The William James College Forum, "Moving Beyond Stigma," took place on May 23, 2017 at the Back Bay Events Center, Boston. The all-day event drew over 450 attendees: policymakers, business men/women, clinicians, and families.

1. Moving Beyond
Stigma
A public forum focusing on the
personal, social and institutional stigma
of substance use disorder and mental
illness.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Back Bay Events Center, Boston
#MovingBeyondStigma
@WilliamJamesEdu

2. Background
• “Thinking Outside the Box” Forum: April, 2016
• Novel interventions for opioid use disorder
• 3 Massachusetts work groups
• Pharmacy brochure for opioid medication
• Roundtable discussion, medication treatment for opioid use disorder
• Workforce development
• Core message from all 3 groups: Stigma is major barrier to care

3. Goals of Moving Beyond Stigma Forum
• Create a public-private partnership that will shepherd an anti-
stigma movement
• Shift the conversation about mental illness and substance use
disorders
• Mobilize communities of support for those with substance use
disorders and mental illness who are affected by stigma

4. Forum Development
•26 organizations involved
•Forum website
http://info.williamjames.edu/mbs

5. 450 Attendees
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Mental Health Counselors
• Nurses
• Attorneys
• Substance Use Disorder Program Managers
• Recovery Coaches
• Addiction Counselors
• Policymakers
• Businessmen/women

6. Key Points
• Educate the public to shift the dialogue & attitudes to reduce
stigma around substance use disorder & mental illness
• Attract additional resources to expand the number of programs &
personnel/providers/direct service workers serving those with
substance use disorders & mental illness.
• Mobilize businesses to create supportive environments for their
internal employees & support efforts in the broader community
serving those with substance use disorders & mental illness
• Address policy, discrimination, federal funding

7. Calls to Action
• Know the facts instead of believing myths & stereotypes
• Choose your words carefully
• We must fight attitudes with knowledge and hope
• To offer hope, we must coordinate efforts to seek common ground,
set common goals and collectively act
• We must hear what people with mental and substance use
conditions have to say about the trauma they have experienced
• Peers make hope visible

8. Next Steps
• Additional take-aways?
• Integration of our efforts with other programs
• State (Governor’s Task Force, State Without StigMA)
• Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine
• RIZE Massachusetts
• Create workgroups to address key points?
• Thoughts?