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This presentation explores what stigma is and how it affects different groups across society. Speakers will share insights from the 'See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland' anti-stigma campaign, which they have led since 2019, highlighting its aims, impact, and key learnings. The session will also consider the role of the media in shaping stigma and showcase related initiatives that contribute to wider understanding and change in this field.

Welcome to the seventh session of the NHS APA Virtual Conference 2025. This panel brings together experts working across alcohol harms, gambling harms, and co-occurring conditions to explore how stigma prevents people from getting the support they need. Building on this, the discussion will consider what it means for professionals, services, and communities to act as a bridge to understanding and care.

Welcome to the sixth session of the NHS APA Virtual Conference 2025. In this session, Dr Ermione Neophytou and Dr Kelly Charge will present on the topic: Rewriting the Story – Working with Children and Young People Who Use Substances.

Welcome to the 5th session of the NHS APA Virtual Conference 2025 titled: Stigma Indicators and Trial of a Universal Approach to Stigma Reduction. The session will be presented by Carla Treloar and Dr Elena Cama from the Centre for Social Research in Health at UNSW Sydney. This session explores pioneering work in measuring and addressing stigma across HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmissible infections, and introduces a groundbreaking “universal precautions” app

In this session, we heard from Navi Dhesi, Founder of No More Pretending. Navi explored how stigma can be shaped by culture, community expectations and silence, and how this can affect whether people feel able to speak openly, seek support or be understood.

This session was hosted by Mark Prest. Watch on demand as he discusses 'The Power of Visual Arts in Recovery'.

Welcome to Session 1 of the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance Virtual Conference 2025.

Thank you to everyone who attended and took part in the NHS APA Virtual Conference 202 5 , 'Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it'. All of the conference sessions are now available to watch on demand via the links below. Session 1: Keynote Mel Ball, Director for Lived Experience (MPFT), Darren Murinas, CEO at Expert Citizens and Ben Parker, Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner within the Addictions Directorate (CNWL).

We are delighted to announce that the programme for the NHS APA Conference 2025; " Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it ", is now available for download! We're looking forward to hearing our excellent speaker lineup, including our keynote speakers Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE and Mel Ball, discuss this important topic. On the day, you can follow #APAConf25 across our social media channels, for all the highlights

After the success of the 2023 conference, we’re looking forward to hosting our next virtual conference on Thursday 27th of November, and ensuring it runs smoothly for all of our speakers and attendees. As with previous years' conferences, our 2025 virtual conference, ' Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it' is FREE for all attendees and will be streamed online so that you can access it from your computer and/or mobi