PS526 Unit 8 Harm Reduction Position Post Example

Reviewed by Romilly Dunmore, MEd Advanced Addictions Counseling Purdue University Global Free custom sample in 24 to 48h

Staff at an abstinence-based residential center in the Black Hills split over handing every departing resident a naloxone kit and fentanyl test strips, and this PS526 Unit 8 discussion board post takes the side of the kits. Marlatt and Witkiewitz's review describes harm reduction as a range running from safer use to managed use to abstinence, which places the center's abstinence goal inside it rather than against it. Sordo and colleagues' finding that death rates climb in the weeks after people leave opioid treatment matches the window when residents go home with lowered tolerance into a pill supply laced with fentanyl. The proposed compromise hands out kits during a family discharge session as part of relapse prevention. The composite intern, a student in the MS in Psychology addictions concentration, asks where classmates' programs stand. Purdue Global PS 526 assigns this board.

CoursePS526 Advanced Addictions Counseling
UnitUnit 8
Paper typeDiscussion board post
LengthAbout 420 words, 2 pages double-spaced
FormatAPA 7 discussion post
SchoolPurdue University Global
ProgramMS in Psychology
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for PS526 Unit 8

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Naloxone in the Discharge Bag: A PS526 Unit 8 Discussion Board Post Taking a Position on Harm Reduction at an Abstinence-Based Center

PS526 · Unit 8 Discussion Board Post

Posted by [Student Name]

The writer, the treatment center, the staff and the classmates are composite; the sources cited are real.

What this part is doingPlacing the debate inside an abstinence-based program makes the tension real rather than theoretical.
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Initial Post

Our center's treatment model is built on abstinence, and most of our staff are in long-term recovery. When our medical director proposed giving every discharged resident a naloxone kit and a packet of fentanyl test strips, the staff meeting got heated. One counselor said, "We'd be handing them a relapse kit." Another said, "We'd be handing them a way to survive one."

I support the proposal. Marlatt and Witkiewitz (2010) describe harm reduction as a pragmatic approach that reduces the harmful consequences of substance use through strategies ranging from safer use to managed use to abstinence. It meets people where they are rather than condemning their behavior. Seen that way, abstinence is not the opposite of harm reduction; it sits at one end of the same range.

The strongest argument is timing. Sordo et al. (2017) found death rates climbing steeply in the first weeks after people stop opioid treatment, when their bodies have lost tolerance but the drugs on the street are as strong as ever. Our residents leave after thirty to sixty days without opioids, which is exactly the window of highest danger if they relapse. In a region where pressed pills often contain fentanyl, a single slip can be fatal.

A resident who relapses with naloxone in the house can come back to treatment; one who relapses without it may not come back at all.

The concern that kits encourage use deserves an answer. Marlatt and Witkiewitz (2010) review evidence that harm reduction programs, such as naloxone distribution, reduce harm without increasing use. Our compromise proposal is to give the kits during a discharge session with family present, framed as part of the relapse prevention plan rather than an expectation of failure.

Where does your program stand on harm reduction at discharge?

What this part is doingAsking about classmates' programs invites comparison of real policies rather than abstract opinions.
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Reply to Nicole

Nicole, I agree that framing matters. Marlatt and Witkiewitz (2010) emphasize meeting people where they are, which can include families who fear the message the kit sends.

Reply to Hector

Hector, your point about residents with alcohol use disorder is fair. Sordo et al. (2017) studied opioid treatment, so for alcohol-only residents the case for kits rests on household risk and the drug supply.

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References

Marlatt, G. A., & Witkiewitz, K. (2010). Update on harm-reduction policy and intervention research. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 591-606. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131438

Sordo, L., Barrio, G., Bravo, M. J., Indave, B. I., Degenhardt, L., Wiessing, L., Ferri, M., & Pastor-Barriuso, R. (2017). Mortality risk during and after opioid substitution treatment: Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMJ, 357, Article j1550. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j1550

PS526 Unit 8 instructions, in plain terms

For the eighth PS526 board, take a position on one harm reduction practice in addiction counseling. Describe the setting and the disagreement, presenting each side fairly. Define harm reduction from a scholarly source and explain how it relates to abstinence goals. Support your position with research on risk or outcomes, explaining why the timing or population in your setting makes the evidence relevant. Answer the strongest objection directly, with evidence where possible. Propose a practical way to put your position into practice that respects the program's values. End by asking peers where their programs stand, and in two replies add evidence for or against the practice the classmate discussed.

Inside the PS526 Unit 8 example

The post opens with the staff meeting and the two quoted positions, a relapse kit or a survival kit. A paragraph states the writer's support and uses Marlatt and Witkiewitz to place abstinence inside harm reduction. A paragraph uses Sordo and colleagues to explain why the weeks after discharge are the most dangerous, given lowered tolerance and fentanyl in pressed pills. A highlighted line contrasts a relapse with naloxone and one without. A paragraph answers the objection that kits encourage use, citing the review's evidence, and proposes giving them at a family discharge session framed as relapse prevention. Replies discuss families who fear the message and residents whose only substance is alcohol.

PS526 Unit 8 rubric: what earns full points

Graders want a stance stated in one line and backed by research, with both sides of the disagreement presented fairly. An accurate definition of harm reduction from a scholarly source, including how it relates to abstinence, is expected. The strongest posts explain why the evidence applies to their setting, such as the timing of discharge or the local drug supply. Answering the main objection with evidence shows critical thinking. A practical proposal that respects the program's values shows professional judgment. Replies earn points by adding evidence for or against the classmate's practice. Respectful language about colleagues who disagree, along with on-time posting and APA citations, completes the grade.

PS526 Unit 8 help from the desk

Weak posts on harm reduction either dismiss abstinence-based programs as outdated or dismiss harm reduction as enabling, without engaging the evidence. Another common gap is citing research from a different population without explaining why it applies. Students often ignore the strongest objection or answer it with opinion alone. Some posts propose policies the program could never adopt. Before posting, check that you state your position in one sentence, define harm reduction with a citation, explain why the timing or population makes your evidence relevant, answer one objection with a source and offer a step the program could take next month. A position that names its own costs, such as staff discomfort, reads as more credible.

Get a PS526 Unit 8 example written to your instructions

Send the prompt and the rubric. A custom post takes a position on one harm reduction practice. Free the first time, delivered within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

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PS526 Unit 8 questions, answered

What is harm reduction?

A pragmatic approach that reduces the harms of substance use, from safer use to moderation to abstinence.

Does harm reduction conflict with abstinence goals?

Not necessarily; abstinence sits at one end of the harm reduction range.

What should a reply add?

Evidence for or against the practice the classmate discussed.

Where can I find a free PS526 Unit 8 sample paper?

The PS526 Unit 8 harm reduction post on naloxone at discharge from an abstinence-based center is above, with replies.

What compromise does the PS526 Unit 8 sample propose?

Giving naloxone and test strips during a discharge session with family present, framed as part of the relapse prevention plan.