This two (2) hour course is designed to meet the requirements of continued education units toward recertification of workers in care facility settings. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the scope of the problem of Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse. The course will cover misuse, recovery, and harm reduction, identify commonly abused prescription drugs, methods of attaining and using the substances, and discuss high profile cases. The course will facilitate discussion on special populations (including youth, developmentally disabled, and communities of color) and encourage participant contributions of experience with the topics. Upon conclusion the participants will have a better working understanding of the topics, accessing resources, and their application and/or integration into their professional work. Course Objective:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
1. Overview prevalence, demographics and vulnerable populations
2. Define terminology and criteria associated with misuse, recovery, and harm reduction
3. Identify commonly abused prescription drugs and their methods of use
4. Examine typical outcomes of prescription medication misuse
5. Discuss high profile and celebrity cases of prescription drug use
6. Explore efforts to made to increase public awareness, reduce stigma, and diminish health disparities