The Harm-Reduction Treatment Track at Harborview Medical Center’s Mental Health and Addictions Services is one of the clinic’s featured evidence-based psychotherapies. The program includes a multidisciplinary team of nurses, social workers, mental health counselors and chemical dependency counselors and comprises about seven staff, including students on their social work practicum.

Started by Susan Collins, PhD, in 2016, the HaRT Track seeks to meet people who use substances wherever they are at in their motivation for change to help them reduce their substance-related harm and improve their quality of life, even if they are not ready, willing or able to stop using. This is done by providing 3 components: First, HaRT helps patients identify, measure and track over time the metrics that represent what harm reduction looks like in their lives. Second, HaRT helps patients identify and shape specific harm-reduction and quality of life goals so they are thinking about what they want to leave behind, like substance-related harm, and what they want to move towards, like engagement in meaningful activities and relationships. Third, HaRT engages in co-learning with patients about what safer use can look like for them. HaRT is not intended to subsume existing substance-use treatment but serves as its complement to expand the spectrum of patients they can reach. The current administrators of the program are Garrett Hebel, MSW, LSWAIC, CDP, and Emily Puma, LICSW.

A study published in the International Journal on Drug Policy in May indicates that HaRT has at least short-term efficacy for the treatment of alcohol use disorders, and the program was featured in The Seattle Times earlier this year.