Grief work through a harm reduction lens: Supporting clients who use substances

Enhance your clinical or community practice with trauma-informed, harm reduction tools for supporting individuals affected by grief/loss and substance use.

This training is suitable for:

• Mental Health Professionals: psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers.
• Medical Professionals: nurses, psychiatrists, pediatricians, family doctors.
• Direct Service Workers: drop-in workers, shelter and hostel workers, child and youth workers, youth justice workers.

Client category: Professionals working with adults (18+).

Level of training: Introductory

Grief work through a harm reduction lens overview

Traditional grief models often rely on abstinence-based frameworks. These may not adequately support individuals who use substances to manage emotional distress. This approach can overlook the realities of clients who are actively using substances during periods of acute grief. It can also miss the needs of those who experience bereavement while living with a Substance Use Disorder.

This webinar offers grief support for adult clients (18+) who use substances through a harm reduction-informed approach. It is grounded in evidence-based, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive practices. This training supports both clinical and non-clinical providers who work with individuals affected by loss and substance use, including those impacted by the ongoing overdose and drug poisoning crisis..

“When bereavement and addiction collide, care providers often struggle to find approaches alternatives to abstinence-only models. If you are a care provider grappling with the complexity of supporting such clients, this workshop will provide practical skills and a paradigmatic framework for non-stigmatizing understandings of concurrent grief and substance use.” Juno Zavitz.

Learning objectives:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the intersection between grief and substance use.
• Acquire practical strategies for individual and group support.
• Understand and implement tools for integrating harm reduction principles into grief work.
• Professional insight from over a decade of frontline grief support with substance-using clients and more than five years of experience training providers in this approach.
• Gain compassionate, flexible, and contextually informed strategies to meet the unique needs of bereaved clients who use substances.

Traditional grief models may fall short for professionals offering grief support for clients who use substances. Especially in the context of acute loss or the overdose crisis. This practical, evidence-informed training will equip you with the tools and confidence to offer compassionate, inclusive care to those navigating grief and substance use. Don’t miss the chance to deepen your practice —register today.

Upon registration, participants will receive a confirmation email that includes access information to our on-demand training platform, SickKids Academy Online. Participants will have access for 90 days from the date they begin the course on SickKids Academy Online. Following the training, participants are required to complete a quiz to receive the Certificate of Participation.

This program was originally recorded on February 17 and 18, 2026.

Back to ‘Our Courses’

Updated April 15, 2026