Thinking Outside the Box for Family and Community: Two Assessments of Resources and Needs for Substance Use and Crisis Care Webinar Materials

A team of experts from the University of Rochester (UR) Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence and SafeSide Prevention will present recent findings from two significant projects in pivotal areas of mental health and substance use intervention in the webinar "Thinking Outside the Box for Family and Community: Two Assessments of Resources and Needs for Substance Use and Crisis Care."

The webinar's first segment focuses on "A Scoping Review of Programs to Support Families and to Protect the Lives of Persons with Problematic Substance Use." The team of experts will discuss the scarcity of information about the availability and quality of programs for families of individuals with problematic substance use (IPSUs), particularly those programs aimed at preventing overdose or suicide. We will share our findings on the types of programs available and their goals, involvement of IPSUs in them, and extent to which these programs address concerns of heightened risk for injury or death due to overdose or suicide.

The second segment presents the study on community-led Safe Spaces (CLSS) project, funded by the UR School of Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence and the Health Resources and Services Administration. It assesses the needs and feasibility of small-scale Safe Spaces staffed by peer workers and situated outside health care systems in existing spaces within a community. We will discuss the objectives of the study; initial findings from listening sessions with potential guests, family members, and health care professionals (HCPs); potential benefits of Safe Spaces; and challenges we anticipate in implementing this innovative approach.

This webinar is an invaluable opportunity for health care professionals, policymakers, researchers, and anyone else interested in mental health and substance use interventions to learn about the latest research and innovative approaches in the field.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the Current Landscape: gain an understanding of the current landscape of programs available for families of individuals with problematic substance use (IPSUs), particularly those aimed at preventing overdose or suicide
• Identify Gaps in Existing Programs: be able to identify gaps in existing programs for families of IPSUs, including the extent to which these programs address concerns of heightened risk for injury or death due to overdose or suicide
• Recognize the Role and Potential of community- led safe spaces (CLSS): learn about the concept of community-led Safe Spaces, their potential benefits, and challenges anticipated in implementing this innovative approach
• Gain Insights From Listening Sessions: understand the initial findings from listening sessions with potential guests, family members, and health care professionals in the context of CLSS and consider potential opportunities for CLSS in their own communities

Presenter(s):

• Kenneth Conner, PsyD, MPH
• Valeria Cuellar, MD
• Sarah Donovan, PsyD
• Morica Hutchinson, PhD.
• Jennifer D Lockman, PhD.
• Kristina J. Mossgraber
• Anthony R. Pisani, PhD., ABPP
• Heather Zelle, PhD.