Strategies for Overcoming Stigma: Addressing Substance Use Disorder in the United Kingdom

This webinar will feature three presentations from organisations working to challenge the stigma experienced by individuals who have or have had a substance use disorder in the UK, followed by a chaired Q&A session to look at successful evidenced based strategies to tackle the issue, taking prepared questions as well as questions from the audience.

Key discussion points include:

How are drug treatment services in the UK challenging stigma among their own staff and other health professionals?
How do we convince the wider public to view this as a health issue rather than a criminal problem? How do we engage those with lived experience to challenge the daily stigma they live with in a way that feels safe and non-judgemental?
What are the blocks and barriers to challenging stigma and is there any evidence to suggest potential strategies going forward?

Intended Audience:

Substance use professionals, members of ISSUP, Lived Experience Recovery Organisations and individuals associated with the addiction and recovery field.
It is also relevant for policymakers and administrators of substance misuse services who are seeking strategies to engage disenfranchised communities.

Learning Outcomes:

Following the webinar, participants will:

Understand the impact of stigma on individuals with a substance use disorder in accessing treatment and wider health services
Recognise the need to challenge bad practices within both treatment services and the wider health sector
Explore strategies to challenge stigma for individuals with a substance use disorder within wider society

Presenters:

Karen Biggs,
CEO of Phoenix Futures, and chair of the Anti-Stigma Network.

Chris Barnes,
National Service User Involvement Lead for Change, Grow Live (Lived Experience Representative).

April Warham,
Founder and Director of Working with Everyone. (Living Experience Representative).

Moderator:

Tim Sampey,
Chief Executive, Build on Belief.

Webinars and online events delivered and hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) are provided for informational purposes only. They are educational in nature and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.