2025 AGENDA
Click on the + to read full session description and speaker bios.
Incomplete information will be added as it is received. The agenda is subject to change without notice.
Thursday, November 13
Learn about the many factors driving the recent reduction in overdose fatalities in South Carolina. This opening session will feature some of South Carolina's very own policy and research leaders discussing the impacts of public health interventions, the roles of community providers, and how we can continue to work together to reduce overdose fatalities in our state.
Christina Andrews
Kathleen Brady
Sara Goldsby
Alain Litwin
Edward Simmer
This panel will provide a comprehensive overview of the transformative journey of two individuals from their time of incarceration, their treatment in a prison-based the Addiction Treatment Units, to their successful reintegration into society as certified peer support specialists. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Chris Kunkle, a forensic psychologist with more than 25 years of experience treating and managing the care of justice involved individuals in state, local and federal systems. #treatment #publicsafety #administration #incarceration
Chris Kunkle
Dr. Chris Kunkle is a forensic psychologist with nearly 30 years of experience in forensic services and forensic mental health. He is currently Deputy Director for Behavioral Health with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, where he serves as the agency’s Chief Behavioral Health Officer overseeing all mental health, addiction recovery and sex offender services. Dr. Kunkle is also the former Director and Chief Psychiatric Examiner of Institutional Sex Offender Treatment for the State of New York, where he spent 10 years developing and operating programs to treat Sexually Violent Predators, and reforming prison-based sex offender treatment. Dr. Kunkle’s efforts have been recognized through the receipt of several awards for his efforts to improve risk assessment and treatment in forensic mental health, and he is recognized as a national expert on forensic mental health and criminal investigation practices.
Trish England
Trish England stands out as an inspiring leader in South Carolina’s recovery movement, informed by her own transformative journey that began in 2014. As a State Certified Peer Support Specialist and Program Director for The Courage Center’s Aiken, Lexington, and Richland offices, Trish—alongside her dedicated team—has driven a remarkable increase in participant engagement from 98 to more than 1,700 annually. Under her leadership, the staff has expanded from just 3 to 38 team members. Trish’s unwavering commitment to justice-involved individuals is evident in her purposeful hiring of formerly incarcerated staff as peer support specialists, creating meaningful pathways for
empowerment and successful reintegration. In addition to her work at The Courage Center, she serves on the Peer Support Specialists Certification Commission with the Addiction Professionals of South Carolina, playing an integral role in shaping statewide standards for training and certification.
Devin Gantt
Devin Gantt is a Certified Peer Support Specialist with the Courage Center, serving
Lexington and Aiken Counties in South Carolina. After overcoming significant personal challenges—including exposure to drugs at an early age, the loss of his mother to substance use disorder, and a 15-year period of incarceration—Mr. Gantt
transformed his life through recovery programs and renouncing gang involvement. Drawing on his lived experience, he now helps others navigate their own healing journeys, exemplifying resilience, personal growth, and the power of meaningful
change.
Sarah Hart
Sarah Hart – Peer Support Specialist, DODAS/SCDC
Sarah Hart is a born humanitarian whose passion for service is rooted in both personal experience and professional dedication. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Webster University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of South
Carolina. Before joining the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DODAS) and the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) as a Peer Support Specialist, Ms. Hart gained extensive experience working with individuals in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs. Her firsthand journey through addiction has solidified her life’s purpose and deepened her commitment to helping others find recovery. With a strong foundation in education and lived experience, Ms. Hart has dedicated herself to enhancing the quality of life for those navigating the challenges of addiction. She is known for her loyalty, dependability, and collaborative spirit. Her motto is: “I’m not in it for the income—I’m in it for the outcome.”
Stephanie Thompson-Otero
Stephanie Otero is a Clinical Supervisor for The South Carolina Department of Corrections in the Addiction Treatment Unit. She has over 5 years of clinical experience in the field of addictions and 3 years of clinical supervising in the field of addiction. She currently holds an Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification and is in processing to complete her certification as a Clinical Supervisor as well a working toward her examinations for licensure. She completed her undergraduate and Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling from Liberty University and her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health at Grand Canyon University. Her plans are to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor to continue helping others who struggle with addiction and mental health through the use of person-centered treatment with a Biblical foundation.
Shannon Jones
Shannon Jones spent over two decades in active addiction and incarceration before an 8.5-year prison sentence became the turning point in her life. Now over a decade sober, she works as a Recovery Peer Specialist at the Courage Center, supporting justice-involved individuals and people in crisis. Rebuilding strong family bonds, she shares her story to inspire hope, healing, and lasting change.
Three experts in the areas of treatment, prevention, and recovery who received a discretionary grant from the SC Opioid Recovery Fund (SCORF) will share their experiences in applying and also describe their abatement strategies. #administration #abatementfunds
Pam Imm
Dr. Pam Imm received her Ph.D. in clinical-community psychology from USC in 1996 and experiences joy every day from getting to work in a field that enhances community capacity through collaboration. She worked at LRADAC for 30 years and is a co-founder of The Courage Center (TCC), a local recovery community organization which provides recovery coaching. She currently leads the expansion of TCC in Orangeburg. In 2017, Dr. Imm was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Practice in Community Psychology by Division 27 of the American Psychological Association. She currently facilitates both Lexington and Orangeburg County’s Overdose Fatality Review Committee. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, sailing, and fostering baby kittens.
Dottie Farfone
Dottie Farfone, RPh Chief Clinical Pharmacist, Summit Clinical Institute Co-Founder, Dottie’s Pharmacy Dottie Farfone is a licensed pharmacist with over 25 years of experience spanning
community, compounding, long-term care, and specialty pharmacy. After completing her undergraduate studies at Converse College, she earned her pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and has since dedicated her career to advancing pharmacy services that emphasize both clinical excellence and compassionate, patient-centered care.
In 2013, Dottie co-founded Dottie’s Pharmacy, with locations in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. The pharmacy integrates traditional dispensing, compounding, and specialty care, with a particular focus on behavioral health and addiction treatment. Dottie currently serves as the Chief Clinical Pharmacist for the Summit Clinical Institute, the research and knowledge hub of Parkview Health Services. The Institute is dedicated to collaborative, data-driven research that demonstrates the real-world impact of pharmacy services through academic rigor and outcomes-based analysis. At Summit, Dottie’s work centers on education and innovation in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder and other
behavioral health conditions, strengthening partnerships between pharmacists,
providers, payers, and manufacturers. In 2024, Dottie was elected to the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy and currently serves on a national committee with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), where she helps shape pharmacy policy and
advance best practices across the profession.
Sarah Johnson
Sarah received her CPSS training and certification via FAVOR Lowcountry. She is versed in Motivational Interviewing and WRAP and attended various trainings and workshops that
provided her with connections to other organizations that can be vital in helping those in recovery build their Recovery Capital. The structural components and tools gained from the
CPSS training, and her lived experience make her an ideal candidate for providing the support and guidance needed by those in recovery. Sarah chose an Alcoholics Anonymous program as her guide to recovery; however, she is aware of various paths that have proven successful. She has discovered how satisfying it is to serve others. As a sponsor, she is learning to share her experience, strength, and hope with another person who seeks to move beyond the stronghold of addiction into a new life. Sarah finds immense joy in attending and chairing meetings, participating in two recovery-based book clubs, and attending conferences and training’s that enhance her recovery program. She values the concepts of rigorous honesty, holding herself accountable, and showing others the same respect and understanding that she would like to be shown. “Maintaining my program of recovery, being an advocate for the peers I serve, and ensuring that I always conduct myself ethically and honestly, in my opinion, will be the cornerstone of my success as a CPSS. “........Sarah Johnson
Phillip Clark
Phillip Clark is the Chief Executive Officer of Just Say Something and Interim Executive Director of Compass of Carolina, where he leads strategic vision, program growth, and community partnerships to address substance use prevention, family strengthening, and
mental health awareness. With over three decades of nonprofit leadership experience, Phillip has extensive expertise in building coalitions, managing grants at all levels — from local to federal —and cultivating strong stakeholder relationships. Previously serving as Associate Director of Just Say Something for over 30 years, he
spearheaded prevention initiatives, designed training programs, and coordinated statewide and national collaborations. His career also includes consulting and event leadership with organizations such as the North Carolina Department of Mental Health, Microsoft Partners in Learning, and the My Carolina Alumni Association.
