John Kelly, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute (RRI) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Associate Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine (CAM) at MGH, Program Director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service (ARMS)

This activity is primarily designed to meet the needs of primary care physicians, specialty care physicians, and allied professional staff.

Language matters when it comes to treating substance use disorders (SUD). Stigma has been proven to have a negative impact on health outcomes, not only leading many individuals with SUD to not seek treatment, but also influencing how health professionals treat their patients. Using non-stigmatizing, person-centered, and recovery-oriented language can help providers facilitate engagement in treatment for individuals with SUD. This webinar will explore the ever-evolving landscape of language around SUD and discuss strategies for healthcare providers and allied health professionals to address stigma within your practice.

At the conclusion of this activity, learners should be able to:

• Discuss the importance of language in treating substance use disorders (SUD).
• Review the history and context of changing language around SUD.
• Examine the evidence demonstrating the impact of stigmatizing language on the provision, quality and allocation of resources for SUD care.
• Identify strategies for addressing stigma in policy and practice settings.