Impact of Stigma Towards People Who use Substances on Outcomes for System Involved Youth & Families

Megan Lipsett, MA, MS, PhD Candidate

Training Description

Substance use disorder (SUD), the most globally stigmatized health condition, remains disproportionately high for foster and system involved youth. Substance use can be exacerbated by adverse experiences, maltreatment, mental illness, and parental substance use-all of which occur at higher than average rates for foster and system involved youth. Despite growing knowledge of the physiolgical and social determinants of SUD, stigma towards people who use substances remains a barrier to accessing care and a significant public health concern, driving health inequities across the life course. Social, self, and structural stigma experienced by people who use substances represent a barrier to harm reduction, treatment utilization, and quality of care. This workshop will explore these topics - and examine strategies to identify and reduce stigmatization of individuals who use substances including: addressing individual stereotypes, prejudice, and misconceptions; collaborating with people who have lived experience in substance use; using community-based approaches; addressing stigmatizing language; understanding the social and environmental factors that influence substance use; and advocating for stigma-reducing policies.

Learning Objectives

● Explain how social, self, and structural stigma towards foster and system involved youth who use substances impacts harm reduction, treatment utilization, and quality of care.

● Identify at least 2 mechanisms by which social stereotypes manifest behaviorally and, ultimately, hinder care delivery and undermine treatment access.

● Identify 6 key strategies to reduce stigmatization of individuals who use substances

Agenda

12:00-12:15pm Introductions, Welcome, Overview

12:15-1:15pm Overview of substance use disorder and social, self, and structural stigma in foster and system involved youth

· Overview of substance use disorder

· Discussion

· Overview of social, self, and structural stigma in foster and system involved youth

· Discussion

1:15-2:30pm Stigma as a barrier to harm reduction, treatment utilization, and quality of care.

· Impact of stigma on harm reduction practices.

· Impact of stigma on treatment utilization and quality of care.

· Health outcomes related to stigma.

· Stigma driving public policy.

· The problem of de-contextualized narratives.

2:30-2:40pm BREAK (CE Hours will not be offered for this time)

2:40-3:20pm Strategies to identify and reduce stigmatization of individuals who use substances

· Language and communication

· Bias trainings and contextualized approaches

· Community-based strategies

3:20-4:00pm  Activities to identify individual opportunities to support stigma reduction practices

· Strategy review

· Partner brainstorm

· Questions

Meet Our Trainer

Megan Lipsett is a doctoral candidate in Social Health Psychology, conducting research in the Social Affective Neuroscience Lab. Megan also holds an MA in Integrative Health Studies from CIIS and is an assistant Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and the founder of COPIA Health. As a practitioner, Megan has worked with clients who have experienced complex trauma and uses a mindfulness-based approach to supporting resilience. As a research psychologist, she examines how our perceptions impact physiology (such as inflammatory biomarkers and cortisol), social connection, and long-term health behaviors underlying noncommunicable diseases. With an interest in factors that promote resilience to adversity, she focuses on translational work that informs how research on health mindsets can inform behavioral interventions and public policy. She has done program development and facilitation for diverse organizations, including integrative medicine centers, transitional women's homes, social worker training centers, environmental awareness groups, benefit corporations, and health and wellness centers.

This course meets the qualifications for (3.75) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.