Substance use stigma is a well-known stressor and a critical social determinant of health. Manifesting as the presence of harmful assumptions, practices, and/ or policies, as well as the lack of protective ones, its impact is felt not only on people who use substances but also by their children. The degree to which this stigma adversely impacts the well-being of families, however, greatly depends on the intersecting identities and needs of individuals as well as the presence of resources and supports.
Utilizing anti-oppressive and trauma-informed approaches, this training will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to better identify and address the intergenerational impact of substance use related stigma and meet the needs of whole families without harm. Through the sharing of data and stories, and ongoing self-reflection, this 2 hour training will increase the capacity of participants to:
Identify how stigma can manifest in society, systems, and individual
connect the historical context of substance use-related discrimination to present-day inequities
assess biases, power, and privilege related to the intersecting identities and needs of clients who use substances
provide safety to families by disrupting systemic harm through trauma-informed approaches
Empower families impacted by intergenerational stigma to move forward with hope
In this half-day workshop, Starling's founder, Agnes Chen, marries her personal experiences with the stigma of a parent's substance use, with the voices of peers and current literature to explore how we can remove and dismantle the stigma that harms individuals and the whole communities.
The training is facilitated through a:
-relational view of health and healing
-trauma-responsive and healing centred lens
-self-reflection and awareness
Who is it for:
service providers (health professionals, educators, and other front-line staff) who interact with youth and parents who have unaddressed trauma and SUD.
Thank you so much for your interest in booking a workshop/ speaker with Starlings Community. These workshops are facilitated by Agnes Chen, a registered nurse and founder of Starlings Community. She has also been referred to as a "lived expert", using her experiences with the stigma of a parent's substance use to marry the real life experiences with the statistics and the science. The workshops all incorporate a trauma-informed and healing centred lens, highlighting the intersecting ways substance use stigma impacts families in our communities.
As we are a 100% volunteer based organization with lived experts, both youth and adult peers, leading the work, all proceeds from the training and speaking engagements goes directly to our supports, peer empowerment, resources, and advocacy.
Please fill out the form below and we will get back to you within 2 business days.
