Finding Solutions to the Opioid Crisis: "Stigma & Substance Use Disorder: The Silent Killer"

People with Substance Use Disorder face tremendous interpersonal, public, self, and structural stigma due to misconceptions, stereotypes and harmful policies and practices around addiction. Stigma perpetuates social isolation and shame, hinders access to life-saving treatments and supportive services, and drives preventable harms from substance use.

The Yale Program in Addiction Medicine welcomes Gary Mendell (Founder and CEO of Shatterproof) to discuss the adverse effects of addiction stigma as well as evidence-based strategies to end addiction stigma and improve the wellbeing of more than 22 million Americans struggling with addiction in the U.S.

After losing his son Brian to addiction in 2011, Gary founded Shatterproof to spare other families the tragedy his had suffered. Since founding Shatterproof in 2012, Mr. Mendell has been a national leader in the addiction space creating solutions that will create more access to treatment for Opioid and Substance Use Disorders including the creation of the Shatterproof National Principles of Care to guide providers, payers, and patients to quality treatment. He advocates for state and federal policy changes, and most recently launched a national strategy and call to action to address stigma related to Opioid and Substance Use Disorders.

This event is part of the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine's Finding Solutions for the Opioid Crisis speaker series made possible by generous support from the Sandgaard Foundation.