Since the nation's opioid crisis began in the 1990s, unintentional overdose deaths have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans annually.
And through the years, Susan Painter has seen the heartbreak-and insufficient support for families and healthcare providers grieving these deaths.
The advanced practice registered nurse and an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing spent decades working in the fields of trauma, family violence and substance use.
But once Ohio had one of the nation's highest rates of opioid-related deaths, Painter felt compelled to act.
She's now working on several fronts to help fortify families as well as current and future providers against the pain and stigma of losing loved ones and patients to overdoses.
She is developing curriculum for undergraduates and graduate students at CWRU, giving presentations to local, state and national organizations about substance-use disorders. She is also working with colleagues at CWRU's Ohio Substance Use Disorders Center of Excellence to develop educational resources and training content for providers throughout the state to address well-being and recovery as the overdose and addiction crisis continues to take lives.
Painter recently spoke with Think about caring for people amid their anguish. Find out what she shared.