In this session, we explore how technology can be a powerful tool for raising awareness, breaking down stigma and connecting communities to critical resources. #stigma #messaging #administration
Sarah Halse, CSPS, HRS | Opioid Initiative Coordinator, Charleston Center
Sarah Halse serves as the Opioid Initiative Coordinator at the Charleston Center, bringing over 15 years of experience in substance use prevention. She is a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist (CSPS) and a Certified Harm Reduction Specialist (HRS), with a deep commitment to reducing the impact of the opioid crisis through education, outreach, and innovation. Sarah is an active member of the South Carolina Association of Prevention Professionals and Advocates (SCAPPA), and she is passionate about connecting communities to life-saving resources, reducing stigma, and fostering public awareness around harm reduction and prevention strategies.
Kelley Grobmyer
Kelley Grobmyer is a seasoned Program Manager at the Charleston Center with 28 years of experience in the behavioral health field. She holds a Master of Ed in Community Counseling and is a Certified Harm Reduction Specialist (HRS), with a career dedicated to supporting individuals and communities impacted by substance use. Kelley has extensive expertise in program development, harm reduction strategies, and community engagement. Her work focuses on building sustainable, person-centered approaches to care and expanding access to critical services. Through nearly three decades of service, Kelley has remained a passionate advocate for equity, recovery, and public health innovation.
The SC State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) is a collaborative endeavor between SC DPH and SC’s 46 county coroners to monitor and report fatal drug overdose trends and circumstances (i.e., events and conditions before or during overdose) to the CDC. SUDORS supports data-driven overdose prevention and response at state and local levels. Presenters will review the SUDORS annual fatal overdose report, highlight program implementation wins and challenges, and share next steps. #data #prevention
Emily Ash
Emily Ash is an Injury Epidemiologist in SC DPH’s Injury, Tobacco, and Substance Use Prevention Section. In her position, she analyzes a wide range of intentional and unintentional injury and substance use data to aid in information sharing and prevention efforts across the state.
Marlene Al-Barwani
Marlene Al-Barwani is the Assistant Unit Manager for SC DPH’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) and the SC Violent Death Reporting System. She directs staff training, quality assurance and improvement, and the development of special surveillance projects to monitor and report the circumstances of unintentional and intentional drug overdose and violent deaths.
Misha Nazir
Misha Nazir is a SUDORS Abstractor from CDC Foundation with her jurisdiction being SC DPH. As the lead for the Upstate and PeeDee regions, she abstracts unintentional and undetermined-intent overdose data from source documents into the reporting system for
data analysis and overdose response efforts.
This session explores how HIV prevention pharmacotherapy can be used effectively in patients with any substance use disorder. Participants will examine clinical indications, prescribing strategies, and real-world challenges in integrating HIV prevention into addiction-related care, with a focus on pharmacologic solutions. #infectiousdisease #cooccurence
Hayley Berry, BCAP, AAHIVP
Hayley T. Berry, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP, is a clinical pharmacist specializing in ambulatory care and HIV treatment and prevention. She serves as a Clinical Instructor at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Medicine and practices in the MUSC outpatient Infectious Diseases clinic. Dr. Berry has special focus on HIV prevention, long-acting injectable antiretrovirals, and Psych ID care.
Jails play a critical role in addressing opioid use disorder through medication-assisted treatment (MAT). This presentation explores how correctional facilities can implement and sustain effective MAT programs to improve access to care and reduce overdose deaths. Experts will discuss best practices, funding strategies, program development, and measurable outcomes from the Greenville County Detention Center’s MAT program, offering insights on overcoming challenges and ensuring lasting impact. #treatment #publicsafety #administration #incarceration
Natatlie Ragsdale
Dr. Natalie Ragsdale, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, is dedicated to advancing healthcare through education, innovation, and compassionate care. She earned her doctorate from Clemson University and has over a decade of emergency nursing experience, developing expertise in clinical practice and patient-centered care.
Since joining the Greenville County Detention Center in 2018, Dr. Ragsdale has been committed to addressing substance use challenges and implementing forward-thinking healthcare solutions. In her role as Education, Training, and Compliance Manager for Health Services, she leads quality improvement initiatives that enhance patient care, improve operational efficiency, and drive meaningful advancements in correctional healthcare.
Marty Lutz
Dr. Marty Lutz is a dedicated Emergency Medicine physician who has served the Greenville community since completing his residency in 1984. He has held leadership roles at Greenville Health System/Prisma Health, including President of the Medical
Staff, Chief of Emergency Medical Transport Services, and Chairman of Emergency Medicine. In 2009, he became the Medical Director of the Greenville County Detention Center and
Medical Control Physician for Greenville County EMS. After retiring from Prisma Health in 2023, he chose to continue serving in these roles as a part-time Greenville County employee, driven by his passion for EMS and correctional healthcare.
April Roberts
April Roberts, a Registered Nurse, has dedicated over 20 years to Greenville County, beginning her career in EMS as a Paramedic before transitioning into nursing. She later joined the Greenville County Detention Center, where she has held multiple healthcare
and leadership roles. Over the last eight years, she has served as Health Services Administrator, overseeing operations and advancing healthcare access for incarcerated patients. A Certified Correctional Healthcare Professional, April’s expertise spans emergency medicine, community health, corrections, and healthcare administration. She is committed to fostering quality care through collaboration and ensuring lasting positive outcomes for those within the correctional system.
This presentation explores the foundational principles of Recovery Friendly Workplaces and the critical role employers play in supporting individuals in or seeking recovery from substance use disorders. It features insights from both employers and employees with lived experience, highlighting the impact of supportive environments on long-term success. Emphasis is placed on community collaboration, inclusive workplace policies, and stigma reduction. #recovery #administration #stigma
Jessica Seel, MPH
Jessica Seel joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2018 as the workforce program manager. She currently serves as Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives & Workforce Development.
As the Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives, Jessica leads SCORH’s efforts to eliminate barriers to mental healthcare and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use within rural communities. This work includes suicide prevention programs, and collaborations to address substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Jessica is the program lead on the Developing Recovery-Supportive Employment in the Appalachian Mountain Region of South Carolina (DREAMS) project funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission INSPIRE grant.
A Columbia native, Jessica received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Columbia College and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining SCORH, she worked in the healthcare field in various capacities including marketing, management, and community education.
Jessica serves as President of the National Rural Recruitment and Retention network (3RNET) and on the board of directors for Westview Behavioral Health and CARPS SC, a rural recovery community organization. Jessica also serves on the Advisory Board for the SC Center of Excellence in Addiction.
Darin Thomas
I am a Licensed Master Social Worker with 20 years of experience in healthcare across three distinct functions, case management, mental and behavioral health, and community/population health.
