Trimbos and Harm Reduction Network
The Harm Reduction Network (HRN) of the Trimbos Institute is focused on improving the health and well-being of people, especially those who use drugs, including hard drugs and psychedelics. The Harm reduction network collects and disseminates knowledge that contributes to a healthier and safer society. The core activities of the Harm Reduction Network include:
- Monitoring of harm reduction facilities (such as use rooms, syringe exchange, and methadone and heroin treatment) in the Netherlands.
- Organizing networking events, webinars and congresses.
- Disseminating knowledge and trends in the field of harm reduction.
The network is intended for everyone who is directly or indirectly involved in harm reduction services, from doctors who provide methadone to street workers and advocates. The Harm Reduction Network is funded by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and is coordinated by the Trimbos Institute.
The Harm Reduction Congress
The Harm Reduction Congress organized by the Trimbos Institute will take place on Thursday 23 November in Utrecht. It is an annual conference for healthcare professionals, researchers, experts with lived experience, users and policymakers. .
Themes of the upcoming congress
The themes of the 2023 Harm Reduction Congress are as follows:
- Chemsex
- Drugs in prisons
- Drugs and migrants
- New drugs and harm reduction
- Police and drug prevention
- Damage limitation in the case of ceremonial drug use
Program of the congress
09:30: Drop-in with coffee
10:00: Opening by Daan van der Gouwe (Trimbos Institute)
10:15: Drugs and harm reduction in prisons, plenary session with:
- Paul van Ommen (PI Ter Apel),
- Rafaela Rigoni (Correlation European Harm Reduction Network),
- Jack Wubben (PI Vught)
- Piet Broenland (Ikigai counseling)
11:30: Break
11:45: Harm reduction projects, round table session with
- Lisa Strada (Trimbos-instituut) over OPAAK: Population size estimate of people with high-risk Opioid use and an explorAtion of people with high-risk use of crack cocaine and other drugs in the Netherlands.
- Ingrid Bakker (Stichting Mainline) about SEMID: Services for Vulnerable Migrants who Use Drugs in the EU.
- Sofia Fernandes Franco (Vrije Universiteit) about The Impacts of Drug-Related Harm Reduction on Local Community: Evidence from Dutch Drug Consumption Rooms
12:30: Lunch break
13:30: Access to harm reduction services for (homeless) migrant workers, plenary session with
- Machteld Busz (Mainline Foundation)
- Ewa Wielgat (AMOC, Rainbow Group)
- Larisa Melinceanu (Barka Foundation)
14:15: Break
14:30: Working groups (non-plenary) with
- Leon Knoops (Mainline Foundation) about Chemsex.
- Pieter Oomen (Trimbos Institute) and Jorn Dekker (AMOC, Rainbow Group) on Harm Reduction 2.0: A future perspective.
- Alex van Dongen (Novadic-Kentron) and Sam Fijneman (Experiencing expert) about the lack of harm reduction in new drugs.
- Frederiek Schutten (Trimbos Institute), Floris Moerkamp (Liaan), Janneke van der Geijn (TripTherapie) about harm reduction in the use of drugs in ceremonial settings.
15:15: Break
15:30: Harm reduction pitches, Round table sessions with
- Ruben Boomsma (LEAP) on harm reduction from a police perspective
- Liefke Huizinga (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport) on The Dutch harm reduction policy in a European perspective
16:15: Break
16:30: Keynote: “Labels belong on labels, not on people” door Piet Broenland (Ikigai counseling)
End: Closing by Daan van der Gouwe (Trimbos Institute)
Triptherapie as a speaker
We have been invited to speak at this congress about harm reduction in ceremonies and psychedelic sessions. We will give a presentation about how we do everything possible to minimize harm. We will discuss our intake process and how we can influence the mood during the preparation, and thus also the quality of the trip.
Attending the congress
It is no longer possible to attend the event as it took place in the past.