About This Training
Providing ethical care for LGBTQ+ individuals in substance use treatment requires a nuanced understanding of how identity, community, and systemic stress intersect. This training examines the ethical and cultural foundations of recovery-oriented care for youth and adults, with a specific focus on opioid healing.
We move beyond basic competence to explore Minority Stress Theory, focusing on the way chronic stress rooted in discrimination contributes to higher rates of substance misuse. Participants will tackle real-world ethical dilemmas, such as maintaining confidentiality in small communities and navigating chosen family involvement in HIPAA-compliant ways.
This course highlights culturally competent and ethically grounded approaches to assessment, engagement, and recovery support. Attendees will leave with practical tools for creating affirming care environments and improving service delivery across diverse treatment settings.
What You Will Learn
Identify at least three ethical dilemmas common in LGBTQ+ substance abuse treatment, including small-community confidentiality and chosen family dynamics.
Describe how chronic stress rooted in discrimination contributes to higher rates of opioid and substance misuse within the LGBTQ+ population.
Implement affirming interventions by adapting standard treatment protocols to be culturally responsive to gender-diverse and non-heteronormative clients.
Evaluate provider bias using self-reflection tools to identify implicit biases that may impact the therapeutic alliance and clinical decision-making.
Who Should Attend? This training is designed for Social Workers, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists working in addiction recovery or community health settings who want to ensure their practice is ethically grounded and inclusive.
Our Event Host
We want to extend a special thank you to our partners at Summit County Public Health for generously hosting this training in their facility and helping us provide a physical space for local workforce collaboration.
This program is made possible through the generous support of the Akron Community Foundation and the Summit County Opioid Healing Fund. Their commitment to the professional development of our local abatement workforce ensures these resources remain accessible to those serving on the front lines of community healing.
This program (#20-1374667) is co-sponsored by Relationship Toolshop International Training Institute, LLC, who provides 1.5 Ethics CEU's for social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists as an Approved Provider for the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & Marriage & Family Therapist Board #RSX012201.