Substance Use and Addiction Education
British Columbia is in the middle of two public health emergencies, with the worsening overdose crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they have created unprecedented risks for people who use unregulated substances, resulting in a rise in toxic drug poisonings since March 2020. Overdose fatalities are occurring in communities across the province, fueled by a combination of a toxic and unpredictable drug supply and untreated addiction.
Health professionals in BC have a critical role in reducing the risk of overdose by supporting people who use substances and people with substance use disorders—to connect them with the treatment and care they need to ensure their health and improve their wellbeing.
In response to this pressing challenge, UBC Health formed a partnership with the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) to improve substance use and addiction education for health professional students at UBC. This will help ensure graduates enter practice with foundational training in substance use and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery to accompany the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to support people who use substances.
Upcoming Events
Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care
Thursday, March 24, 2022
12:00-1:00 pm
Participants who attend this webinar will gain an understanding of what trauma- and violence-informed practice is, the prevalence of trauma and how it manifests in the body, the connection between trauma and substance use, and how to integrate this knowledge into their practice.
This webinar will be presented by Christina Chant, Director, Education and Clinical Activities, BC Centre on Substance Use; Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC. Christina is a registered nurse with expertise in primary care, public health, and mental health and substance use. Underlying her work is a passion and deep commitment to creating a more just and equitable healthcare system. For the past 15 years, she has focused her career on serving communities that experience significant social and economic marginalization. She also comes to the work as a caregiver of family with substance use disorders and has much experience navigating the healthcare system. Christina is an engaging speaker who has facilitated and taught numerous courses and panels on mental health and substance use, primary care, harm reduction, trauma-informed practice, health equity, and leadership. She has also been a guest on the Addiction Practice Pod podcast on the topic of trauma- and violence- informed practice and psychosocial approaches to substance use treatment.
Initiatives, Education/Training, and Resources
UBC Health and BCCSU have created a special interest group (SIG) to support the development of a community of practice for those interested in substance use and addiction education at UBC. Subscribe to the email list and receive updates, education and training opportunities, event notifications, and resources as they become available.
If you have a relevant resource or event to share with the special interest group, please email Liz Yue, Substance Use and Addiction Partnership Manager, UBC Health and BCCSU at liz.yue@ubc.ca.
Hosted by UBC Health and BCCSU, the Substance Use and Addiction Lunch & Learn Series provides foundational knowledge about substance use and addiction. This free webinar series is geared towards health program instructors and preceptors from any discipline who supervise students. However, anyone can benefit from this learning, and all are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care
Thursday, March 24, 2022
12:00-1:00 pm
Participants who attend this webinar will gain an understanding of what trauma- and violence-informed practice is, the prevalence of trauma and how it manifests in the body, the connection between trauma and substance use, and how to integrate this knowledge into their practice.
This webinar will be presented by Christina Chant, Director, Education and Clinical Activities, BC Centre on Substance Use; Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC. Christina is a registered nurse with expertise in primary care, public health, and mental health and substance use. Underlying her work is a passion and deep commitment to creating a more just and equitable healthcare system. For the past 15 years, she has focused her career on serving communities that experience significant social and economic marginalization. She also comes to the work as a caregiver of family with substance use disorders and has much experience navigating the healthcare system. Christina is an engaging speaker who has facilitated and taught numerous courses and panels on mental health and substance use, primary care, harm reduction, trauma-informed practice, health equity, and leadership. She has also been a guest on the Addiction Practice Pod podcast on the topic of trauma- and violence- informed practice and psychosocial approaches to substance use treatment.
Webinar Recordings
In June 2021, UBC Health and BCCU hosted a collaborative health symposium to provide key partners with an opportunity to discuss substance use and addiction curriculum and identify resources and opportunities to enhance existing educational content, both uni-disciplinarily and collaboratively.
- Presentation (video)
UBC Health is enhancing substance use and addiction education by including voices of people with lived and living experience with substance use. A student workshop on substance use and stigma was developed as part of Patient and Community Partnership for Education’s Patient and Community Voices series, which provides students with an opportunity to learn directly from patients and community members who share their perspectives and expertise.