Webinar: Navigating Difficult Conversations: Making the Case for Equity in Substance Misuse Prevention

Meeting Dates: 
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Meeting Time and Location: 

9:00am-12:00pm

Note: 

Good substance misuse prevention includes careful consideration of health equity, systems of privilege and oppression, and the diverse needs of equally diverse communities. Explaining and justifying these best prevention practices can sometimes be a challenge when these concepts have been distorted, misunderstood, or politicized. This workshop will lead prevention providers to gain confidence in engaging with individuals, groups, and communities who may be resistant to having discussions that center around these important elements of prevention work. Workshop elements will include examining best ways to convey these messages using realistic case studies and examples from participants.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Compare and contrast moral viewpoints of prevention professionals and allies with the morals and held beliefs of resistant individuals and communities.
  • Reframe communications that promote equity-focused prevention in ways that meet the needs of focus audiences.
  • Identify when a pivot in strategy is necessary and immediate next steps.

CERTIFICATES:

Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training. IC&RC PREVENTION DOMAIN: 3

PRESENTER:

Sarah Surna, MSSA, MPH

Sarah Surna, MSSA, MPH is a Prevention Specialist with Mid-State Health Network (MSHN), one of the 10 Pre-paid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs) in the state of Michigan, where she oversees funded substance use prevention efforts in nine Michigan counties. In addition, she leads the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) workgroup at MSHN. Her educational background is in social work and public health from Case Western Reserve University, where she gained experience working with individuals incarcerated in Cuyahoga County Jail, low-income families at University Hospitals, and veterans at the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center.