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Vermont Substance Use Conference 2025
Tuesday, May 20
 

9:00am EDT

Day One Plenary: Eliminating Disparities and Building Health Equity: A Social Justice Framework and Approach
Tuesday May 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Emerald Ballroom III
Speakers
avatar for Haner Hernández, PhD, CPS, CADCII, LADCI

Haner Hernández, PhD, CPS, CADCII, LADCI

Dr. Hernández is Puerto Rican, bilingual and has worked for over 37 years in the health and human service field developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally and linguistically intelligent youth and adult health prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support programs... Read More →
Tuesday May 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Emerald Ballroom III

10:15am EDT

1: Learn more about Vermont’s Certified Community-Based integrated Health Centers (CCBHCs), also known as Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom I
Members of the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Vermont Department of Health (VDH) will share VT’s CCBHC implementation plan and how this health care transformation has led the way with collaboration, coordination, and connection. CCBHCs ensure access to integrated mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and health care screening/monitoring with a particular focus on individuals with a significant MH/SUD and/or physical health disorders across the lifespan.

Speakers
CW

Cheryle Wilcox

Department of Mental Health
KM
LF
SD
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom I

10:15am EDT

2. Vermont’s Tobacco-Free Recovery Leadership Academy: Data, Lessons Learned, and Future Work
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom II
The Vermont Tobacco-Free Recovery team will provide strategies to improve tobacco-use rates among people living with mental health and/or substance use issues, as well as find ways to connect with more organizations to provide more services.
Speakers
HB

Heather Bedell

Care Manager/Department of Mental Health
DB

Dana Bourne

Vermont Department of Health
Dana Bourne, MPH (she/her) is the Tobacco Treatment Specialist with the Tobacco Control Program in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department at the Vermont Department of Health. She has been in this role since July 2020. Dana received her MPH from the University of Vermont... Read More →
DK
CL
MO
KR
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom II

10:15am EDT

3: Leveraging Community Resources Beyond Funding—and Putting Youth in Charge of Youth Prevention Efforts
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom I
In substance use prevention, intervention, and treatment/recovery, financial resources are often viewed as the primary key to success. However, communities across VT have shown the transformative impact of non-financial resources in building capacity, engaging future professionals, and driving systems-level change. This workshop will feature a youth presentation and a panel discussion highlighting innovative workforce strategies that leverage resources beyond funding.
Speakers
EZ

Emily Zanleoni

Executive Director, Executive Director, Hartford Community Coalition
CB
JR
CP
AC
AL
SM
MA

Mahat Abdullahi

Prevention Network Manager, Prevention Network Manager/United Way of Northwest VT
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom I

10:15am EDT

4. Fostering Sustainable Recovery: The Power of Collaboration, Coordination, and Connection in Recovery Housing
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom II
Recovery from substance use disorder requires more than treatment—it necessitates support, stable housing, and belonging. Vermont Foundation of Recovery operates a statewide network of recovery homes and transitional apartments, offering structured, community-based support. This presentation explores recovery housing as a vital link between treatment and independent living, using real stories and data to show how collaboration improves long-term recovery and builds healthier communities.
Speakers
LA

Lex Arthers

Community Relations Manager- VFOR
AL

Anna Lawfer

Data and Systems Optimization Manager- VFOR
CG

Candace Gale

Director of Community Relations, Director of Community Relations- VFOR
Candace Gale (she/her) is the Director of Community Relations at Vermont Foundation of Recovery with 16+ years of experience in leadership, finance, outreach, strategic planning, marketing, and business development. Candace holds a BA in Corporate Communications with a Marketing minor... Read More →
Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom II

1:15pm EDT

1. Substance Use in the Crisis System
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom I
Our Vermont Mobile Crisis Teams are trained to assist with substance use crises using harm reduction strategies. Through this session, we want participants to know the crisis services available in Vermont and how to access them. We believe that connection helps people overcome crises. We aim to build relationships with individuals using substances to create a sense of safety and support in tough times—and provide referral and information for treatment.
Speakers
KK
TM

