications to support their voluntary and paid work in drug treatment. The academy has also improved their ability to act as local and regional harm reduction champions.
Dr Sally Woods, Harm Reduction Academy academic director from Liverpool John Moores University said: "The first CPD programme, held at the Liverpool 2010 IHRA Conference, was a complete success and it was particularly pleasing to see so many UK students, sponsored by the NTA, engage with and contribute to this success. The programme team was impressed with the commitment and hard work of all the students, including those with previously atypical academic backgrounds, who really knuckled down and worked hard to achieve their awards"
One NTA-sponsored graduate said: "The academy was an opportunity for me to build on the knowledge and skills I have already gained through my volunteer work in the harm reduction field. It was challenging, but worthwhile and thought-provoking".
Read more about what the graduates are doing six months on.