This toolkit can help harm reduction program leaders understand health care financing options and identify sustainable funding to strengthen harm reduction services.
Background
Even as harm reduction is increasingly recognized as a core component of the health care continuum, programs face challenges accessing sustainable funding. This toolkit can help harm reduction program leaders understand health care financing options and identify sustainable funding opportunities — such as Medicaid reimbursement or partnerships with health systems — to strengthen harm reduction services. It is especially useful for programs exploring Medicaid billing or formal partnerships with health systems.
About this Tool
This workbook-style toolkit, featuring worksheets, reflection questions, and real-world examples, can help harm reduction organizations understand health care financing and assess their readiness to pursue sustainable funding through a clear 9-step process. These include:
- Learn and review the basics of health care financing;
- Organizational readiness assessment;
- Mapping out billable services;
- Mapping out what it takes to get people to services;
- Creating your organization’s value proposition;
- Choosing your own health care financing adventure;
- Mapping out potential partners;
- Setting an agenda; and
- Organize and advocate.
Program/Policy Takeaways
Harm reduction leaders can use this toolkit to build a pathway toward sustainable funding while maintaining core harm reduction values. The resource is particularly useful for programs exploring Medicaid reimbursement or formal partnerships with health systems, and for funders and policymakers seeking to better integrate harm reduction into broader public health and health care infrastructures.