Tara Miller

Crisis Training/VT Department of Mental Health
MY
JT

Jeremy Therrien

Department of Mental Health
Jeremy Therrien, MS, LCMHC (he/him) currently serves as the Crisis Program Director for the Vermont Department of Mental Health. In this position, he oversees the operations of the state's 988 Suicide and the Crisis Lifeline, Mobile Crisis, and Crisis Stabilization Units. Jeremy is... Read More →
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom I

1:15pm EDT

2. Can We Build It? Yes, We Can! Overdose Biosurveillance in Vermont
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom II
This session discusses the work of nonfatal overdose biosurveillance at the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory, funded via the CDC's Overdose Data to Action initiative. This is a critical strategy in efforts to inform drug overdose prevention policies and programs. Presenters will introduce our laboratory’s work to the broader substance-use intervention and prevention community, emphasizing the multifaceted collaborations necessary to establish a program of this scale.
Speakers
SS

Suzy Stanton

VDH Public Health Laboratory
Suzy Stanton, MS (she/her) serves in Vermont as a Public Health Scientist V, Chemistry, in the state’s Department of Health Laboratory. She has been a scientist at the Vermont Health Lab since 2007 and is the Lead Chemist, Subject Matter Expert, and CLIA Technical Supervisor for... Read More →
JE

Jessica Eisenhauer

Jessica Eisenhauer, MS (she/her) Chief of Chemistry at the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory, has an MS in Analytical Chemistry with a broad background in physical chemistry, materials chemistry, atmospheric aerosol chemistry, and environmental radiochemistry. She joined the... Read More →
RP
NP
JW
MM
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom II

1:15pm EDT

3. Understanding ALL SUD Treatment Levels of Care and the Crossroads with Recovery, Prevention, and Harm Reduction
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I
Workshop Schedule
  • 5 min - Introductions
  • 10 min – ASAM Levels of Care
  • 10 min – Vermont Examples of Levels of Care
  • 10 min – Deciding Level of Care Appropriateness
  • 10 min – Principles of Effective Treatment
  • 10 min – Changes with ASAM 4th Edition
  • 10 min – Treatment Planning with an ASAM lens: 6 Dimensions
  • 10 min – The Crossroads between Treatment, Recovery, Prevention, and Harm Reduction
  • 5 min – Accessing Treatment
  • 5 min – Points to Consider
  • 5 min – Q&A
Objectives:
  • Review ASAM criteria for all levels of care, including recent updates via the fourth edition.
  • Review the Vermont System of SUD Care.
  • Review the NIDA Principles of Effective SUD Treatment.
  • Review the relationship between the ASAM 6 dimensions and treatment planning.
  • Review the intersection between treatment, recovery, prevention, and harm reduction.
  • Review appropriateness of referrals and how to access each level of care.
Speakers
CV

Chadd Viger, MS, LADC

CEO, Recovery House Inc. President, Vermont Substance Use Treatment Collaborative Professor, Vermont State University – Castleton, Recovery House Inc.
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I

1:15pm EDT

4. Expanding Harm Reduction Strategies to Save Lives and Build Connections
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom II
This session will explore harm reduction as an essential approach to addressing substance use disorders and promoting public health. Rooted in compassion, equity, and evidence-based practices, harm reduction goes beyond abstinence-only models to fully meet individuals where they are at, and collaboratively, with the participant, build from there.

Participants will engage with the history of this public health movement, learn practical strategies for implementing harm reduction services, and familiarize themselves with non-judgmental care approaches. This session will also highlight the importance of fostering connection between individuals, communities, and systems of care to reduce stigma and empower people who use drugs.

