Physical needs are important, and many people spend a huge amount of time looking for food, clothes and a place to sleep. But they also talked about paying attention to their mental and emotional health. Here are some examples:

• “I like to keep busy”
• “When I’m going out to work I think about looking for flowers and not just about how I need money and drugs.”
• “Stick to your moral values”
• “I keep my own personal agenda” (Focus Group #2)
• “Stay away from unhealthy relationships, men or women.”
• “I try not to bring much stress into my life or try not to analyze much of the stressful things that transpire in my daily life or with my current boyfriend.” (Focus Group written responses)

Foundation Building

Journal Entry

I got a call from “Carol” on the weekend. She was in detox — Wow! I hadn’t dared to hope that she would make it, even though we had talked about it at the learning centre during the week, and the visiting street nurse had found her a bed. She asked me to come and visit, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get there until today (Monday). They said she had checked herself out. Tonight she came into the learning centre and gave me a longer-than-usual hug. “I failed”, she said, “I couldn’t make it”.

Carol was not a failure — the act of going to a detox centre was a big step. She was indeed building a foundation. Our Focus Group participants confirmed that Harm Reduction is not an “all or nothing” thing. They talked about “slowing down” and trying to keep off drugs, or off the street. “Trying” is the operative word.

“I do the best I can at refraining from turning to the sex trade.”

“I try not working the streets too often, and when I do I try to practice safe sex.”
(Focus Group written responses)

“I try to keep drug and alcohol use to a minimum, not every day.” (Focus Group #2)