Tedra Cobb
Tedra L. Cobb is president of her consulting firm, Tedra L. Cobb & Associates. Cobb’s expertise is in program and organizational development and facilitation of highly effective, interactive educational workshops. Her diverse experience ranges from bilingual counseling (Spanish) in the New York State prison system to directing a community-based health coalition. She currently serves as a consultant trainer for the University of Rochester Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence and travels across the country working with rural communities to address stigma and substance use disorder. Her civic engagement includes two terms as an elected county legislator, a run for Congress, and appointments to the NY State Committee on Open Government and the Northern New York Healthcare Redesign Commission. The common thread throughout her career is building community.
This presentation details the launch of an inpatient addiction medicine consult service at Mcleod Regional Medical Center as pioneered by the Family Medicine residency, aiming to facilitate transition to outpatient care for patients admitted with OUD. This presentation will discuss the implementation of the program, surveying initial data on outcomes and uptake by providers in our medical system. #treatment #healthsystem
Tabitha Davis Stellato
Tabitha Davis Stellato, MD is the Assocaite Program Director of the McLeod Family Medicine Residency in Florence, SC. She attended medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA and completed her residency at Washington Health System in
Washington, PA. She is boarded in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine.
RIZE Prevention is committed to destigmatizing addiction within the faith community by uniting the science of addiction with the transformative power of faith. Our signature BEYOND Genesis 3 approach makes this connection relevant and practically applicable for churches and faith-based groups. Our approach empowers them to become powerful advocates for prevention, treatment and recovery. #prevention #faith-based
Martine Helou-Allen
Martine Helou-Allen is the founder and executive director of RIZE Prevention, a nonprofit in South Carolina that focuses on early prevention and intervention related to substance abuse and addiction. A Political Science and Health and Exercise Science graduate of Furman University, Martine’s passion for saving teens from the destructive and increasingly fatal consequences of drug use has enabled her to create innovative, evidence-based prevention programming that is delivered to middle schools, community organizations, and houses of worship. Prior to founding RIZE Prevention, Martine was the Community Relations Director at the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, an experience that sparked her vision to create and deliver her first drug prevention program “Anything But Free” to teens throughout the state. Martine is an internationally certified adolescent addiction and motivation coach and is a member of the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board. She currently lives in Greenville with her husband Scott and her two sons, Sami and Michael.
This will be a single speaker presentation that will employ education, discussion, and possibly some practice (if time allows). This presentation looks at why family involvement is crucial in substance use disorder treatment, and the best practices to use for families in substance use disorder treatment. #treatment #familysystems
Ashton Tisdale. LISW-CP, LAC, AADC
I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW-CP), Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC), and Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC). I am originally from Charlotte, NC and have been living and working in the Columbia area since 2012. I received a Bachelor of Sciences in Psychology degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012, and received a Masters in Social Work at the University of South Carolina in 2014. I have 13 years of experience working with people with substance use disorders and their families, in a variety of settings, including inpatient detoxification, intensive outpatient (for adolescents and adults), monitoring for healthcare professionals, college counseling setting, and private practice therapy.
This session will review pearls for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in the perinatal period and will be led by an obstetrics and psychiatry team. Diagnostic criteria, risks of non-treatment vs treatment, and trauma informed care approaches will be highlighted. Comorbidities and barriers to care will be discussed. Medications for treatment will be reviewed. Treatment modalities beyond medication will be discussed. Resources for continued education and support will be provided. #treatment #cooccurence
Melissa Kennedy
Dr. Melissa Kennedy is a board-certified Obstetrician Gynecologist (OB/GYN) with over a decade of experience. She graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan and completed OB/GYN residency at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, where she was the clinical chief resident. After residency she continued general OB/GYN work in private practice, where she was honored with an excellence in professional practice award and as an Hour Media Top Doc. She is an assistant professor at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and has enjoyed teaching trainees. She has received a residency faculty teaching award and an APGO/CREOG medical student national teaching award. Most recently, she pursued further education and is concluding a reproductive psychiatry fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina in June, 2025.
Dawn Boender
Dr. Dawn Boender is an Assistant Professor in both the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Reproductive Behavioral Health clinics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Dr. Boender is a board-certified OB/GYN. She attended medical school at Sanford School of Medicine in South Dakota, and she completed OB/GYN residency through the University of Kansas (KU) Wichita. She went on to work as a general OB/GYN in rural South Dakota for many years. She returned to education in psychiatry and completed fellowship training in Reproductive
Psychiatry in 2024 at MUSC. Her professional interests include treatment of mood and anxiety disorders that are aTected by hormonal changes, including the perinatal, menstrual, and perimenopausal time periods.
Elizabeth Monter
Dr. Elizabeth Monter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Dr. Monter attended medical school at Kansas City University and completed her general psychiatry residency training at Eastern Virginia Medical School. She also completed a fellowship in reproductive psychiatry at MUSC. Her professional interests include treating women with peripartum depression and anxiety, OCD and trauma-related disorders. She enjoys teaching and working with trainees, including psychiatry residents and fellows in the Women’s Reproductive Behavioral Health Clinic.
The results from the South Carolina site of the PILOT multi-site trial, including outcomes on harm reduction, treatment engagement, and substance use will be reviewed, with discussion and implications for real-world practice. #treatment #harmreduction #healthsystem
Kelly Barth, DO
Kelly Barth, DO is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she is involved with clinical care, medical education and clinical research in the area of Substance Use Disorders. She served as the Principal Investigator of the Peer Intervention to Link Overdose Survivors to Treatment (PILOT), an NIH HEAL-funded multi-site trial evaluating the effects of Peer Support on substance use, overdose risk behaviors, treatment engagement and recovery.
Anthony Fasco
With almost 10 years of clinical research experience, Anthony Faso is the research manager at Prisma Health’s Addiction Medicine Center. He leads the center’s portfolio of industry-sponsored and NIDA CTN trials and oversees Hepatitis C and HIV screening and linkage-to-care efforts across Prisma Health.
Rich Jones
Rich Jones is an experienced therapist, clinician, and health care entrepreneur operating primarily in the behavioral health space. He has wide-ranging professional experience across nearly all behavioral health domains, including mental health, substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and intellectual disabilities. Rich is also a person in long term recovery from an opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder and a certified peer support specialist. He was the founding CEO of one of the nation’s premier recovery community centers-FAVOR Upstate. FAVOR Upstate remains one of the most high profile and effective recovery support programs in the Southeast. Rich has over 25 years of management experience and has been instrumental in launching and rebuilding multiple programs nationwide. He is passionate about providing quality care and supporting people in need. As the co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Youturn Health and
Most importantly, Rich is a person in long term recovery since 2001 and a person in family recovery. Rich has distinguished himself as a leader in the national recovery movement serving on multiple boards and committees including the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, SAMHSA office of recovery, NIDA CIRCL peer support group, FAVOR Western Pennsylvania, and Sages Army two regional Recovery Community Centers in Western Pennsylvania.
The South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund (SCORF) Board administers all opioid abatement funding in South Carolina. The Board wants to hear from community members about their ideas and how abatement funds are impacting and can continue to impact their communities. This session will be a live public comment opportunity for any Summit attendee to speak directly with Board members. #abatementfunds #administration
Roberta Braneck
Roberta Braneck is the Program Administrator for the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund (SCORF) where she coordinates and manages the opioid settlement funds and programming for the SCORF Board. Prior to this position, from 2017 until 2022, she served as the State Opioid Response Director for the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) where she managed the State Opioid Response project and
served as liaison with opioid treatment programs, and federal, state and local agencies. Roberta worked in New Jersey for many years, as a clinician and administrator in the treatment community. Roberta works to develop positive working relationships with stakeholders, both in the local community and state government to achieve the goal of accessible, quality substance use services, thereby improving the health status, safety, and quality of life of individuals, families, and communities. Roberta holds a MA Degree in Applied Clinical Psychology from William Paterson University.
