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Breaking Stigma


Contact Name
Sarah Briley

Breaking Stigma is a 90-minute training (offered in person and virtually) that equips perinatal providers to deliver compassionate, stigma-free care to patients affected by substance use — a leading, preventable driver of pregnancy-associated death in Colorado. The training pairs an evidence-based session on perinatal substance use and respectful, person-first care with an interactive session where providers hear directly from parents in recovery and peer recovery coaches and practice real patient communication. Developed in response to CPCQC survey data showing persistent stigma among labor-and-delivery staff, Breaking Stigma has trained more than 1,000 Colorado providers and counting, helping shift the culture from mandatory reporting toward mandatory responding.

Presenters


Sarah Briley, MPH, CHES

As the Program Manager of Clinical Quality Improvement at CPCQC, Sarah is responsible for leading the implementation of evidence-based practices to improve the quality of care for pregnant and postpartum individuals and their infants. She has a strong background in maternal health, having previously worked at the Indiana State Department of Health as the Maternal Health Administrator overseeing Title V funded perinatal programs.

Sarah’s significant career highlights include leading the implementation of Eat, Sleep, Console to better care for pregnant and postpartum people and their infants at Union Hospital in Terre Haute, IN, and bringing the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) to Indiana and recruiting 90% of delivering hospitals to implement patient safety bundles.

In addition to her professional achievements, Sarah is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and a member of the Society for Public Health Educators (SOPHE). In her free time, she enjoys adventuring with her dog Ruby June, practicing yoga, and hot air ballooning.