National Recovery Month

National Recovery Month is held every September (since 1989) to support those who are still struggling with substance use disorder as well as provide those in recovery with resources to continue living full and healthy lives.

What is Harm Reduction?

Harm reduction is the evidence-based approach to equip those that use drugs with life-saving tools and information to create positive change and potentially safe their lives. Harm reduction is a key pillar in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Overdose Prevention Strategy.

Harm reduction addresses substance use disorders through prevention, treatment and recovery. It empowers people to reach their own goals through incremental change. 

Examples of harm reduction tools:

- Naloxone (Narcan) kits and training

- Fentanyl test strips

- Sterile injection equipment

- Medication disposal

Common Misconception: Harm reduction encourages people to use drugs.

Travis Rieder, PhD, MA, an associate research professor at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics says “Opponents sometimes argue that giving people sterile syringes, clean pipes, naloxone, a space to use drugs under supervision, etc., incentivizes drug use or leads to drug use,” he says. “But people are going to use drugs whether they have these resources or not, and so withholding them doesn’t prevent that use; it just makes it more dangerous. Making an activity more dangerous doesn’t stop people who are committed to engaging in that activity; it just hurts and kills more of them.”

Safe Greenfield

Safe Greenfield is a health collaborative that promotes whole body wellness as well as cross-collaborative efforts to decrease harm and death related to substance use disorders. In addition, Safe Greenfield also supports innovative approaches to harm reduction programming and guides community efforts in decreasing stigma related to behavioral health conditions in Greenfield and beyond.

Free Narcan Vending Machine available in Greenfield: 5300 W Layton Ave. Greenfield, WI 53220

Call (414) 329-5262 to get a free Narcan training and free Narcan from the health department.

Local addiction and recovery services

CleanSlate Centers - 4848 S 76th Street Suite 210. (414) 847-7080

Community Medical Services - 2814 S 108th St, West Allis, WI 53227. (414) 885-3525

Vivent Health - 1311 N 6th St, Milwaukee, WI 53212. (414) 273-1991

American Indian Council on Alcoholism - 6510 W Layton Ave Suite 101, Greenfield, WI 53220. (414) 930-9210

City Case Manager - Maggie Sutton (414) 761-5356