An upcoming training event will kick off a local movement aimed at breaking the stigma surrounding substance use disorder.

The Anti-Stigma Campaign, which focuses on altering the way the community views and speaks about substance use disorder, will kick off in September. The movement will be led by the Human Services Collaborative Body of Livingston County Substance Use Disorders Workgroup.

SUD Workgroup Chair, Anne King-Hudson, says communicating their message of changing the stigma will begin with an informational event. An addiction messaging training session will be held at the Livingston County EMS Building on Tooley Road in Howell on Tuesday, August 8th, from 8:30am to 5pm.

The “Faces and Voices of Recovery” seminar plans to help its participants develop an understanding of the stigma, identify the consequences of it, and learn how to address it. King-Hudson says the training will be valuable for a variety of people, listing members of law enforcement, school representatives, and anyone in recovery just to name a few.

Some believe substance use disorders only affect a certain demographic, but King-Hudson tells WHMI no community is exempt from addiction. She says the upswing of the opiate and heroin epidemic and the deaths that resulted are present in every area, proving just that. King-Hudson says the ultimate goal is to become a recovery-supportive community by addressing prejudices and shifting the words that are used when discussing disorders.

Seating is limited so anyone interested in attending the training seminar is asked to RSVP by contacting Anne Rennie at arennie@cmhliv.org or by calling 517-548-0081. (DK)