Supporting Substance Use Health Throughout the System

Achieving a vision of wellbeing everywhere may seem lofty, but there are so many amazing people and organizations that work throughout systems that are making it happen.  The complexities of life often create situations, feelings and responses that are difficult for us to truly understand.  Substance use has traditionally held a lot of stigma within systems and also on individual and personal levels.  Putting people first is an important part of moving toward wellness, and acknowledging and including substance use health in supporting people’s wellbeing through access to diverse options to care includes treating people in a respectful and helpful manner.

Today we are joined by  Gord Garner, the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships of the Community Addictions Peer Support Association (CAPSA). He is a national public speaker and educator on Systems Stigma and trainer on Person First Language. At the time of this Podcast, he is living well with his own substance use disorder. He is dedicated to removing stigma barriers and enabling policy writers, academics, researchers and people with personal experience with Substance Use Health issues to make systems-level changes to improve the health outcomes of people living in Canada who use(d) substances. He advocates that all policies and regulations need to be reviewed through the lens of increased life security and Substance Use Health outcomes by using an All People, All Pathways TM model. All of his work is informed by his 38 years of active addiction and by those who helped him. He believes compassion is a practice and he is practicing.

You can access All People, All Pathways Programming through Wellness Together Canada

For more information on Stepped Care 2.0 please visit us at https://steppedcaresolutions.com