Together, the organizations will develop and
design an intervention that reduces addiction stigma
INDIANAPOLIS, May 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- A substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex and
often stigmatized health condition that affects countless
individuals, families and communities. Stigma toward 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, 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 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 have developed an
educational curriculum, A Provider's Pathway to Supporting
Patients with Substance Use Disorder, to help reduce 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, specifically the
Hispanic/Latino community. In Indiana alone, the Hispanic/Latino population
experienced the largest increase (by 131%) in overdose fatalities
compared to all other subpopulations in the past 5 years.
Marion County, specifically,
landed in the top quartile of overdose fatality rates in the state
between 2018 and 2020, at 43.5 per 100,000 people. Additionally,
Marion County is in the top
quartile in the state for the adult (18-64) Hispanic/Latino
population at 5.9%, and scores high on the CDC Social Vulnerability
Index. These factors make Marion
County a viable candidate for curriculum
dissemination.
The curriculum will be shared with doctors, advanced practice
registered nurses and physician assistants, so they can better
understand how best to address people's unique treatment needs.
Practitioners will access the curriculum through an online
platform, and recruitment will be conducted through a multi-pronged
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."
"We recognize the long-standing racial and health inequities in
our healthcare system and our society as a whole," said Dr.
Kimberly Roop, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Medicaid
President in Indiana. "With
support through our Foundation, we will work with Shatterproof to
address the social drivers and factors contributing to these
disparities to create sustainable change in how healthcare
practitioners treat substance use disorders and ensure
Hispanic/Latino communities have continued recovery support."
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