People with experience of serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders face astonishing levels of stigma and discrimination in our healthcare system, contributing to significant health disparities in this population. In this project, we aim to better understand the experience of this population when they access healthcare. Relatedly, we plan to explore attitudes of healthcare students towards this population. With this information, we will develop an anti-stigma training program for healthcare students that will be facilitated collaboratively by educators and individuals with lived experiences of severe mental illness and substance use disorders.

We will implement this project at Thomas Jefferson University and partner sites Project HOME and Pathways to Housing which provide permanent supportive housing to people with serious mental illness and substance use disorders. In addition to developing a preliminary anti-stigma training program, we will disseminate our findings through scientific manuscripts and oral and poster presentations both internal and external to TJU.

Upon collection of these preliminary data, future funding will be sought through organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson, the Pew Charitable Trust, or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

• Jacelyn Biondo, PhD
  
• Lara Weinstein 
• Kirby Wycoff