New Brief Supports Engagement of Families Dealing With SUD

Recently released by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, Disrupting Stigma: How Understanding, Empathy, and Connection Can Improve Outcomes for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders, explains stigma specifically related to child abuse, neglect, and prenatal substance exposure.  It describes structural stigma, public stigma, and self-stigma, details how stigma develops, reviews the history of substance use stigma in U.S. drug policies, and identifies stigma’s harmful effects.  The brief then discusses rethinking responses and approaches, and provides strategies for fighting stigma and facilitating engagement with parents and family members affected by substance use disorders.