PHEC 443: Grief As A Public Health Issue, With Laura Vargas, MSW

What if grief isn't just personal, but a public health crisis hiding in plain sight?
In this episode, Laura Vargas makes a powerful case for treating grief as a core public health priority. Drawing from her work supporting thousands of people navigating loss, especially substance-related deaths, she reveals how unaddressed grief fuels chronic disease complications, substance use, isolation, and burnout among both communities and care providers.

Rather than pathologizing loss, Laura highlights the transformative power of culturally grounded peer support and community-designed spaces that help people feel seen, heard, and supported. This conversation challenges how we think about prevention, healing, and resilience and asks what becomes possible when we move grief out of silence and into community.

Resources

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▶️ DrCHHuntley, Public Health & Epidemiology Consulting