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ForwardCompassion Fatigue among Professionals Working with Individuals who use Stimulants 7.15.25
Target Audience
Nurse
Nurse Practitioner
Physician
Physician Assistant
Psychologist
Social Worker
Learning Objectives
Define compassion fatigue and describe how it uniquely presents in professionals working with people who use stimulants.
Understand the behavioral, emotional, and relational challenges associated with stimulant use and their impact on provider well-being.
Recognize how systemic stigma, relapse cycles, and client volatility can erode professional empathy and contribute to burnout and disengagement.
Identify early signs of compassion fatigue in themselves and colleagues through self-assessment and observation.
Apply trauma-informed, harm reduction-aligned strategies to support emotional regulation, boundary setting, and professional sustainability.
Design a personal or organizational approach to reducing compassion fatigue and increasing staff resilience when working in stimulant-impacted environments.
Additional Information
- Agenda: Working with individuals who use stimulants—such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription amphetamines—presents unique clinical, emotional, and relational challenges. High-intensity behaviors, chronic relapse cycles, and frequent co-occurring mental health issues can leave helping professionals feeling emotionally drained, frustrated, or helpless. Over time, these dynamics may contribute to compassion fatigue, particularly when compounded by systemic barriers, stigma, and limited access to effective treatment resources.
This presentation explores the specific ways in which working with stimulant users impacts the emotional resilience of professionals across healthcare, behavioral health, harm reduction, and social services. Attendees will learn how stimulant-related dynamics can amplify the risk of compassion fatigue, and how to identify early warning signs in themselves and their teams. The session also emphasizes practical, field-informed strategies for cultivating sustainable empathy, setting boundaries, and creating support systems within organizations that serve stimulant-using populations.
Disclaimer Statement
The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.
Rachel Drosdick-Sigafoos, Ph.D.
Disclosure Statement: No members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships with any proprietary entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services, used on, or consumed by, patients to disclose.
Accreditation and credit designation
In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physician (CME)
The University of Pittsburgh School designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nursing (CNE)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hours.
Social Work (ASWB)
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, University of Pittsburgh is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. University of Pittsburgh maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 continuing education credits.
Physician Assistant (AAPA)
The University of Pittsburgh has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Psychologist (APA)
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
Other Healthcare Professionals
Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AAPA Category I CME
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
- 1.00 ANCCUPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
- 1.00 APA
- 1.00 ASWB
- 1.00 Attendance