Together, the organizations will develop and design an intervention that reduces addiction stigma

TOLEDO, Ohio, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex and often stigmatized health condition that affects countless individuals, families and communities. Stigma against people with a SUD extends beyond individual and interpersonal levels. The Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index (SASI) found that healthcare professionals hold similar stigmatizing beliefs toward someone with a SUD. Specifically, the SASI revealed that 65% of healthcare professionals falsely believe that a SUD isn't a chronic disease.

Healthcare professional stigma is driven by inadequate education, training and lack of support in working with individuals with SUDs, which manifests as discrimination and substandard care. To address addiction stigma among healthcare professionals, Shatterproof, a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction health crisis, is teaming up with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to bring additional learning to the healthcare community, reduce stigma of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and improve quality of care. The partners will disseminate an educational curriculum centered around substance use and the impact of intersectional stigma.

Through this partnership, the organizations developed an educational curriculum, A Provider's Pathway to Supporting Patients with Substance Use Disorder, to help remove stigma as a barrier to people's ability to receive evidence-based treatment for a SUD. Additionally, healthcare professionals will be equipped to provide culturally responsive care for communities that have been marginalized in the U.S. healthcare system. This version of the training will specifically focus on the Hispanic/Latino community. In Ohio alone, the Hispanic/Latino population experienced the largest increase (by 115%) in overdose fatalities compared to all other subpopulations and increased by two times from 24% in 2016 to more than 51% in 2020. Lucas and Mahoning Counties, specifically, landed in the top quartile of overdose fatality rates in the state between 2018 and 2020, at 50.4 and 48.2 per 100,000 people. Additionally, Lucas County and Mahoning County are in the top quartile in the state for the adult (18-64) Hispanic/Latino population at 4.1% and 3.9% and score high on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index. These factors make Lucas County and Mahoning County viable candidates for curriculum dissemination.

The curriculum will be shared with medical doctors and primary care physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, doctors of osteopathic medicine, and physician assistants, so they can gain a better understanding of how best to address and care for people's unique treatment needs. Practitioners will access the curriculum through an online platform, and recruitment will be conducted through a multi-prong strategy including professional associations and local healthcare systems.

To measure the efficacy of the curriculum, providers will be required to participate in a pre- and post-curriculum evaluation, in exchange for the no cost CME/CE credits earned by completing the course and participating in the study. Clinicians who complete the course are demonstrating their commitment to improving the levels of care provided to patients with SUDs, while having a positive impact on substance use and SUD research.

"Healthcare professional stigma further disadvantages populations who have less access to care and support," said Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof. "In the United States, intersections between race/ethnicity, health inequities and substance use are well-documented. For example, Hispanic/Latino individuals needing SUD treatment (21%) are less likely to receive care compared to non-Hispanic/Latino individuals (25%). In partnership with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, Shatterproof will better the lives of people in recovery, people who use drugs, and people seeking treatment for substance use disorders."

"Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield recognizes the long-standing racial and health inequities in our healthcare system and our society as a whole," said Angela Abeniam, health equity director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio. "With support through our Foundation, we are working with Shatterproof to address the social drivers and factors driving these disparities to create sustainable change in how healthcare practitioners treat substance use disorders and ensure Hispanic/Latino communities have continued recovery."

The funding for the partnership is through the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Elevance Health Foundation. This work is part of a larger commitment of $30 million dedicated by Elevance Health Foundation to support programs that address mental health, with an emphasis on substance use disorder. Each program the Foundation invests in will focus on one of the following goals: prevention and early intervention of risk factors that lead to substance use disorders, improved access and quality of treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality of those with substance use disorders, and community support to promote lifelong recovery.

About Shatterproof
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof is focused on guiding communities, removing systematic barriers to recovery, mobilizing the country to advocate for change, and ending addiction stigma in the U.S. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, X and YouTube: @ShatterproofHQ or follow them on Instagram at @weareshatterproof. To learn more, visit . If you are experiencing anxiety, depression or a substance use disorder, text HELLO to 741741 for help.

About Shatterproof Treatment Atlas
The first resource in the United States to offer many unique features, Treatment Atlas is a confidential, free-to-the-public, nonprofit platform that is publicly available to help people find and compare addiction treatment facilities for SUDs, including alcohol and drugs, so they can make informed decisions for their care. People with a SUD or their loved ones can search the online platform based on criteria, such as location, use of best practices, types of treatment offered, accepted insurers, payment options, specialty populations served, and patient experiences. The platform is currently live in 14 states, including California, and offers a comprehensive list of addiction treatment providers across each respective state, including inpatient, residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient sites of care. People can also answer ten anonymous questions that assess an individual's risk and severity to get initial guidance on which addiction treatment options might be best for them. The online screener to assist in guiding the public to the appropriate type of care is informed and endorsed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Treatment Atlas includes multilingual education, public awareness, and training materials available in several languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, and Creole. Region-specific materials are created to meet unique community needs, and provider profiles on Treatment Atlas list if services are provided in other languages.

SOURCE Shatterproof