Course Description
The text-based content for this course is based on two publications: (1) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Brief, The Opioid Crisis and the Black/African American Population: An Urgent Issue (April 2020), and (2) the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Blacks Experiencing Fast-Rising Rates of Overdose Deaths Involving Synthetic Opioids Other Than Methadone (February 2020). While the current opioid epidemic is one of the largest drug epidemics recorded in US history, a great deal of attention to this epidemic has focused primarily on White suburban and rural communities. Less attention has focused on Black/African American communities, which are experiencing dramatic increases in opioid misuse and overdose deaths. Since America’s “War on Drugs” began three decades ago, Black/African Americans have been criminalized for drug-related offenses at much higher rates than White Americans, with lasting effects through the present day. To complete the course, participants must read both the SAMHSA Brief and the AHRQ publication and pass the online posttest with a score of 80% or better to print a certificate of completion.
Target Audience
This course is designed for behavioral health practitioners who want current information regarding the opioid crisis within America’s Black/African American population.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, readers will be able to do the following:
- Identify the contextual factors that impact the opioid epidemic in Black/African American communities.
- Identify challenges to prevention, treatment, and recovery in the Black/African American population.
- Identify community-informed outreach and engagement strategies targeting the Black/African American population.
- Identify the importance of ongoing community voice and leadership in the development and implementation of solutions to this public health crisis.