Title: Do I Need to be an Addictions Expert? Engaging & Supporting People Who Use Drugs (part 2) 

This is a two-part webinar, sponsored by RIZE and the Harm Reduction Coalition. 

To register for the first part  on Thursday, April 28th 6-7:30pm click here

Webinar speakers will also hold office hours on Thursday, June 2 (12-1pm) for questions following this webinar. All registrants will receive a Zoom link to attend the office hours. 

Description: We know that stigma inhibits access to and engagement in services. Through this training we seek to identify concrete tools we can use to talk to someone about their drug use while offering practical and proven-effective strategies for communication with people who use drugs to promote connection to care. Providers don’t have to be experts in addictions research and treatment to work and support people who use drugs. 

Learning objectives: By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: 

• Explore what are the best approaches, particularly what are good questions to ask when looking to engage someone about their substance use.

• Discuss concrete action steps to adopt and practice to promote compassionate and non-judgemental successful initial and ongoing interactions with people who use drugs by addressing stigma. 

• Describe the role of stigma as it relates to access and engagement in health and social services. 

• Identify and replace stigmatizing language/terms for empowering/non-judgemental terms associated with drug use to promote engagement.

Speakers: 

Tanagra M. Melgarejo was born and raised in Puerto Rico and is the proud daughter of Mexican  and Cuban immigrants. She has over 20 years of experience in the fields of organizational and  program development, evaluation, technical assistance, community organizing, and direct service  with underserved/over-surveilled/stigmatized folks, particularly within Latinx communities. She  currently works as the National Learning and Engagement Strategist for the National Harm Reduction Coalition.

Her commitment and passion for harm reduction started out in Holyoke, Massachusetts in the  1990’s while she worked as Popular Education Director for a local HIV prevention program. Before  moving to Oakland, she was working in Puerto Rico with women who are survivors of gender  based violence, focusing her work and activism around economic/human rights of women. She holds an MSW from the University of Puerto Rico and was a lecturer for social work students at  the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras campus and the University of Turabo.  Finally, Tanagra identifies as an intersectional feminist who believes in decolonization as the way towards liberation. 

Joe Pereira, LICSW, CAS is a licensed clinical social worker and addictions specialist who has been practicing for over 30 years.  Joe was a co-founder of Outlook Associates of New England, a practice started to assist persons with anger control problems. He is currently in private practice in Arlington, MA offering individual and group therapy as well as training and consultation with a focus on anger management to adults and adolescents.  Joe has given numerous trainings locally as well as nationally and internationally on the treatment of anger management problems as well as workplace conflict, chemical addictions and stress management.  He was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal on the topic of working with people with anger control issues and has made an appearance on the Boston local news show “Chronicle” discussing”the topic of road rage.  He also was involved with the Massachusetts Medical Society on developing a program for disruptive physicians. Joe has been a lecturer at the Boston University Graduate School of Social Work since 2013.

This free event is approved for 1.5 CEUs