12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Eastern
This topic is especially important as we watch the rise of overdoses in the United States and the stigma associated with it. Loved ones need a safe place to express their grief, and professional counselors should be equipped to assist them. An effort will be made to list local resources for North Carolina, to assist professional counselors with making referrals or obtaining additional information around grief and loss of their practice. There were 110,00 opioid related deaths in 2022, therefore, the need to understand the loss associated with drug related deaths for the professional counselor and for the communities they serve is important. This training will consist of an overview of grief and loss, with a special emphasis on drug related deaths and the stigma associated with it. The stigma associated with drug related deaths is a barrier for family members and their ability to process grief. It is important for professional counselors to understand this, and how to assist not only themselves with client losses, but family members that may come in for grief services.