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

Presented by SickKids CCMH Learning Institute

Date: February 17 and 18, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Juno Zavitz, MDiv and MPS Candidate U of T

Description: Traditional grief models often rely on abstinence-based frameworks that 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, or who experience bereavement while living with a Substance Use Disorder.

This workshop introduces a harm reduction-informed approach to grief care, grounded in evidence-based, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive practices. It is designed for both clinical and non-clinical providers who support 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 

Registration fee: General - $300 |  Student and group rates are available

For full program overview and registration details please visit: https://cvent.me/PM2dbm

Facilitator Bio:
Juno Zavitz, MDiv and MPS Candidate U of T, is a consultant, coach and facilitator for non-profits, workers in social services, and community members in caregiving roles. He has 10+ years experience in frontline and management work in addictions, harm reduction, housing, and bereavement, and most love working with people and teams moving through loss, burn out, and with communities that are in need of repair and solidarity.

Juno's background in this work comes from formal education in social work and psychotherapy, chaplaincy, end of life care, and visual arts. Prior to consultancy work, he held numerous roles in social services, from counselling, frontline, program development & management, outreach, and psychoeducation on projects across Canada and the US.