Grief in patients and families impacted by addiction
Drug overdose deaths have risen fivefold over the past 2 decades, and are a leading cause of death in the United States. Families with loved ones experiencing addiction thus experience grief at disproportionately high rates. It is therefore critical that healthcare professionals, including substance use counselors, develop skills to work with families in a grief-sensitive manner.
This webinar is intended for medical and healthcare professionals such as:
- peer recovery coaches
- substance use counselors
- psychiatrists, addiction medicine providers
- medical students, physicians
- medical assistants and EMTs
- nurses and nursing students
- advanced practice providers (APRN, PA)
- rehab therapists (OT, PT)
Outcomes
- Describe the rates of overdose and other deaths related to substance use
- Understand the ways grief is both a cause and sequelae of substance use and addiction
- Recognize grief in patients and families impacted by addiction
- Demonstrate familiarity with concepts of anticipatory grief, as well as primary vs. secondary losses
- Communicate in a grief-sensitive and reflective manner with patients and families impacted by addiction