Tackling stigma towards people who use alcohol and other drugs

This course is designed for professionals who work with, or may encounter, people who use alcohol and other drugs – whether in health, social care, education, criminal justice, or community settings. It focuses on how stigma shows up in our work, how it affects the people we support, and what we can do to challenge it.

The way we engage with others can either reinforce stigma or help reduce it. This course gives you some practical tools to reflect on your role and where necessary make small meaningful changes in everyday practice.

By taking part in this course, professionals will:

• Strengthen their ability to build trust and rapport with people who may be experiencing problems with alcohol and other drug use

• Enhance their confidence in addressing stigma-related challenges in real-world settings

• Contribute to a wider cultural shift toward dignity, respect, and equity in care

• Gain insights that support professional development and align with values of inclusion and respect

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Define stigma and understand its different forms

• Recognise how stigma affects people who use alcohol and other drugs

• Reflect on how stigma shows up in professional settings

• Identify actions you can take to reduce stigma in your workplace

This course is part of the National Challenging Stigma Indicators Pilot, which is being delivered across different local areas to help develop strategies to reduce stigma.

As part of this, Liverpool John Moores University are undertaking research to see whether the course has made a difference. To support this, we ask you to complete a survey before, and then straight after the course, plus a follow-up in around three months. The first survey asks for a few details, but the next two are much shorter.