Grief work through a harm reduction lens: Supporting clients who use substances

Description: Traditional grief models often rely on abstinence-based frameworks that may not adequately support individuals who use substances to manage emotional distress. This approach can overlook the realities of clients who are actively using substances during periods of acute grief, or who experience bereavement while living with a Substance Use Disorder.

This workshop introduces a harm reduction-informed approach to grief care, grounded in evidence-based, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive practices. It is designed for both clinical and non-clinical providers who support individuals affected by loss and substance use, including those impacted by the ongoing overdose and drug poisoning crisis.

"When bereavement and addiction collide, care providers often struggle to find approaches alternatives to abstinence-only models. If you are a care provider grappling with the complexity of supporting such clients, this workshop will provide practical skills and a paradigmatic framework for non-stigmatizing understandings of concurrent grief and substance use." - Juno Zavitz

Learning objectives: 

• Gain a deeper understanding of the intersection between grief and substance use
• Acquire practical strategies for individual and group support
• Understand and implement tools for integrating harm reduction principles into grief work
• Professional insight from over a decade of frontline grief support with substance-using clients and more than five years of experience training providers in this approach 

By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with compassionate, flexible, and contextually informed strategies to meet the unique needs of bereaved clients who use substances.

Audio/visual recording disclaimer: Please note that this training will be recorded. We kindly ask that you please review the audio/visual consent form.