Educational Activities Archives

Patient-centered care has become a crucial approach when working with patients with substance use disorder (SUD). Unfortunately, the care continuum can be interrupted for patients with SUDs, often due to stigma and discrimination. Each interruption increases challenges in access to care and can lead to patient harm. Language can intentionally or unintentionally perpetuate stigma. As people who care for patients with SUDs, we need to learn their rights so we can advocate for them and change our language to reduce stigma. This course will discuss the importance of patient-centered care, improved language when discussing substance use, and advocacy strategies that clinicians can use when caring for people who use substances.

Despite significant advancements in addiction treatment, stigma remains one of the greatest barriers to care for individuals struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). Among healthcare professionals, stigma can manifest in ways that impact patient outcomes, access to care, and overall recovery success. This episode will explore how leveraging peers—those with lived experience in recovery—can be a powerful tool in combating stigma in medical settings. The episode will discuss real-world applications of peer support, the latest statistics on stigma in healthcare, and actionable strategies for fostering a more compassionate approach to SUD treatment.

Many cities, and especially cities with high real estate prices, have clearly defined zones in which public drug use and sales are implicitly tolerated while more stringent enforcement continues everywhere else. Given that addiction services (like methadone clinics or residential programs) are often mobilized to serve these zones and/or deliberately segregated to remain within them–what should our relationship to these zones be as addiction care providers? The podcast will explore the challenges, problems, and opportunities these zones can create for people who use drugs and the providers who care for them.

Sound ethics and boundaries are critical to the provision of Substance Use Disorder treatment. Ethical behaviors and boundaries support a client’s treatment process, foster a positive client recovery environment, and promote service engagement. On the other hand, challenges related to unethical practices and boundaries can impact the professionals’ well-being, resulting in negative job consequences. In this training, participants will reflect on their experiences with ethical dilemmas and explore strategies to deliver effective and professional care to SUD clients.