Through data, case studies, and success stories, this session will showcase how harm reduction saves lives, promotes healing, and contributes to the state’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Speakers
TV
IF
DM
RB
EB
MA

Martina Anderson

Dir. of Comms. / VAMHAR
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom II

1:15pm EDT

5. Working with Justice-Impacted Individuals and Their Families: Effective Strategies and Techniques Grounded in Equity and Justice
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom III
Description: This session will describe the disproportionate outcomes experienced by justice impacted individuals and their families. Participants will learn about the process of institutionalization and what they can do address trauma and restorative justice within the context of providing Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health services to this population. Moreover, this session will cover the multiple pathways of recovery, harm reduction, and additional strategies for participant engagement and retention in care.
Learning Objectives (Participants will be able to):
1. Describe criminal justice involvement and the impacts on individuals with SUDs and their families;
2. Describe institutionalization, trauma, the multiple pathways of recovery, harm reduction, and restorative justice; and
3. Describe 3-5 strategies for participant engagement and retention in care and recovery processes.
Speakers
avatar for Haner Hernández, PhD, CPS, CADCII, LADCI

Haner Hernández, PhD, CPS, CADCII, LADCI

Dr. Hernández is Puerto Rican, bilingual and has worked for over 37 years in the health and human service field developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally and linguistically intelligent youth and adult health prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support programs... Read More →
Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom III

3:00pm EDT

1. Expanding Vermont’s Rural Behavioral Health Workforce: Lessons from Maine’s Recovery Jobs for Beginners
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I
This session will explore how technology-enabled learning and a balance between lived experience and formal training can create a more unified behavioral health workforce in rural Vermont. We’ll examine common barriers to entry-level roles and share innovative workforce strategies from our Maine experience. By emphasizing collaboration, coordination, and connection, we invite you to join us in reimagining more accessible career pathways for those with lived experience in rural Vermont.


Speakers
AC

Austin Connolly

Austin Connally, MPH (he/they) is the Project Coordinator for the Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning Program and the Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Center, both funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. He provides data management and analysis as well as... Read More →
MF
CS
SM

Samantha Mariano

Associate Program Manager, MCD Global Health’s Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Center
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I

3:00pm EDT

2. Data and Statistics and Informatics, Oh My! An Orientation to Your Department of Health Data Resources—and Moving Data into Action: A Review of Vermont's Social Autopsy Report and How it Can Support Work at a Local Level
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom II
The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) has a large volume of publicly-available data. However, finding and accessing the data can be challenging. In the first 30 minutes, we will provide an overview of VDH substance-use data, show where it lives on the website, and provide search tips. We will also share current data about Vermont substance use. We will use the second 30 minutes to focus on one of VDH’s major substance use data publications, the Social Autopsy Report, and how VDH and its partners have used this report to move data into action. While all conference attendees are welcome, our intended audiences are attendees who use or want to use substance use data and those who would like to know more about the Social Autopsy Report.
Speakers
SS
LR

Lauren Ressue

Analyst/Vermont Department of Health
NR

Nicole Rau Mitiguy

Director of Harm Reduction and Recovery Services/Department of Health
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom II

3:00pm EDT

3. Write with Writers for Recovery!
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom I
In this workshop, Writers for Recovery will engage participants in the steps we take to create a vibrant, powerful, and compassionate space for folks to find their voices and connect with each other through storytelling. Building on ten years of work across VT, the workshop will be a place for participants to experience a safe space that offers healing, laughter, and recovery through the act of writing for seven minutes. It's our trademark, and it works!

