Perspectives from Persons in Recovery:  Navigating away from Stigma for Opioid Use Disorder

Release Date: 2/3/23

Expire Date: 7/31/24

This educational activity is jointly provided by the Connecticut Hospital Association and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Target audience:  Physicians, Nurses, Social Workers, Quality Professional, Risk Managers, Healthcare Executives and all healthcare professional working with women and families impacted by trauma and addiction.

Description: Patients with substance use disorders experience stigma at many different touchpoints in the healthcare system.  This is especially true for patients that have children.  This presentation will help medical professionals challenge their beliefs about people who have Substance Use Disorders and how they can either help or harm both the patient experience and ultimately, patient care.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

• Explain how the power differential between a physician/clinician and patient can impact the services received and care provided
• Describe how the attitudes of implicit bias of the medical staff and interprofessional care team can harm or help their working relationship with people in recovery.

Your Faculty:

Rebecca Allen, MPH, Director of Recovery Support Services, CT Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR), grew up in eastern Connecticut and has worked in the behavioral health field for over 20 years. She received her undergraduate degree from Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Connecticut (UConn) in 2015. Rebecca works as the Director of Recovery Support Services for the CT Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR). CCAR provides peer-based recovery support services to people with alcohol and/or other drug addictions. CCAR also strives to remove the stigma that surrounds addiction and recovery through advocacy, education, service and by “putting a face on recovery.” As part of CCAR’s Leadership Team, Rebecca directs the daily operations of all recovery support services and is responsible for staff supervision. She identifies herself as “a person in long-term recovery” and has been drug-free for over 22 years. “I’m fortunate to work for an organization where I can share my personal story of recovery and use myself as an example that people can and do recover.”

Mindy Richardson is a person in long term recovery that has experienced and conquered numerous barriers. Mindy has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Phoenix in Business Management and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Organizational Management. She is a former volunteer for The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and currently works for CCAR as an Emergency Department Recovery Coach (EDRC). Mindy has a passion to serve and enjoys “planting seeds of hope” to inspire others to stay in the recovery process. Mindy was a panelist at the 2018 CT Women & Opioids conference, was interviewed by WTNH Channel 8 for her role as an EDRC and was a speaker at the 2020 New England Summer School for Addiction Studies. Currently living in New Haven County, she has four children and a granddaughter whom she adores.

Kevin Shuler is a Person in Recovery and a Recovery Coach Professional (RCP). Following many years of Addiction, Kevin has been able to maintain and sustain his Recovery for multiple years. A near death overdose left him physically unable to walk for nearly 6 months. During this time, he recalibrated his resolve and commitment to the process of Recovery. Kevin has gone on to earn a degree in Human Services, is the father to a beautiful little girl, and serves the Recovery Community Organization CCAR, as an Emergency Department Recovery Coach (EDRC). The EDRC program responds to 22 Emergency departments across the state of CT; seeking to help individuals to initiate their own personal Recovery by providing support, encouragement, viable resources as well as placements and referrals. In the past year Kevin has spoken at the State Capitol on Overdose Awareness day, a press conference featuring Governor Lamont at CCAR’s Hartford Recovery Community Center, and participated on a panel for “Stories of Hope and Recovery”, hosted by Intercommunity.