Training

Webinar: Stigma: The Unseen Barrier to Recovery

Stigma related to issues of drug use negatively impacts the health of our communities. Stigma affects all aspects of addiction by reducing the impact of prevention messaging, delaying uptake of evidence based treatment, eroding trust in health care, and hampering life-saving harm reduction efforts. In this training we will explore the negative impacts of drug-use related stigma, the unique ways stigma shows up for people seeking recovery, and ways we can increase our own awareness. By increasing our stigma awareness, we can help keep compassion at the forefront as we work to make our communities safer, and more inclusive, while reducing the burden of addiction and drug-related harm.

Brent Van Ham, MS, RN, CDC, CADC, holds a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University in Rehabilitation Counseling and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, specializing in Substance Use Disorder prevention, treatment and recovery. He is also a Registered Nurse with many years of experience in multiple clinical settings, including physical-medical rehabilitation and medical-surgical care. Brent is especially interested in novel approaches to address health and resource disparities affecting rural and minority populations, with focus on behavioral health and substance use issues

Webinar: Fragmentation in the Systems of Care of Rural Communities Opioid Response

This training will provide participants with an understanding of the integrated network of services and supports necessary for treating individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. This training will cover the key components of a system of care, such as how a system of care is designed to work, the benefits of being active collaborators within a system of care, and the ways in which system of care principles can promote health equity. Participants will learn about the system of care challenges present in rural service settings, as well as provide strategies to overcome these barriers. Overall, this training aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively navigate and contribute to a system of care for individuals with substance use and behavioral health needs. 

Dr. Dhru Mukherjee, Ph.D., LCSW-S and Associate Professor at the University of North Texas, holds over 15 years over teaching experience as well as numerous publications and is regarded for his expertise in creating trauma-informed mental health workforces. He has developed and evaluated multiple federally funded initiatives aimed at developing clinical skills for rural mental health professionals as well as served on the CSWE’s National Task Force where he developed a guide for trauma-informed social work practice. Dr. Dhru currently serves as program evaluator for a HRSA-funded initiative focusing on rural opioid use; and in practice, he serves individuals with challenges related to addiction and substance use issues and psychological trauma using evidence-based approaches.