Eric Bedingfield
Eric Michael Bedingfield lives with his wife, Kim, in Greenville, South Carolina. Together, they have five children. Eric served on the Greenville County Council from 2002-2006 and was the Chairman of the Planning and Development Committee. Eric also served in the SC House for District 28 from 2006-2018. He was the Chair of the House Regulations and Administrative Procedures Committee and the Chairman of the SC House Opioid Abuse Prevention Study Committee. Eric works as the Assistant Vice President of Governmental Affairs at Greenville Technical College where also started the Greenville Technical Collegiate Recovery Program.
Toby Chappell
Toby Chappell is the County Manager for Greenwood County, South Carolina. Originally from Henderson, North Carolina, Toby graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. In 1998, Toby worked for the Raleigh Police Department. In 2007, he earned a master’s in Public Administration from North Carolina State University and was later hired by Gates County, North Carolina as the County Manager. Toby is married to Caroline Peeler Chappell, and together they have one child.
Steve Donaldson
Steven Donaldson is a former licensed alcohol and drug counselor, certified master's addiction counselor, and clinical supervisor. His undergraduate degree and master's degrees are from the University of South Carolina where he earned a master's in Education (Rehabilitation Counseling) and a master's certificate in Alcohol and Drug Studies. Steve is formerly the Executive Director of the Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department. Steve currently serves as a Consultant. Steve has 34 years of professional experience as a therapist, quality assurance and treatment director, and executive leadership experience. He has served on multiple boards and volunteered for churches, the Salvation Army, and domestic violence shelters.
Martine Helou-Allen
Martine Helou-Allen is the founder and executive director of RIZE Prevention, a nonprofit in South Carolina that focuses on early prevention and intervention related to substance abuse and addiction. A Political Science and Health and Exercise Science graduate of Furman University, Martine’s passion for saving teens from the destructive and increasingly fatal consequences of drug use has enabled her to create innovative, evidence-based prevention programming that is delivered to middle schools, community organizations, and houses of worship. Prior to founding RIZE Prevention, Martine was the Community Relations Director at the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, an experience that sparked her vision to create and deliver her first drug prevention program “Anything But Free” to teens throughout the state. Martine is an internationally certified adolescent addiction and motivation coach and is a member of the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board. She currently lives in Greenville with her husband Scott and her two sons, Sami and Michael.
Gain an understanding of how PAWS (post-acute withdrawal symptoms) present for individuals in early recovery, and the risk these symptoms pose to their recovery efforts; learn strategies to offer to those in early recovery who may be struggling with PAWS and/or ADHD to better manage their recovery experience. #treatment #recovery
Christina Jones
Christina Jones, a South Carolina native, has worked at the University of South Carolina since 2015. She is an active board member and current treasurer for the Addictions Professionals of South Carolina (a NAADAC affiliate) and has served on the board since 2019. Christina earned her master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling with a Certificate in Psychiatric Counseling from USC. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor and a Master Addictions Counselor. She has worked with diverse populations across outpatient and IOP substance use programs, vocational rehab, private practice, and college counseling. Christina offers specialized experience working with the recovery and neurodivergent community, and is passionate about helping others build more fulfilling lives.
This presentation explores how the COAP (Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program) and LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) initiatives collaborate with Counseling Services of Lancaster (County Commission) to address substance use disorders in a community-based, recovery-focused framework. It highlights how law enforcement and behavioral health providers work together to divert individuals from the criminal justice system into treatment and support services. #publicsafety #firstresponders #treatment
Ashley Hiers
Ashley Hiers is the Executive Director of Counseling Services of Lancaster, the county’s state-designated substance use treatment provider. A person in long-term recovery herself, Ashley brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work. Under her leadership, the agency has expanded its role in diversion and harm reduction initiatives, serving as a key behavioral health partner in Lancaster County’s COAP and LEAD programs. Counseling Services provides assessments, treatment, and case management for individuals diverted from the criminal justice system. Ashley advocates for recovery-oriented systems of care and regularly collaborates with law enforcement, courts, and state agencies to reduce overdose deaths and support lasting recovery.
Jeff Hilton
Jeff Hilton is a law enforcement veteran with over 40 years of dedicated service. He currently serves as Captain of Support Services at the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, where he leads several of the agency’s most impactful community programs, including the
LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) initiative and the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP). His career reflects a strong commitment to public safety, innovative diversion strategies, and building collaborative solutions to address substance use and community wellness.
Jill Newman
Jill Newman is Project Director for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program at Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. She leads a team of first responders including case management to combat the opioid crisis in her hometown. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts.
Hannah Watts
Hannah Watts has been with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office for three years, where she has served as the Project Coordinator for the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion
Program. Prior to working at the sheriff’s office, she studied Political Science at Clemson University. In her role, she manages the federal grant that funds the program, oversees all grant-funded programming, as well as provide annual training to all Lancaster County Sheriff’s Deputies on the LEAD program. She was born and raised in Lancaster and still resides in the community in which she serves.
The presentation will address the chronic nature of SUD, understanding levels of care and community resources, and understanding certification/licensure pathways. #treatment #administration
Jessica Owens
Jessica Owens is a Licensed Addictions Counselor, Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and Master Addictions Counselor. Jessica has a Masters in Human Services with a focus in Marriage and Family Counseling from Liberty University and a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Clemson University. She has a vast knowledge of substance use disorder treatment throughout the treatment continuum. Jessica has experience working in multiple settings such as traditional adult/adolescent outpatient treatment, office-based opioid treatment, residential treatment, withdrawal management, and community harm reduction work. Jessica is a strong believer in person-centered and trauma-informed approaches in helping individuals meet their goals.
Michael Crouch
Michael Crouch is a National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (NCPRSS) through the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals, a Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS), and an Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Process (ADC-IP) through Addiction Professionals of South Carolina (APSC) Michael has a Bachelor’s in Human Services/Behavioral Health and is an Addiction Recovery Education Consultant. He has a vast knowledge of addiction treatment, peer-based recovery services, and engagement strategies. Michael utilizes evidence-based practices to help individuals and families affected by substance use disorder (SUD) as well as people who use drugs (PWUDs). Michael has experience working in multiple settings such as traditional SUD outpatient treatment, office-based opioid treatment, overdose follow-ups with community paramedics, the criminal justice system, emergency department, inpatient and outpatient care within a healthcare system, research, harm reduction services, managing a Recovery Community Organization(RCO), training CPSS during the state certification process and ongoing continuing education. Michael is a strong believer in strength-based, person-centered, and trauma-informed approaches to addressing public health, SUD, and mental health.
There are many psychoactive substances that are "for sale" in area retail stores such as gas stations, convenience stores, and vape shops. However, we are not talking about alcohol and tobacco. We are talking about "legal" forms of marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamines that are being sold openly across South Carolina. Unfortunately, the sale of these substances is largely unregulated. #publicsafety #prevention
Allen Easler
Allen Easler is the Prevention Coordinator at Cornerstone, the alcohol and drug abuse commission serving Greenwood, Edgefield, McCormick, and Abbeville Counties. He has worked in the substance use prevention field since 2000 and is a Certified Senior Prevention
Specialist. Prior to working in prevention, he worked as a high school social studies teacher and as a newspaper reporter. He graduated Ninety Six High School in Ninety Six, SC and Erskine College in Due West, SC.
