Forty million people in America meet the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder (SUD). That number is higher if we include “behavioral addictions” such as gambling or online gaming. It’s a complicated disorder, exacerbated by family environment, social, political, and economic factors, and trauma. Marginalized populations experience a significantly higher incidence of SUD, harsher legal consequences, and more limited access to necessary treatment. This 2-hour online workshop will empower spiritual/faith community leaders and chaplains to provide spiritual care to those impacted by SUD, equip them to advocate for transformative social and political change, and identify local resources.
Each session has 15 participant slots available, so as to allow time for Q&A. Cost is $50 ($30 for seminarians). Participants will receive an e-certificate upon completion of the workshop.
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (PST) Thursday, November 29, 2018
Presenter Bio
Leslie Leasure is a chaplain, spiritual director, and group facilitator. She has been working with people in recovery for more than 26 years in various professional and volunteer roles, including serving on community and state advocacy boards, working at a SLE for homeless women struggling with SUD, and serving as a chaplain intern on the psych/addictions unit at John Hopkins Hospital. She currently teaches spirituality classes and provides client spiritual care at Merritt Peralta Institute, the chemical dependency treatment center at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland. Leslie was the founding program director at the Ignite Institute at Pacific School of Religion – a center specializing in connecting spirituality, social justice work, and innovation. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Indiana University, an MDiv from Pacific School of Religion, and is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ. She is the founding curator of Into the Wilderness, an online church start created in 2014 and a guest faculty member at the Chaplaincy Institute’s Interfaith Studies program.
Leslie Leasure 