One of the biggest barriers that we face in rural Oklahoma regarding Substance Misuse Prevention is Stigma. You might be asking yourself what stigma is. According to the CDC, “People experience feelings of stigma when another person mistreats them or thinks badly about them because of a behavior, characteristic, or trait”. Stigma can prevent a person from getting help. It is crucial that our communities know about stigma and are willing to help reduce stigma. According to the Prevention Technology Transfer Center, “The best approach to stop or prevent stigma is through cross-cutting practices such as:
• Increase awareness and knowledge about SUD and mental health
• Education about stigmatizing language and its impact on population health
• Enhance support and resources to entities who are working with SUD and mental health populations • Engage various community partners and stakeholders in conversations about SUD and mental health
• Provide opportunities to interact with people with substance use or mental health disorders (contact-based education programs) • “Promote peer programs in which people who have disclosed their conditions offer their experience and expertise to individuals and families, programs that range from informal peer-led programs to peer specialized services in health services systems.' (National Academies Press, 2016)”.
We hope that you will join SWODA in our effort to reduce the stigma of substance use and mental health in rural Oklahoma. If you are interested in getting involved in local prevention efforts, please visit www.swoda.org and click on the “Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery” tab. These prevention efforts are happening in 13 counties in Western Oklahoma. Please join in our efforts to help make your community a safe place to live, work, and thrive. These local prevention programs are funded by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SWODA, and local coalitions.