Stigma remains pervasive among both emergency medicine (EM) physicians and emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and combating this stigma to increase quality of care for overdose survivors. This presentation will discuss perceptions of overdose survivors from EM physicians and EMS clinicians highlighting topics to tackle with educational initiatives. #stigma #treatment #firstresponders #healthsystem
Mirinda Gormley
Dr. Mirinda Ann Gormley is an epidemiologist and biostatistician for the Prisma Health Upstate Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Gormley’s research identifies and address barriers to accessing treatment for patients with substance use disorders, patients with hepatitis C Virus, and individuals living with HIV. Dr. Gormley also works closely with the Prisma Health Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Prisma Health Ambulance Services evaluating a number of interventions, including programs which link the aforementioned populations to treatment. Dr. Gormley’s scholarly publications have explored: Prehospital blood use in pediatric patients, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in the ED, prehospital buprenorphine programs in the United States, and barriers to accessing treatment for OUD in the United States.
Wesley Wamper
Community paramedic (CP) Wesley Wampler has over 24 years of EMS experience. With 20 years as a volunteer and career paramedic, critical care paramedic, operations supervisor and communications supervisor in an urban EMS system, and 4 years’ experience as a community paramedic in a rural EMS system working primarily with individuals with OUD. CP Wampler currently leads the collaborative telehealth initiative, the CP HCV iLink program, working on treating the Hepatitis C Virus among individuals who inject drugs with no access to traditional outpatient care. CP Wampler currently works for the Prisma Health Addiction Medicine Center, connecting overdose survivors to treatment for opioid use disorder following a nonfatal opioid overdose. CP Wampler has a Bachelor of Science (BS) in program management, a BS in economic and he is currently studying for his masters of public health at USC Arnold School of Public Health.
This breakout session, The Heart of Recovery: Building a Successful Recovery Community Organization, will introduce attendees to the core functions and impact of Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs). Led by The Courage Center’s executive team, the session will explore the essential components of a thriving RCO—including peer support, sustainable funding, outreach, and advocacy—while highlighting how RCOs complement clinical treatment and build recovery capital. #recovery #administration
Randy Rush
As Executive Director of The Courage Center, Dr. Randy Rush leads an expanding recovery community organization focused on providing a safe and supportive setting for individuals and families seeking recovery from substance misuse and addiction. Prior to becoming executive director, Randy served on the board of directors and he and his wife were volunteer family recovery coaches. Prior to this role, Randy built and led high-performing enterprise sales teams in software, outsourcing, and implementation services for major corporations. His unique background combines Fortune 500 sales leadership with purpose-driven community impact, giving him valuable insights into driving organizational growth while creating meaningful change.
Trish England
Trish England stands out as an inspiring leader in South Carolina’s recovery movement, informed by her own transformative journey that began in 2014. As a State Certified Peer Support Specialist and Program Director for The Courage Center’s Aiken, Lexington, and Richland offices, Trish—alongside her dedicated team—has driven a remarkable increase in participant engagement from 98 to more than 1,700 annually. Under her leadership, the staff has expanded from just 3 to 38 team members. Trish’s unwavering commitment to justice-involved individuals is evident in her purposeful hiring of formerly incarcerated staff as peer support specialists, creating meaningful pathways for empowerment and successful reintegration. In addition to her work at The Courage Center, she serves on the Peer Support Specialists Certification Commission with the Addiction Professionals of South Carolina, playing an integral role in shaping statewide standards for training and certification.
Lila Cromer
Lila Cromer is the Events and Marketing Coordinator for The Courage Center. A graduate of the Unviersity of South Carolina, Lila is responsible for social media, advertising, and events for a growing recovery community organization with four offices and a media presence on radio, billboards, and social media.
William McCauley
Virginia Geddings
Stigma remains a powerful barrier for individuals with co-occurring trauma and substance use disorders—especially opioid use disorder. This session explores how stigma impacts access, engagement, and outcomes, with an emphasis on trauma-informed, co-occurring-capable care. Participants will gain tools to recognize and reduce stigma, enhance screening and treatment planning skills that improve access, and apply practical strategies that support recovery. #stigma #treatment #recovery
Amanda Jordan
Amanda Jordan, LPC, LPC-S, LAC, CS is the Clinical Director at BHG Charleston Treatment Center, bringing over a decade of experience in treating substance use disorders and leading a clinical team within an opioid treatment program (OTP) setting. Amanda leads with a strong commitment to harm reduction, individualized care, and counselor development. Her work demonstrates a deep dedication to improving patient outcomes and advancing the field of addiction treatment through compassionate, evidence-based practices. As a supervisor, she is equally committed to developing competent, caring professionals in the field of substance use disorder treatment. Additionally, Amanda is a strong advocate in the Charleston community for reducing overdose deaths, combatting stigma surrounding addiction, and increasing access to life-saving interventions such as naloxone (Narcan). Through education, outreach, and leadership, she strives to create a more informed and compassionate response to the opioid crisis.
The Center of Excellence provides free support services to localities as they implement their abatement funded activities. Participants will learn about how to access/request technical assistance and what a typical technical assistance experience looks like, how to connect with folks across the state doing the same or similar work with abatement funds, and how to use the data analytics tools the Center provides to best target their resources and strategies. #administration #abatementfunds #data
Jodi Manz, MSW
Jodi Manz, MSW, is the Director of the South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction (COE). She leads operations of the COE, a mult-institute collaboration that maximizes South Carolina’s opioid and substance use disorder expertise and resources. Prior to her role with the COE, Jodi was the Chief Behavioral Health Officer for Clear Bell Solutions, a South Carolina healthcare consulting company, and she was previously the Director for Behavioral Health, Aging, and Disability at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Jodi was also appointed as Virginia’s Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Resources under two consecutive governors, coordinating Virginia’s opioid and SUD response, using legislative, regulatory, and budgetary levers to address the overdose crisis across state agencies and secretariats. She also oversaw outreach and implementation efforts for Virginia’s federally facilitated healthcare marketplace as part of the state’s Affordable Care Act implementation.
Christina Andrews
Christina M. Andrews, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Services Policy and Management at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on public financing of substance use disorder treatment. She is currently leading two large-scale multi-year studies funded by the National Institutes of Health assessing the effects of Medicaid managed care on access to opioid use disorder treatment and alcohol use disorder treatment. Dr. Andrews also serves as Regional Editor for the Americas for Addiction, a leading journal in the field. Her research has been supported by the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and other governmental and nonprofit organizations. She received her PhD in Social Policy from the University of Chicago
Laura Bogardus
Laura S. Bogardus, Ph.D., SHRM, SCP, is co-president of Side by Side Strategies, LLC, an organizational strategy consulting firm. She recently served as Associate Director with Clemson University’s Addiction and Mental Health Research Center, where she managed operations and provided opioid use disorder abatement technical
assistance throughout South Carolina. With Side by Side, she serves as a technical expert on community planning and program implementation for opioid use disorder abatement and other social determinants of health issues.
Sara Goldsby
Sara Goldsby, MSW, MPH has led South Carolina’s state substance use authority since 2016, first as Director of the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (2016-2025) and now as Office Director of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities’ Office of Substance Use Services.
Under her leadership, the state authority has been instrumental in implementing many prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery strategies statewide. Office Director Goldsby earned her Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health degrees – with an emphasis on health services, policy, and management – from the University of South Carolina in 2015. In 2019, she was recipient of the national Ramstad/Kennedy Award in recognition of her leadership and
support of recovery programming. She currently serves as President of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors and is appointed to several national and federal substance use advisory committees.
