Progressing Forward in Relapse Prevention: Dealing with Stigma

Sponsor: NH Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselors Association

PRESENTATION:Substance use disorder (SUD) is most often defined as a chronic disease involving a common repeating cycle of abstinence and relapse. ‘Relapse’ refers to a return to a previous level of substance use after a period of considerable reduction or abstinence from substance use. It is common practice to communicate with patients that even when a person with SUD is in remission and no longer using substances, a relapse is always a possibility. Just as it is with every patient struggling with a chronic medical condition, the goal during an exacerbation is to restore the patient to stability and keep them motivated and connected to treatment. However, when helping professionals who are both providing care and in recovery themselves experience relapse, reactions vary. These reactions are often driven by negative stigma and impact treatment decisions for both professionals and patients in recovery.  As a result of the training:

• Participants will be able to develop a progressive paradigm in relapse prevention for a chronic medical condition. 
• Participants will be able to summarize four reactive responses, commonly found in MAT settings, that contribute to the negative stigma of relapse in recovery.  
• Participants will be able to utilize a guided discussion tool to address the stigma of treating a condition that’s both chronic and relapsing. 

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Samson Teklemariam, LPC, CPTM, is the Vice President of Clinical Services for Behavioral Health Group (BHG). He is an accomplished leader with a history of driving organizational results with learning and development solutions. Known for implementing initiatives that support organizational priorities and produce measurable outcomes, he has been a leader in the field of addiction treatment for over 12 years. He was formerly the Director of Training and Professional Development for NAADAC. He is a Certified Lead Trainer for the Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Substance Abuse (CBISA) curriculum, Calm Every Storm: Crisis Prevention & Intervention curriculum, and experienced in treating trauma-related disorders using trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TFCBT) and Seeking Safety. Samson previously worked for Phoenix House Foundation as the National Director of Learning and Development.   

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