Training

Virtual meeting

Via Zoom

Description

This will be a facilitated discussion led by experts at SADOD and Still Learning Still Coping, exploring the complex emotions of grief, guilt, and loss experienced by healthcare providers, co-workers, and loved ones who care for someone that has succumbed to substance-related death. Resources and interventions will be shared, including peer grief support, bereavement groups, and numerous tools to best support ourselves and our patients.

The Overdose Prevention Series is a 4-part series for healthcare professionals to recognize the risk factors for overdose, as well as interventions for preventing and respond to overdose. The interdisciplinary health-care team will identify methods for implementing treatment interventions addressing the grief, loss, and trauma associated with surviving a personal overdose or death of a loved one. Further, participants will analyze the guilt often experienced by overdose survivors and the complex emotions of grief and loss experienced by healthcare providers, co-workers and loved ones who care for someone who has succumbed to overdose death.This series will discuss risk factors for overdose among medically underrepresented communities, such as with older adults and other medically complex patients, who require thoughtful interventions due to a variety of unique socio-economic variables.

Participants who complete the evaluation within 2 weeks of training completion may access their certificate of training completion.

Intended audience

Medical providers, nurses, social workers, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC), Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselors (CADC), Community Health Workers (CHW), recovery coaches, counselors, Licensed Mental health Counselors (LMHC), and members of the community.

Speakers

Peter Babineau

Peter Babineau is the Senior Regional Manager for Learn to Cope in Western Massachusetts. He is a person in long term recovery and the dad of a young man affected by substance use in his life. Peter’s experience includes work as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor, Substance Use Educator, and curriculum supervisor. Peter considers himself a Harm Reduction advocate and activist as well as an ally to people who use drugs, those in recovery, and those of us that love them. He honors all pathways of recovery and works to educate people on the negative effects of stigmatizing and marginalizing language.  After working in the direct service world for over 25 years, Peter retired and joined Learn to Cope as a regional manager in 2017 overseeing the Greenfield, Pittsfield, and Holyoke chapters. Since then, despite temporarily combining those groups into a single regional virtual group due to Covid-19, LTC has added two new groups which include Still Learning, Still Coping and LTC en Español, both of which are under the umbrella of the Western Massachusetts LTC Region and are supported by Peter and his colleague, Magda Colon.

Franklin Cook, MA, CPC

Franklin Cook, MA, CPC is co-director of SADOD (Support After a Death by Overdose), a statewide project in Massachusetts working on Peer Grief Support programs for people bereaved by alcohol-drug-related death. He has experience with peer grief support at all levels (community, state, national) and in all modalities (one-on-one, small group, video, online). After 24 years in the field, he now systemically trains and supports other Peer Grief Helpers. Franklin has been a Massachusetts Department of Public Health consultant since 2012.

Kathy Iellamo

Kathy Iellamo is the Community Resource Center Manager for the new Learn To Cope West Center located in Easthampton MA. Upon visiting the center, you will be greeted with Kathy’s warm and welcoming smile as well as an understanding and compassionate listening ear. Kathy’s desire in helping others navigate the journey of a loved one’s addiction comes from her owned lived experiences with her two sons’ substance use disorder and loss.

Kathy became a member of the Learn To Cope/Holyoke group in 2014. She knew she needed help and a community of peers to rely on after discovering both of her sons were struggling with substance use. Sadly, in 2018 Kathy lost her youngest son, Michael. Kathy still attends Learn To Cope meetings and has found her Learn to Cope “tribe” within the Still Learning, Still Coping group, a group for families who have lost a loved one to substance use disorder and still have a loved one struggling.

Kathy is also a trained Peer Grief Ally with SADOD (Support After Death by Overdose). As an ally Kathy is there to help and emotionally support those in need like that of a good friend. Kathy’s heart and soul knowledge comes from her own grief journey.

Sponsored by

Boston Medical Center Grayken Center for Addiction TTA, Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (DPH/BSAS)

Funding for out of state attendees is provided by the Opioid Response Network (ORN).

Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 1H79TI083343 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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