Speakers
GM

Gary Miller

Creative Director, Writers for Recovery
Gary Miller (he/him) is a professional writer and editor. He founded Writers for Recovery with partner, Bess O’Brien, ten years ago. Both run WFR workshops across the state of Vermont.
BO

BESS O'BRIEN

Kingdom County Productions/WFR
Bess O'Brien (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker and theater producer and founded Writers for Recovery with partner, Gary Miller, ten years ago. Both run WFR workshops across the state of Vermont.
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom I

3:00pm EDT

4. ROAD: Resources and Options for Alcohol Use Disorder
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I
To address the profound impact that alcohol has on morbidity and mortality in Vermont, Central Vermont Medical Center and the Central Vermont Prevention Coalition have developed an innovative and collaborative hub & spoke model of care for Alcohol Use Disorder called ROAD. The CVMC ROAD initiative is an effort to provide low barrier access to improved and expanded support services including medical intervention across CVMC care settings for patients experiencing problematic or risky drinking.  This multidisciplinary team approach involves ED providers, Primary Care providers, and local treatment providers.  The team also includes Community Health Team Care Managers and Recovery Coaches who provide support, outreach and education regarding local resources and facilitate linkage to ongoing care in hopes of continued engagement. The UVM Health Network High Value Care team amplified the work of the CVMC ROAD program, convening a cross departmental team to formalize a primary care pathway across the network.

This panel session will share the ROAD model, lessons learned, barriers to implementation and strategies to overcome them, and next steps. Attendees will walk away with information needed to consider such a model in their own communities.
Speakers
JM
PB
KB
CG
MH

Moriah Haggett

RCED Program Supervisor Turning Point Center of Central Vt
Moriah Haggett (she/her) works for the Turning Point Center of Central Vermont as the Recovery Coaching in the Emergency Department Program Supervisor at Central Vermont Medical Center. She is also a certified grief coach.
MJ
ES

Evan Smith

Central Vermont Medical Center
Evan Smith, LICSW (he/him) has worked in behavioral health services since 1988. A graduate of SUNY Albany College of Social Welfare, he has worked the last 21 years in Vermont in various roles at Dartmouth College’s Evidence-Based Practices Center, the Vermont Departments of Health... Read More →
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I

3:00pm EDT

5. Self Care for Service Professionals – Recognizing and Understanding Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Fatigue
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom III
Work in substance use can often lead to stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. In this session, attendees will  learn the signs of these common stressors and how to relieve them. This interactive session will help you better understand why these stressors occur and how we can care for ourselves while continuing to care for others. You’ll gain universal tools to help reduce these stressors so that you can share with your colleagues across the continuum of substance use work.
Speakers
KN
Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom III
 
Wednesday, May 21
 

9:00am EDT

Day Two Plenary: Having The Substance Use Prevention Talk for People Who Are Reluctant to Attend Substance Use Prevention Talks
Wednesday May 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Emerald Ballroom III
Yes, it can be challenging to get people to attend talks on substance use prevention. This may be because of shame and stigma around the topic of substance use disorder, because they are dealing with substance use problems themselves or in their family, or because they erroneously believe all kids drink or use drugs and there’s nothing we can do about it. The talk that has become one of Jess’ most popular is a talk on Gift of Failure topics - increasing motivation, engagement, competence, self-efficacy and self-advocacy in kids - while giving audiences evidence-based information on how increasing motivation, engagement, competence, self-efficacy and self-advocacy in kids also reduces their risk for substance use. Audiences come for The Gift of Failure topics and leave with information on substance use risk, preventative factors, and myth-busting revelations regarding adolescence and substance use (e.g. sipping at home increases risk for developing substance use disorder, as do those “kids are going to do it anyway, we might as well do it in our home and take keys away” parties. Call it what you want, I call it Process Over Product: Increasing Motivation, Engagement, Competence and Self-Efficacy in Kids.
Speakers
avatar for Jessica Leahy

Jessica Leahy

Jessica Lahey speaks to parents, educators, school administrators, coaches, pastors, and community leaders about the science of learning, motivation, engagement, and substance abuse prevention, all in service to the belief that adults have the power to help kids become more autonomous... Read More →
Wednesday May 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Emerald Ballroom III