Alan Litwin
Dr. Alain Litwin MD, MPH, MS is Chief Scientific Officer for Prisma Health where he provides strategic and operational direction for Prisma Health’s research endeavors, promotes the success of investigators and academic partners, turns discovery into commercialization, and disseminates advances nationally and globally. Dr. Litwin is dual board-certified in Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine and joined Prisma Health in 2017 where he serves as Executive Director of the Prisma Health Addiction Medicine Center. Dr. Litwin also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research at Clemson University where he co-leads the Technical Assistance Core for the South Carolina Center of Excellence.
Edward Simmer
Dr. Edward Simmer is the interim director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health, a position he has held since the agency was created on July 1, 2024. From Feb. 4, 2021 – June 30, 2024 he was the director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Prior to being confirmed as agency director, Dr. Simmer served over thirty years on active duty in the United States Navy. A native of Ohio, he is board certified in general and forensic psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is certified in administrative psychiatry by the American Psychiatric Association. He is also a distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Brady is an experienced clinical and translational researcher and has been conducting scientific investigations and clinical work in the field of addictions and psychiatric disorders for over 40 years. Her focus is on pharmacotherapy and neurobiology of addictions, comorbid psychiatric disorders and gender differences in addictions. She has received numerous federal research grants and has published over 400 peer-reviewed journal articles and edited/co-edited 10 books. She is the former Vice President for Research at the Medical University of South Carolina. She has been a member of AAAP for over 25 years and has served at the President of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Use Disorders (AMERSA), the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) and is the immediate past president of International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM).
We will present concepts related to harm reduction. We will also present the work that Challenges Inc, Carolina Wellness, and CARPS SC have done and their efficacy as a result of being harm reduction oriented. #intervention #administration #recovery
Nicole Criss
Nicole Criss is a woman in recovery from substance use disorder. She worked in healthcare administration for twenty years before experiencing a back problem which resulted in her becoming addicted to opioids. When she found recovery, she decided to dedicate the rest of her life influencing systemic change, providing hope, and supporting others in their journey to wellness. Nicole returned to college and obtained her master’s degree in Addiction Studies and her Doctorate in Human Services. Her capstone project for her Doctorate focused on addressing the barriers patients with opioid use disorder face when seeking medication for their opioid use disorder in community health centers. She volunteers on several boards in her community and at the state level that addresses substance use disorder and advocacy. She has focused her efforts on gaining different experiences, trainings, and connections allowing her to grow the Recovery Support profession. Nicole believes in the importance of peer support in her quest to do whatever possible to help save a human life in a society becoming traumatized by the excessive and unnecessary loss of life from substance use disorder. She was a Field Reviewer for SAMHSA’s TIP publication titled Incorporating Peer Support into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services. Nicole has worked in several roles including being a behavioral health case manager for an MOUD program at an FQHC and as a Project Manager to help grow recovery in the rural areas of Maine. Her current position is the co-founder and Executive Director of CARPS SC, a Recovery Community Organization (RCO), serving rural areas of South Carolina.
Greg Jacobs
Greg Jacobs is currently the co-founder and Deputy Director of the Community-based Alliance of Rural Peer Support in South Carolina (CARPS SC). He holds a bachelor’s degree in health systems management and is a Certified Peer Support Specialist. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in various roles in the field of substance use disorder treatment and recovery services including Admissions Director, Program Administrator, Referral Development, Marketing Manager, Adult Drug Court Treatment Liaison.
He has also worked at the state level of government as a Program Supervisor with the Dept. of Health and Human Services Medicaid Division and as Program Coordinator with the South Carolina Dept. of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) in the Treatment and Recovery Services Division.
Greg has dedicated his professional and personal life to helping develop and maintain appropriate recovery support services to underserved populations in the state of South Carolina. Greg was introduced to a singular pathway of recovery in 1989, and he began his own personal and continuous recovery journey in 1997 with the help of multiple pathways.
There is a high comorbidity of substance use disorders (SUDs) across all healthcare settings and the acute medical setting is an important opportunity to engage these patients in treatment and linkage to care. The transition from the acute medical setting is a high-risk time and it is important to offer low-barrier evidence-based medications and harm reduction education. This presentation addresses two innovative models to bridge the gap in treatment, reduce barriers, and retain in treatment. #cooccurence #treatment #intervention #healthsystem
Allison Smith
Dr. Allison Smith is a native of West Virginia and attended West Virginia University for her undergraduate and medical school training. She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry and fellowship training in Addiction Psychiatry at MUSC. She joined as faculty in July 2020 as an Assistant Professor with a dual appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine. Her passion is caring for medically complicated patients with co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses and substance use disorders and optimizing transitions of care from the acute medical setting. She is a clinician-researcher with interest in dissemination and implementation science and health services research. She clinically splits her time in the inpatient setting as a Consult Liaison attending and, in the outpatient, setting supervising residents in the Bio-behavioral Medicine Clinic. Her research interest is in the medically ill population with substance use disorders and creating innovative, integrated models of care to engage this population in treatment. She is the Primary Investigator and Medical Director for a state grant that has expanded addiction-based services in the inpatient medical hospital setting, which won an award for an innovative model for integrated care at the national Med-Psych conference in 2022. She also implemented an Opiod Use Disorder Bridge Clinic to improve retention in treatment for those transitioning from the medical setting with state opioid abatement funds.
Lindsey McKinney
My name is Lindsey McKinney and I am from Greenville, SC. I am a woman in long term recovery with a little over 6 years of sobriety. I currently live in Charleston, SC with my wonderful husband and four beautiful children. Helping guide people into recovery is more than just a job for me. It is my passion! I am dedicated to continue sharing my story in hopes of inspiring others that they can recover too.
Friday, November 14
The best way to learn mindfulness is to experience it directly. This workshop emphasizes active practice, giving participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in guided exercises designed to foster calm, awareness, and presence. Over the course of the hour, participants will engage in a variety of mindfulness practices, explore how these can be applied in daily life, and leave with structured interventions they can continue to use beyond the workshop. The session is intended not only to provide immediate benefit, but also to prepare participants with a grounded, attentive mindset for a full day of learning.
Benjamin Barth, LPCS, LAC, CS
Benjamin Barth has been a clinical counselor since entering the field in 2011 with an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Central Florida. He currently serves as the Director of Clinical Services with Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County, providing clinical supervision and ongoing counseling services. His clinical journey has focused on treatment of child/adolescent clients, marital therapy, family therapy, trauma, addiction, and treatment of mood disorders.
He is specialty trained and experienced in the delivery of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Process therapy (IPT), Somatic Experiencing (SE), and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Additionally, he is a professional trainer, focused on topics to include, but not limited to IPT, CBT, Self-Care, Tech Addiction, trauma focused treatment, clinical supervision, and counselor development.
Our brains are constantly changing and adapting based upon our thought patterns, experiences, and lifestyle. This adaptability of the human brain—known as neuroplasticity—has profound implications for individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders. By connecting science with practice, conference attendees will gain an understanding of how brain plasticity enables both vulnerability and resilience in the face of trauma, addiction, and mental illness. Simple examples and practical ideas will demonstrate how understanding brain plasticity can provide hope, support recovery, and help people build healthier lives.
This keynote presentation will highlight:
- The role of environment, experiences, and thought patterns in shaping neural pathways.
- How brain plasticity influences the development and persistence of mental health and substance use disorders.
- Evidence-based strategies that harness brain plasticity to support recovery, healing, and long-term wellness.
