The Story Powered Initiative is based out of the Greater Philadelphia Office of the Criminal Justice Research Center at Penn State Abington. Our office produces and participates in research to address issues of stigma, in particular issues surrounding stigma toward substance use. We offer the following resources to highlight our high impact research efforts, and we will continue to update these with our expanding work through the efforts of the Substance Use Stigma Reduction Collaborative within Penn State’s Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse. The Story Powered Initiative is dedicated to research to address stigma in a scientific and evidence based manner. Please look below for some of our featured work. If you have any questions or are interesting in learning more about the research, please contact Dr. Glenn Sterner at [email protected].
Motivated by the opioid epidemic that is deeply affecting communities across the nation, Penn State is consolidating its resources to address the opioid crisis and the larger problems of substance abuse in Pennsylvania and beyond via its newly launched Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA).
CSUA draws on the expertise of researchers, educators, and practitioners from Penn State campuses across the state to develop and implement effective programs, policies, and practices aimed at preventing and treating addiction and its spillover effects on children, families, and communities.
Penn State Substance Use Stigma Reduction Collaborative
The Substance Use Stigma Reduction Collaborative is a working group established by Penn State University’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction consisting of academic scholars, professionals, and practitioners throughout Penn State University.
The mission of the collaborative is to examine and understand stigma toward substance use to identify ways to reduce its impacts. Collaborative members work together to conduct research on the impact stigma has on substance use, examine ways to address stigma toward substance use in practice, and identify opportunities to connect with community members to implement initiatives to address stigma toward substance use.
Members of the collaborative meet monthly to discuss ongoing internal and external collaborations, initiatives, and contemporary issues to address substance use disorder treatment and recovery.
If you would like to join the Collaborative, please email Dr. Glenn Sterner at [email protected]
2022 CSUA Summit on Substance Use Disorder Stigma Reduction at Penn State University
The 1st Annual Summit on Substance Use Disorder Stigma Reduction at Penn State University will take place on September 22nd, 2022.
The event will take place in-person at the HUB-Robeson Center located on the Pennsylvania State University Park Campus, State College, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
The Summit on Substance Use Disorder Stigma Reduction is an interdisciplinary event that brings together practitioners and scholars from a range of fields (e.g., public health, government and public policy, psychology, criminal justice) to consider research, policy, and practice around the issue of stigma reduction in the field.
This event is supported by generous contributions from the Penn State University Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction and The Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research.
To learn more about the event, pricing, or registration, please visit our event site by clicking here.
If you are interested in submitting an abstract or presenting at the event, please click here.
For general event questions or concerns, please email Erin Bergner at [email protected]
Podcasts
Facing the Opioid Crisis Together: Season Recap
Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Someone You Know Podcast
Episode 5: The Stigma of the Opioid Crisis
Evidence to Impact Podcast
Episode 40: Reducing Opioid Stigma
Schlow Library Podcast
How to Create a Recovery-Friendly Workplace
KYW Newsradio
Video
Reducing Stigma
A mother, a doctor, and a researcher discuss the stigmatization of opioid use disorder.
Publications
COVID-19: Implications and Opportunities for Substance Use Disorder. Maintaining Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention Services
Sterner, G. (2020)
Assessing Stigma Associated with Medication-Assisted Treatment in the Recovery Community
Bergner, E. (2020)
Fighting the stigma of addiction through personal stories of the opioid epidemic
Sterner, G. (2018) In Focus, Blog of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
Seeing past stigma: 4 ways to confront bias towards opioid addiction
Sterner, G. (2018) Journal of Change, Independence Blue Cross Foundation
National leadership needed to fight the opioid crisis
Fishbein, D. & Sterner, G. (2017) The Hill
Podcasts
Facing the Opioid Crisis Together: Season Recap
Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Someone You Know Podcast
Episode 5: The Stigma of the Opioid Crisis
Evidence to Impact Podcast
Episode 40: Reducing Opioid Stigma
Schlow Library Podcast
How to Create a Recovery-Friendly Workplace
KYW Newsradio
Video
Reducing Stigma
A mother, a doctor, and a researcher discuss the stigmatization of opioid use disorder.
