Provider Views Of Harm Reduction Versus Abstinence...

ARTICLE REVIEWED Henwood, B., Padgett, D., and Tiderington, E. 2014. Provider Views of Harm Reduction Versus Abstinence Policies Within Homeless Services For Dually Diagnosed Adults. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, Vol. 41(1), 80-89. TOPIC The article, â€Å"Provider Views of Harm Reduction Versus Abstinence Policies Within Homeless Services For Dually Diagnosed Adults†, by Dr. Benjamin Henwood, Dr. Deborah Padgett, and Emmy Tiderington endeavors to address how front-line service providers (providers), who work with those with serious mental health issues, addiction, and chronic homelessness, view harm reduction policies as opposed to the abstinence approach to homeless services (Henwood, Padgett, Tiderington, 2014, p. 80). The aim of researchers is to apply the findings to the behavioural health care of this segment of society (Henwood, Padgett, Tiderington, 2014, p. 80). RESEARCH PROBLEM Traditional methods of providing homeless services to the dually diagnosed homeless require individuals to abstain from substance abuse (Henwood, Padgett, Tiderington, 2014, p. 80). This approach, referred to as treatment first (TF), fails to address issues associated with chronically homeless adults who had become habituated to this lifestyle (Henwood, Padgett, Tiderington, 2014, p. 81). The rigidness of this approach, which includes abstinence and behaviour modification such as â€Å"curfews, daily supervision, mandatory attendance at day treatment, no visitors,