This interprofessional explanatory mixed-methods research project sought to determine the impact of unanticipated deaths experienced by providers in relation to their work with persons diagnosed with a specific substance use disorder. Quantitative data were collected via the Professional Quality of Life scale, and qualitative questions were posed in an open-ended survey. The findings (N = 40) suggest that the unanticipated death of persons seeking treatment is experienced by providers as a grief response similar to disenfranchised loss, in that it affects both the provider’s sense of productivity as well as their personal self-care. The implications of this study suggest that “providers are grieving at work—about work.” As such, program administrators are encouraged to ameliorate the impact of the opioid epidemic through interprofessional integrative supports that acknowledge the impact of unanticipated deaths by providers. Future research is encouraged to better understand if the motivation for a professional initially entering this specific field mitigates the impact of unanticipated deaths.

\ The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) instrument has been in use in some variation for decades with the most recent iteration becoming available in 2009. With twelve years of changes in the workforce plus applications of the ProQOL in novel professional groups, it is critical to determine if the tool is still reliable and valid. Data obtained from specific occupational groups, specifically college resident assistants (RAs) and substance abuse professionals (SAPs), will be utilized to explore if the measure holds up to past research claiming high reliability and validity. It is possible that the RAs (n=358) and the SAPs (n=40) will be outliers from these claims due to their unique positionality in their roles or due to the amount of time that has passed since the last update of the ProQOL.