Name
Trusted Spaces, Trusted Faces: Training Barbers, Clergy, and Community Leaders to Support Mental Health & OUD Awareness
Date & Time
Friday, October 17, 2025, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Description
This poster presentation will explore how trusted community leaders, such as barbers, clergy, and outreach workers, can be equipped to recognize and respond to opioid use disorder (OUD) and mental health concerns. Drawing from existing research and insights, interviews within an interdisciplinary harm reduction team, and discussions with community members engaged in this work, this work highlights key barriers to care and proposes a community-centered training framework. The presentation outlines practical tools, including harm reduction strategies, mental health education, and referral pathways, to empower community leaders in supporting at-risk individuals. By enhancing accessibility and trust, this approach aims to bridge the gap between underserved populations and professional care.
Speakers
Co-Authors
- Dana Lehman, PsyD, Supervisor, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Trisha Acri, MD, Executive Director, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Nelson Parrish III, MA/MS, Director of Operations, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Sue Snyder, NP, Medical Director, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Kaitlin Worden, MSW, Lead Care Manager, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
*Additionally, other community members such as barbers and volunteer workers embedded into the culture of Philadelphia will be interviewed and their responses will be presented.
- Trisha Acri, MD, Executive Director, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Nelson Parrish III, MA/MS, Director of Operations, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Sue Snyder, NP, Medical Director, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Kaitlin Worden, MSW, Lead Care Manager, Courage Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
*Additionally, other community members such as barbers and volunteer workers embedded into the culture of Philadelphia will be interviewed and their responses will be presented.
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Collaborative Care Model of Integrated Care, Substance abuse management, Underserved populations such as LGBTQ+
Session Type
Poster
SIG or Committee
Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), Just Medicine/DEI (JMC)
Objective 1
Identify key findings from past literature on clinical interventions for opioid use disorder (OUD) and their applicability to community-based settings.
Objective 2
Describe evidence-based harm reduction strategies and their applicability in community-led mental health interventions.
Objective 3
Discuss practical strategies for integrating community members into harm reduction efforts, including training components and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Content Reference 1
Killaspy, H., Harvey, C., Brasier, C., Brophy, L., Ennals, P., Fletcher, J., & Hamilton, B. (2022). Community‐based social interventions for people with severe mental illness: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of recent evidence. World Psychiatry, 21(1), 96-123.
Content Reference 2
Marlatt, G. A. (1996). Harm reduction: Come as you are. Addictive behaviors, 21(6), 779-788.
Content Reference 3
Gelzhiser, J. A., & Lewis, L. (2023). Black barbers as mental health advocates, and interpersonal violence and suicide preventors in the local community. Mental Health & Prevention, 31, 200291.
Content Reference 4
Perry, B., Pescosolido, B. A., & Krendl, A. (2019). The unique nature of public stigma toward opioid use disorders: A national study. Available at SSRN 3420405.
Content Reference 5
McLean, K., Murphy, J., & Kruis, N. (2024). “I think we're getting better but we're still not there”: Provider-based stigma and perceived barriers to care for people who use opioids (PWUO). Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 159, 209270.