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Hope & Healing in the Opioid Use Crisis For Peer Support Professionals


This course will run from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on September 27, 28, and 29. This course will be held online to allow for Covid-19 precautions. Scholarships for this training are funded by Mercy Care.

Opioid use is at an epidemic level, and who better to answer the call of hope and support than peer and family support professionals. Opioid use has a deep and unique place in history, where it has been both romanticized and demonized. Today, we know that meaningful lives are devastated and even lost daily. This course provides an in-depth knowledge of how to support people who are living with opioid use dependency or disorder.

AT THE END OF THIS 16-HOUR COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

  • Understand the why’s and how’s of the opioid epidemic 

  • Differentiate the ways the brain responds to opioid use compared to other substances 

  • Use high-end cultural competencies to build rapport with people who have opioid dependence 

  • Utilize the principles of trauma-informed care to support people who feel trapped by their opioid use 

  • Explain the principles of harm-reduction and appreciate the role that medication can play in a comprehensive approach to treatment

  • Identify signs of a potential opioid overdose and how to administer naloxone  

COURSE ELIGIBILITY:

To qualify for this PFCA course, you must meet the following conditions:

  1. Be Currently Employed in one of the following qualifying roles:

    • Peer/recovery support specialist (PRSS)

    • Supervisor for peer support employees

  2. Have a minimum of 2,000 direct service hours as either an employee or volunteer in peer support

  3. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of peer support principles

  4. Show evidence that you have obtained a peer/recovery support specialist (PRSS) certificate/credential