THE STORIES WE TELL: Indigenous Early Learning Collaborative Institute & Brazelton Touchpoints Center present National Substance Use Disorder Summit

News provided by

Jan 25, 2024, 10:15 ET

BOSTON, Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In this winter season — which, in many Indigenous cultures is a time for telling stories to educate, to remember, and to heal — Brazelton Touchpoints Center (BTC: https://www.brazeltontouchpoints.org/) and the Indigenous Early Learning Collaborative Institute (IELCI: https://www.brazeltontouchpoints.org/programs-services/indigenous-early-learning/) present the third annual National Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Summit, The First 1,000 Days: The Stories We Tell about Substance Use Disorder and Healing.

First Light Education Project (PRNewsfoto/Brazelton Touchpoints Center)

"From their first breaths, babies tell stories. These stories pave the road to recovery, healing, and hope for families facing substance use challenges. As educators, community members, and health professionals, we can listen for these stories and be good relatives with these families. A healthy future is in reach — it all starts with babies. This is why we hold this Summit each year, and why this year's Summit is so important for all of us who are part of and who partner with Indigenous communities," says Dr. Joshua Sparrow, Executive Director of BTC.

The 2024 SUD Summit will take place virtually on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, from 11 AM to 5:30 PM (Eastern Time). Opening with insights on the power of research and policy to shift the narrative toward healing, and closing with Sesame Workshop's new videos on children's questions about SUDs, the Summit will be a dynamic and engaging day of learning and sharing strategies for shifting the narrative around SUDs toward hope and healing, particularly in Indigenous communities. Three conversations will anchor the Summit; the first one features colleagues from the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (https://www.npaihb.org/):

• "Good Relatives" — Healing Soul Wounds with Indigenous Story Work
• Sharing Babies' Behavior to Co-Construct Stories of Healing — Reflections on the Stories Told within Systems of Care about Infants Exposed Prenatally to Substances
• Stories of Healing and Recovery within Health and Mental Health Care Systems — Countering the Narrative

"We are honored to partner with BTC to present this Summit. The collective effort to change the narrative and generate hope, starting with babies, is key to bringing about healing in Indigenous communities," says Dr. Tarajean Yazzie-Mintz, Director of the IELC Institute.

https://www.brazeltontouchpoints.org/national-substance-use-disorder-summit/

For more information, contact Dr. Joshua Sparrow (phone: 617 355 7639; e-mail: [email protected]).

SOURCE Brazelton Touchpoints Center