10:15am EDT

1: Reviewing DSU’s Community Perspective System of Care Needs Assessment and Launching DSU’s New Strategic Plan
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom I
Between September 2023 and December of 2024, the Vermont Department of Health's Division of Substance Use Programs (DSU) partnered with Health Resources in Action to conduct a comprehensive, substance use system of care-wide community perspective needs assessment and strategic planning process. This session will review the findings of the needs assessment and the process through which its findings informed the division's new strategic plan. Participants will be among the first to have access to the new strategic plan and will hear how the division intends to operationalize it.
Speakers
avatar for Roy Belcher

Roy Belcher

Director of Planning and Community Services, Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs
ET

Emily Trutor

VDH/DSU Division Director, SSA
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom I

10:15am EDT

2. T-Break Guide: A Resource to Help People Reduce Their Cannabis Use
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom II
Frequent cannabis use leads to increased tolerance.  The community of weed smokers has addressed this by encouraging periodic breaks from cannabis to help bring down tolerance.  Called a ‘t-break’, it is an organic harm reduction technique.  Unfortunately, without guidance, people often find a t-break harder than they thought.  The T-Break Guide was written from the wisdom of people who have successfully taken breaks. There are not many harm reduction resources for cannabis; come learn about this free one.

This workshop is for anyone who might benefit from knowing about a free cannabis harm reduction resource.
Speakers
TF
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Emerald Ballroom II

10:15am EDT

3. Contingency Management Implementation in Vermont
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom I
The session will provide an overview of contingency management for StimUD, a review of Contingency Management (CM), research to support CM, and key ingredients in CM implementation. Presenters will offer a perspective from the Vermont Department of Substance Use on the expected benefits of CM and discuss Vermont’s implementation process and data to date. Finally, three treatment providers in Vermont currently using CM for StimUD will describe their experiences
Speakers
KK

Kathy Kinirons

Clinical Manager/ West Ridge Center
RR

Richard Rawson

University of Vermont/ UCLA
Richard A. Rawson, PhD (he/him) is currently a Research Professor at the Vermont Center for Behavior and Health at the University of Vermont and a Professor Emeritus at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. His work has focused on the development of effective treatments for addiction... Read More →
TE

Tyler Erath

UVM; Vermont Center on Behavior and Health
Tyler Erath, PhD (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont. Dr. Erath is Principal Investigator on grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and state grants that focus on... Read More →
JH

Julia Harrison

DSU/Program Manager
Julia Harrison, MPH (she/her) is a Program Manager within the Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs. She has worked with the Preferred Provider Network for over five years and has coordinated the technical assistance provided by the Vermont Center on Behavior... Read More →
CH

Christine Hayner

Clinical Manager - Howard Center
GL
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom I

10:15am EDT

4. Substance Use and Eating Disorders: Understanding the Relationship Between the Two
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom II
Qualitative and quantitative research indicate strong correlations between substance use, disordered eating, and eating disorders. And eating disorders are the second leading cause of death behind substance use disorders. In alignment with this year's theme, the presentation will provide an overview of the overlapping warning signs and risk factors and the need for increased education, identification, and coordination of trauma-informed treatment.
Speakers
AV

Annie Valentine

Mental Health Coaching, Training, and Consultancy
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Diamond Ballroom II

10:15am EDT

5. Special Session - Registration Required: Local Policy Considerations, Recommendations, and Successes in Tobacco, Alcohol, and Cannabis Prevention Work
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Hospitality Suite
This session will explore the critical role of local policy in shaping effective substance-use prevention strategies by focusing on tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis. Participants will gain insight into the policy considerations necessary to build a strong prevention framework, as well as evidence-based recommendations for local implementation. The session will also highlight successful policy implementation in the state.
Speakers
TW

Tanya Wells

Tobacco Control Program Manager, Vermont Department of Health, Division of Health Promotion and Diseases Prevention
MM

Marielle Matthews

Policy and Grants Manager, Winooski Partnership for Prevention (WPP)
BK

Brandon King

Deputy Chief, Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery
DH

David Hamlin II

Director of Licensing, Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Hospitality Suite

