Harm Reduction: Challenging Myths in Healing Addiction

Date: Friday, Oct. 6, 2023
Time: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (with two 10-minute breaks)
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Presented by: Marian Frick Rigsbee, LCSW, MAC
Fee: $99
CEH/CEUs: 4.5 CEHs/0.4 CEUs

No matter one’s role as a helping professional, we will encounter substance use disorders and have an ethical obligation to reduce harm associated with them. Problematic substance use has been a part of the human experience since the earliest historical records. Many great achievements have been made in improving human health, yet substance use disorders are still the leading preventable cause of death in the Western world. North America is now amid the “fourth-wave” of the opiate crisis, and there seems no end in sight. How can this be? Although nearly all helping professionals agree that prevention of harm is an important goal in addictions, disagreements on how to approach it abound.

In this seminar we will review historical approaches to addictions and explore in depth the most powerful yet misunderstood approach: harm reduction. Harm reduction is an evidence-based set of practical strategies with the goal of reducing harm associated with substance use. It is also a set of principles built on the belief in and support for people who use drugs. Using illustrative case studies throughout this four-hour seminar, we will challenge myths about harm reduction and healing addiction, discuss effective harm reduction approaches and how you can begin to employ harm reduction strategies in your own community, both professionally and personally.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Define substance use disorders and the myriad of harmful effects on individuals and communities
• Define harm reduction and be able to name at least two ways it improves health outcomes
• Define the principles central to harm reduction practice and social justice underpinnings
• Identify at least one way to engage in harm reduction efforts in your community

Trainer Biography:
Marian Frick Rigsbee, LCSW, MAC is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Master Addictions Counselor in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has nearly 20 years of experience in community mental health settings with children and adults, school social work, homelessness prevention/intervention, community violence prevention, psychiatric consultation/liaison work, traumatic stress, and more. Frick Rigsbee provides education and consultation, in addition to providing therapy to adults through Orion Counseling & Consulting LLC. She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and the Association for Contextual and Behavioral Sciences. Frick Rigsbee is also a Star Behavioral Health Provider, a national registry of clinicians providing high-quality therapy to U.S. service members.

Registration Deadlines: The registration deadline for each of the workshops is 10 business days before the program starts. After this date, please call the UW Oshkosh Division of Online and Continuing Education at (920) 424-1129 to determine program availability.

Questions and More Information: Questions concerning registration and program content should be directed to the Division of Online and Continuing Education, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, 800 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh, WI 54901-8623. Please call (920) 424-1129.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations received 10 business days before the program will receive a full refund, minus a $35 processing charge. No refunds will be given for cancellations received less than 10 business days before the program. UW Oshkosh reserves the right to cancel any program due to insufficient enrollment, as well as the right to limit enrollment due to excessive demand. UW Oshkosh is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. If you need special assistance and/or accommodations, please notify us by the registration deadline. All requests will be kept confidential.

Click here for a listing of Social Work and Counseling programs offered by University of Wisconsin Green Bay Continuing Professional Education.