Together, the organizations will develop and
design an intervention that reduces addiction stigma
TOLEDO,
Ohio, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A substance
use disorder (SUD) is a complex and often stigmatized health
condition that affects countless individuals, families and
communities. Stigma against people with a SUD extends beyond
individual and interpersonal levels. The Shatterproof Addiction
Stigma Index (SASI) found that healthcare professionals hold
similar stigmatizing beliefs toward someone with a SUD.
Specifically, the SASI revealed that 65% of healthcare
professionals falsely believe that a SUD isn't a chronic
disease.
Healthcare professional stigma is driven by inadequate
education, training and lack of support in working with individuals
with SUDs, which manifests as discrimination and substandard care.
To address addiction stigma among healthcare professionals,
Shatterproof, a leading national nonprofit organization
dedicated to reversing the addiction health crisis, is teaming up
with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to bring
additional learning to the healthcare community, reduce stigma of
individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and improve quality
of care. The partners will disseminate an educational curriculum
centered around substance use and the impact of intersectional
stigma.
Through this partnership, the organizations developed an
educational curriculum, A Provider's Pathway to Supporting
Patients with Substance Use Disorder, to help remove stigma as
a barrier to people's ability to receive evidence-based treatment
for a SUD. Additionally, healthcare professionals will be equipped
to provide culturally responsive care for communities that have
been marginalized in the U.S. healthcare system. This version of
the training will specifically focus on the Hispanic/Latino
community. In Ohio alone, the
Hispanic/Latino population experienced the largest increase (by
115%) in overdose fatalities compared to all other subpopulations
and increased by two times from 24% in 2016 to more than 51% in
2020. Lucas and Mahoning Counties, specifically, landed in the
top quartile of overdose fatality rates in the state between 2018
and 2020, at 50.4 and 48.2 per 100,000 people. Additionally,
Lucas County and Mahoning County are in the top quartile in the
state for the adult (18-64) Hispanic/Latino population at 4.1% and
3.9% and score high on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index. These
factors make Lucas County and
Mahoning County viable candidates
for curriculum dissemination.
The curriculum will be shared with medical doctors and primary
care physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, doctors of
osteopathic medicine, and physician assistants, so they can gain a
better understanding of how best to address and care for people's
unique treatment needs. Practitioners will access the curriculum
through an online platform, and recruitment will be conducted
through a multi-prong strategy including professional associations
and local healthcare systems.
To measure the efficacy of the curriculum, providers will be
required to participate in a pre- and post-curriculum evaluation,
in exchange for the no cost CME/CE credits earned by completing the
course and participating in the study. Clinicians who complete the
course are demonstrating their commitment to improving the levels
of care provided to patients with SUDs, while having a positive
impact on substance use and SUD research.
"Healthcare professional stigma further disadvantages
populations who have less access to care and support," said
Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of
Shatterproof. "In the United
States, intersections between race/ethnicity, health
inequities and substance use are well-documented. For example,
Hispanic/Latino individuals needing SUD treatment (21%) are less
likely to receive care compared to non-Hispanic/Latino individuals
(25%). In partnership with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Foundation, Shatterproof will better the lives of people in
recovery, people who use drugs, and people seeking treatment for
substance use disorders."
"Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield recognizes the long-standing
racial and health inequities in our healthcare system and our
society as a whole," said Angela Abeniam, health equity director at
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio. "With support through our Foundation, we
are working with Shatterproof to address the social drivers and
factors driving these disparities to create sustainable change in
how healthcare practitioners treat substance use disorders and
ensure Hispanic/Latino communities have continued recovery."
The funding for the partnership is through the Anthem Blue Cross
and Blue Shield Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Elevance
Health Foundation. This work is part of a larger commitment of
$30 million dedicated by Elevance
Health Foundation to support programs that address mental health,
with an emphasis on substance use disorder. Each program the
Foundation invests in will focus on one of the following goals:
prevention and early intervention of risk factors that lead to
substance use disorders, improved access and quality of treatment
to reduce morbidity and mortality of those with substance use
disorders, and community support to promote lifelong recovery.
About Shatterproof
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to
reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof is focused
on guiding communities, removing systematic barriers to recovery,
mobilizing the country to advocate for change, and ending addiction
stigma in the U.S. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, X and
YouTube: @ShatterproofHQ or follow them on Instagram at
@weareshatterproof. To learn more,
visit www.Shatterproof.org. If you are experiencing anxiety,
depression or a substance use disorder, text HELLO to 741741 for
help.
About Shatterproof Treatment Atlas
The first resource
in the United States to offer many
unique features, Treatment Atlas is a confidential,
free-to-the-public, nonprofit platform that is publicly available
to help people find and compare addiction treatment facilities for
SUDs, including alcohol and drugs, so they can make informed
decisions for their care. People with a SUD or their loved ones can
search the online platform based on criteria, such as location, use
of best practices, types of treatment offered, accepted insurers,
payment options, specialty populations served, and patient
experiences. The platform is currently live in 14 states, including
California, and offers a
comprehensive list of addiction treatment providers across each
respective state, including inpatient, residential, intensive
outpatient, and outpatient sites of care. People can also answer
ten anonymous questions that assess an individual's risk and
severity to get initial guidance on which addiction treatment
options might be best for them. The online screener to assist in
guiding the public to the appropriate type of care is informed and
endorsed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Treatment
Atlas includes multilingual education, public awareness, and
training materials available in several languages, including
English, Spanish, Chinese, and Creole. Region-specific materials
are created to meet unique community needs, and provider profiles
on Treatment Atlas list if services are provided in other
languages.
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SOURCE Shatterproof