1:15pm EDT

1. Mental Health Literacy: Collaborate, Coordinate, Connect Around Opportunities to Learn
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom I
We explore how mental health literacy can strengthen the substance-use continuum of care. This session focuses on collaboration across systems to build shared language, reduce stigma, and promote early intervention. Attendees will learn how to connect with communities through storytelling, education, and advocacy and leave with practical tools to enhance communication, coordination, and care around mental health and substance use challenges.
Speakers
SN

Sunny Noelle Naughton

Sunny Noelle Naughton, MS, MSL (she/her) is a multidisciplinary strategist with MAs in Psychology and Leadership. Based in Vermont, she blends mental health, communications, and media expertise to create human-centered strategies. Her work focuses on resilience, storytelling, and... Read More →
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom I

1:15pm EDT

2. Reducing Stigma around MAT and Methadone Treatment
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom II
This session presents the science behind Medication-Assisted Treatment specific to Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programs (MMTP) in Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP). The session also describes a day in the life and the lifecycle of a patient in an OTP. Presenters will also cover innovative ways that they have seen success in patient retention and outcomes. Finally, attendees will be given the opportunity to pose medical questions about MMTP to an Addiction Certified Specialist.
Speakers
CL
MG
AS

Adrienne Sass

Regional Direcror, Acadia HealthCare
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom II

1:15pm EDT

3. Breaking Down Barriers to Opioid Recovery: The Role of Social Drivers of Health
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I
Considerable progress has been made at the federal, state, and local levels in deploying evidence-based strategies to address the opioid epidemic. Provisional CDC data showed a decline in opioid-overdose deaths in 2023. This session will highlight the importance of addressing co-occurring drivers of health and how a closed-loop referral system can drive meaningful change. It will also emphasize timely, equitable approaches to needs and how community-driven referrals can aid recovery.
Speakers
HA
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom I

1:15pm EDT

4. Beyond Referrals: Connecting Care and Providing Healing Opportunities for Perinatal People with Substance Use
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom II
This session is an opportunity to learn about the Maternal Mortality Review Panel and how its data is used to inform programming. Utilizing Overdose Data to Action funding, the Vermont Department of Health’s Family and Child Health supports collaborative projects enhancing perinatal substance use care, coordination, and connection. The session includes a Turning Point Center perinatal referral system, a Lund therapeutic storytelling project, and an initiative to support organizations through tailored SU education.
Speakers
KD

Kim Dacek

University of Vermont - VCHIP/PQC-VT
Kim Dacek, APRN, FNP-C (she/her) works with the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program and Perinatal Quality Collaborative Vermont on Perinatal Community Outreach Projects. A nurse practitioner since 2014, Kim has worked across diverse clinical settings. Her work is dedicated to... Read More →
KL

Katy Leffel

Katy Leffel, RN, BSN, IBCLC (she/her) is a nurse in the Family and Child Health Division of the Vermont Department of Health. She focuses on perinatal quality improvement, maternal mortality, and perinatal substance use. Katy continues her work of over 12 years in home health... Read More →
NP
RR

Rosemary Rosa

Acting Executive Director
Rosemary Rosa, CRC (she/her) is the Acting Executive Director at Turning Point Center of Central Vermont, an IC&RC Certified Recovery Coach, and a person in long-term recovery. Rosemary is also a mother who has navigated parenthood in recovery and is passionate about helping others... Read More →
ER

Elena Robles

Perinatal Public Health Specialist, VDH Family and Child Health Division
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Diamond Ballroom II

1:15pm EDT

5. Author Q&A and Discussion of Youth and Substance Use
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom III
Speakers
avatar for Jessica Leahy

Jessica Leahy

Jessica Lahey speaks to parents, educators, school administrators, coaches, pastors, and community leaders about the science of learning, motivation, engagement, and substance abuse prevention, all in service to the belief that adults have the power to help kids become more autonomous... Read More →
Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Emerald Ballroom III
 
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