The Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) will host the 2022 Virtual Opioid Education Symposium on Monday, April 18, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This year’s theme is the stigma surrounding substance abuse.
“We’ll be focusing on stigma as it relates to substance use disorders: societal attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that can manifest in prejudice, bias and/or discriminatory practices against people with substance use disorder,” said Dr. Sherry Jimenez, associate dean of Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Simulation. “While public awareness has grown over the last 50 years, this type of stigma is still a widespread problem that prevents patients with substance use disorder from seeking care.”
Symposium participants will learn about influences contributing to stigma of people struggling with substance use disorder, the unique needs of different populations when addressing opioid addiction, the role of osteopathic manipulative treatment as an adjunctive measure in the care of patients struggling with substance use disorder, and the role of neurobiology in development, treatment, and recovery.
“The goal of this year’s symposium is to teach the next generation of health care professionals methods for recognizing stigmatizing thoughts and behaviors that endorse negative social norms and serve to reinforce self-stigma in patients diagnosed with substance use disorder,” Jimenez said.
Attendance will include, but not be limited to, students from osteopathic medical education, physician assistant, family nurse practitioner, pharmacy, and social work programs. All interested course directors, community leaders, community partners, and other trained medical professionals are also invited to attend this free event.
Please register using this link: OES2022 Stakeholder and Special Guest Registration . Those who register will receive a link to view the symposium along with a program. For questions about the event contact Jeremy Buchanan at jeremy.buchanan@LMUnet.edu.
The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is located on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee and in Knoxville, Tennessee. LMU-DCOM is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to provide health care in the often-underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DCOM, call 1.800.325.0900, ext. 7082, email dcom@LMUnet.edu, or visit us online at http://med.LMUnet.edu.
