Events

Presenter: Pierluigi Mancini, PhD

Sponsors: National Council for Mental Wellbeing–NCMW

Continuing education information: NOTE: The National Council for Mental Wellbeing will not be providing Continuing Medical Education credit for this event. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Target Audience: Interprofessional teams, family/patients, nurses, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, students/educators

About the webinar: The current opioid crisis is one of the most widespread drug epidemics in U.S. history for all racial and ethnic groups, especially in Hispanic/Latino populations. In 2020, rates of drug overdose among Hispanic or Latino individuals grew by 40%, the largest annual increase since 1999. Additionally, in 2021, adolescent opioid overdose deaths increased by over 100%, with Latino adolescents experiencing the second highest increase across all races and ethnicities. Further, research has found that Latino individuals with opioid use disorder often experience healthcare disparities, which are exacerbated by social and cultural factors, including the stigma linked to mental illness and treatment in Hispanic culture. This webinar will address the unique sociocultural factors that influence opioid use and access to prevention, treatment and recovery among Hispanic/Latino populations, and will discuss strategies to enhance engagement in care.

Educational objectives:

• Explore the current state of drug overdose and opioid use disorder among Hispanic/Latino populations.
• Identify health disparities in access to quality substance use treatment and recovery services for Hispanics/Latinos.
• Discuss the contextual issues and treatment barriers that impact rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid overdose in Hispanic/Latino populations.
• Explore public health approaches and recovery supports to increase access and engagement in treatment for Hispanics/Latinos.