Kristen Gilliland, PhD
Research Assistant Professor – Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery
at Vanderbilt
President and Executive Director – 22 Forever
Professor Emeritus, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Kristen earned her Ph.D. at the University of Colorado, Boulder in Chemistry. She later served as an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Cal Poly State University, San Luis
Obispo where she taught Organic Chemistry, Neurochemistry, and the Chemistry of Drugs and Poisons. After Kristen’s 17-year-old son, Anders, developed schizophrenia – which was most likely associated with his high-potency cannabis use in his early teens - Kristen joined the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery at Vanderbilt University (2018). At Vanderbilt, she researched new antipsychotic treatments for schizophrenia. During that same year, Kristen delivered a TEDx presentation titled Rewiring Revolution: Neuroplasticity’s Impact on Wellbeing. Tragically, Kristen lost her son to an accidental overdose in 2019 after his mental health severely declined, and he became addicted to opioids and stimulants. Two years after her devastating loss, Kristen changed the trajectory of her life to utilize her scientific teaching, presentation, and research skills to educate adolescent-aged children and their parents on mental health challenges and how it can lead to substance use and self-harm. As the Director of Outreach and Advocacy Programs and Assistant Professor of Research at the Warren Center, Kristen delivered presentations nationwide to youth, parents, law enforcement, legislators, prevention coalitions, and recovery programs. In addition, she developed a multi award-winning educational documentary aimed at youth titled “Speaking Through Me” that was released August 2023. Kristen has appeared on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and NewsNation: Elizabeth Vargas Reports regarding increased psychosis risk with high-potency cannabis use during adolescence. The overwhelming desire to reach more youth called Kristen to launch the non-profit “22 Forever” in memory of her son, Anders. As the President and Executive Director of 22 Forever and Assistant Professor of Research at Vanderbilt, Kristen delivers adolescent brain health presentations both nationally and internationally. 22 Forever’s focus also includes the development of a middle school brain health curriculum as a means of adolescent mental health and substance use disorder prevention.
Our focus is on the timeline from 2016 to the current day to present on what we have learned and built over that time through collaboration, partnership and the use of SCORF funding. The Timeline will provide an overview, and the Panel Discussion will follow up on that in more detail and allow for audience guided questions. #publicsafety #firstresponders #abatementfunds #administration
Stephen Kudron, MA
Steve is originally from Springfield, Massachusetts and moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in 2012. Steve has worked in South Carolina law enforcement since 2013.
He began his career with the Mount Pleasant Police Department where he worked for 10 years in the Patrol Bureau before moving to the Community Wellness Unit in 2023. During his time in the Patrol Bureau, he was promoted to Field Training Officer in 2017 and Sergeant in 2021. Steve held collateral duties on the SWAT team and served as the Negotiations Team Leader. In 2025, Steve was promoted to Lieutenant at the Charleston County Sheriff's Office where he will develop and oversee the newly formed Community Wellness Unit. This unit focuses on opioid response, mental health follow-up, homeless outreach and internal peer support for Deputies.
Prior to moving into law enforcement, Steve worked in community based mental health treatment programs in Massachusetts, South Carolina and Ohio for 17 years. During this time, he worked in a variety of roles ranging from direct care to Director of Residential Services. Steve holds an MA in Psychology (2006) and a BA in Psychology (1998 Cum Laude) with a double major in Criminal Justice from Westfield State University in Massachusetts.
Sean Varano
Dr. Sean Varano is a Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Roger Williams University and a senior research associate with Kelley Research Associates (Norwell, MA). Dr. Varano's area of expertise are in law enforcement policy and practice, innovative approaches to violence reduction, youth gangs, and evaluation research. Dr. Varano is an active collaborator with local communities implementing and evaluating evidence-based approaches to crime and public health. Dr. Varano has also worked extensively throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and South Carolina on efforts to reduce the prevalence of intentional drug overdoses, particularly related to opiates. Dr. Varano is a 2002 graduate of Michigan State University (Ph.D.) and previously worked for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
Pam Kelley
Pamela Kelley is the Executive Director of Kelley Research Associates, a private evaluation and research firm specializing in criminal justice and community service evaluation and research projects for local, state, and federal governmental agencies. Ms. Kelley has over thirty years of experience in the field of research and evaluation and is also an Associate Professor of Criminology at Stonehill College where she has taught for the past twenty-two years. Ms. Kelley’s areas of expertise include opioid overdose research, law enforcement administration, law enforcement and community collaborations, gun violence, gang violence, domestic violence, and children who witness violence.
Chanda Funcell
Chanda Funcell, Ph.D., LMSW, HRS, is currently an executive director of the Charleston Center, a comprehensive treatment facility for substance use disorders within Charleston County Government. Services she oversees include withdrawal management, residential, outpatient, Opioid Treatment Program clinic, justice involved programming, harm reduction, prevention and specialized services for children, adolescents, and women. Additionally, she helps coordinate post-overdose initiatives including data work groups, community response plans, and fatality reviews. Dr. Funcell has worked in the field of substance use disorders for over 28 years. She has been a founding member of Charleston County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council since 2015. Dr. Funcell’s educational background includes a Ph.D. in Social Work from University of South Carolina, a Master’s Degree in Social Work from State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Relations from University of Pittsburgh. She is published in the areas of biracial identity development, , multi-ethnic families, motivational incentives, trauma informed care for substance use disorders, and emergency room buprenorphine fast track services.
Christopher Rosier
Chief Deputy Christopher Rosier began his career in law enforcement with the Mount Pleasant Police Department as a patrol officer in 2008. While at the Mount Pleasant Police Department he worked patrol, was a collision reconstructionist, field training officer, inspector and public information officer. He rose through the ranks to Captain until he left in 2025 to take a Chief Deputy position with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
He is currently the administrative chief deputy at CCSO that oversees the Community Wellness Unit. His passion is for community wellness and works alongside a great team to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Charleston County.
Awards received: Town Employee of the Month, Rookie Officer of the Year, Officer of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Fraternal Order of Police Award of Merit, Community Outreach Award, Supervisor of the Quarter nomination and Strong Thurmond Award of Excellence nomination.
Professional affiliations: Fraternal Order of Police (Lodge 3), and Southern Police Institute Alumni Association
Education: Graduate of the prestigious Administrative Officers Course (145th) at the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY. Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from University of Phoenix. Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from University of Phoenix. Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Technical College of the Lowcountry.
William Malcom
William Malcolm is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience in behavioral health. He joined the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office in August 2022 to work with individuals with behavioral health issues who have criminal justice involvement. In May 2024, he began the Charleston County Sheriff's Office Opioid Outreach Program which expanded in January 2025 under new Sheriff Carl Ritchie.
Nanci Shipman
Nanci Steadman Shipman is the founder and executive director of WakeUp Carolina, a nonprofit recovery community organization providing peer support, prevention, and harm reduction services to young adults, individuals, and families across **Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. Following the tragic loss of her 19-year-old son Creighton to an opioid overdose in 2016, she launched WakeUp Carolina to raise awareness, promote education, and offer hope in recovery—with the belief that no one and no family should walk this path alone.
Under her leadership, WakeUp Carolina has engaged more than three million community members since 2020 through partnerships with public health, public safety, schools, and local government systems. Nanci’s professional background spans education, healthcare marketing, hospice administration, and nonprofit leadership. She also serves on several statewide task forces and advisory councils focused on overdose response, family engagement, and systems coordination.
A Charleston native and mother of five, Nanci brings lived experience, deep community roots, and a relentless commitment to building compassionate, community-based solutions to the opioid epidemic.
This presentation discusses intergenerational and historic trauma. The role that these play in current mental health and SUD issues. Lastly, we look at the alternative methods to healing Indigenous peoples use including smudging, drumming and ceremony. This session will include examples of these methods. #treatment #recovery #traumainformed
Ericka Pursley
Ericka Pursley, is a proud member of the Catawba Nation of SC. She currently works within the tribes Division of Health and Human Services. She serves as the department’s Behavioral Health Specialist, adult Case Manager, and tribes 1st Certified Peer Support Specialist. She is currently working on her Master’s degree as a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor. Ericka is an active member in several advocacy boards and coalitions including Addiction Professionals of South Carolina, York County Interagency Coalitions, and South Carolina Peer Support Coalition. Ericka has also represented Catawba Nation and their Behavioral Health Department at South Carolina Governor’s Opioid Summit, Collegiate Recovery Day, South Carolina Veteran’s Affairs, Rally on the River, and Rally for Recovery. All of these efforts have resulted in Catawba Nation Behavioral Health receiving awards from USET and Keystone Substance Abuse Services.
Her goal is to bring culturally based approaches to treatment and recovery services to all members of the Catawba Nation. During her time in this role, she has helped to implement a Drug Action Task Force, create new partnerships with treatment providers, create a new culturally based Peer Recovery group and begin the formation of a Community Watch program. She works hard every day to be the “boots on the ground” for her citizens and help them all to find their way to the Red Road.
In her free time Ericka loves studying plant medicine, doing beadwork, drumming,/dancing, and participating in spiritual ceremony.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) clinicians are the first to reach a patient following a nonfatal opioid overdose, providing an opportunity to link overdose survivors to treatment. This proposal will discuss the results of existing prehospital linkage-to-care programs implemented in South Carolina, the barriers facing these programs, and we can work to pave a way forward, calling upon EMS clinicians to continue to offer these innovative programs to overdose survivors in South Carolina. #treatment #firstresponders #healthsystem
Phillip Moschella, MD
Dr. Phillip Moschella is a full-time clinician and associate research director for our department of emergency medicine for Prisma Health- Upstate. He oversees 70 physicians and 30 resident physicians to monitor and support multiple research projects within the department. He recently served as the PI of a large ($1.5 million over 3 years) grant from SAMHSA to evaluate Alternatives to Opioids in the emergency department (ED) with several publications spanning decreasing opioid use and within medical education on the development of novel simulation-based training devices. He was a site lead on the “PILOT” trial, the largest multi-site trial funded by the NIDA-CTN, to quantify the effects of peer-recovery services within EDs and has research projects spanning multiple topics including infectious disease (specifically HIV and HCV) and opioid use disorder within the ED. he has been funded as a FOCUS partner to expand evidence-based screening for HIV and HCV in the ED since 2019. HE has also been funded for various programs to expand services for opioid use disorder with our state from the South Carolina Opioid Response Fund (SCORF), and DAODAS. I have multiple publications on HIV screening and linkage to care for HIV and substance use disorders with several more recent publications surrounding the effects of peer-recovery services in ED in top-tier journals.
Wesley Wamper
Wesley R. Wampler, NRP CP-C is a Community Paramedic with Prisma Health’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program and a Master of Public Health candidate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of South Carolina. He has more than 20 years of experience in emergency medical services, with leadership roles ranging from field operations to program development. His research focuses on mobile health interventions for addiction medicine and infectious diseases, including innovative models for prehospital buprenorphine administration and community-based Hepatitis C treatment. Wampler has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, received national and regional awards for excellence in EMS, and frequently presents on the integration of research and clinical practice to expand access to care for underserved populations.
Engaging family and support systems in an individual's treatment episode can be rewarding and challenging given the complexity of the family system and the way substance misuse impacts the ways a system functions and interacts. This training will provide a brief overview of systems theory to increase an understanding of how families have been impacted through active addiction but also the treatment and recovery process. We will then identify specific challenges and strategies to engage family. #treatment #recovery #theoreticalframework #familysystems
Nicole Deems, Ed.S, LMFT, LACS, CS
Nicole S. Deems. Ed.S., LMFT, LACS, CS received an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in Counselor Education from the University of SC. Nicole has worked with LRADAC, one of the leading substance misuse treatment centers in the Midlands of South Carolina since 2006 and is currently the Program Manager of Clinical Advancement providing oversight of outpatient programs. Nicole's clinical experience has been in providing therapeutic treatment services in areas related to mental health, substance use, trauma, and family systems. She is a certified EMDR therapist and consultant, utilizing attachment-focused, somatic and nervous system informed practices in her work. Nicole operates a clinical private practice and is also Adjunct Faculty at Divine Mercy University in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Nicole has held positions on the board for the Association for Addiction Professionals of South Caroline from 2014-2024 and served as President for the Association in 2021-22. Nicole sees her work as improving the lives of individuals and as well as building stronger, healthier communities.
Learn how a long-standing Youth Board uses peer influence, trends, and social media to make prevention real and relevant for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Led by a former Youth Board member turned prevention professional, this session explores how to engage youth as creators of substance use prevention and mental health messaging. Attendees will gain strategies to launch or strengthen youth-led efforts in their own communities. #prevention #messaging
Jessica Gibson
Jessica Gibson is the Director of Prevention Services at Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County. She holds a Master’s in Public Health and is a Senior Certified Prevention Specialist. Jessica leads prevention efforts focused on substance use education, professional training, and public awareness. She also oversees a Youth Board that empowers teens to take the lead in outreach and advocacy. With a background in education and nearly a decade in behavioral health, Jessica is passionate about promoting wellness and building stronger, healthier communities.
Find out how to use free public data sets to inform your program planning and outreach efforts so you can reach the communities who most need your assistance. #data #administration
Shelli Quenga, MA
Shelli Quenga serves as a senior director at Transform Health, LLC, an Inc. 5000-ranked national health policy consulting firm.
She is a nationally recognized expert in private health insurance enrollment. She led the nation’s first statewide nonprofit insurance agency that increased revenue and produced a greater return on investment to grow the team, while strategically engaging partners to serve consumers who were uninsured or underinsured.
Shelli is a member of the Fetter Health Care Network board of directors and has served as an adjunct professor in child studies focusing on special education. Shelli holds a master’s degree in counseling from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in Asian studies from Vassar College.
Sonia Donnelly
Sonia Donnelly serves as a Director at Transform Health, a national health policy consulting firm. She is passionate about connecting data and the human experience to guide strategic planning. Sonia has spent twenty years building community partnerships, implementing innovative strategies, and developing replicable models to address South Carolina’s social and economic challenges. She began her career in the crisis intervention and suicide prevention field ensuring the 24/7/365 operation of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in SC, the precursor and foundation to the present day 988 network.
How South Carolina Peers are Supporting Intervention and Outreach Efforts
In the landscape of addiction services, overdose prevention often intersects with treatment and other supportive services. These services are critical to maintaining a full continuum of care, and in South Carolina, they are often being organized and delivered by individuals with lived experience who have a unique capacity to meet people where they are. This panel discussion, led by certified peers, will explore the relationship between the recovery community and overdose prevention programs in South Carolina.
Nicole Criss
Nicole Criss is a woman in recovery from substance use disorder. She worked in healthcare administration for twenty years before experiencing a back problem which resulted in her becoming addicted to opioids. When she found recovery, she decided to dedicate the rest of her life influencing systemic change, providing hope, and supporting others in their journey to wellness. Nicole returned to college and obtained her master’s degree in Addiction Studies and her Doctorate in Human Services. Her capstone project for her Doctorate focused on addressing the barriers patients with opioid use disorder face when seeking medication for their opioid use disorder in community health centers. She volunteers on several boards in her community and at the state level that addresses substance use disorder and advocacy. She has focused her efforts on gaining different experiences, trainings, and connections allowing her to grow the Recovery Support profession. Nicole believes in the importance of peer support in her quest to do whatever possible to help save a human life in a society becoming traumatized by the excessive and unnecessary loss of life from substance use disorder. She was a Field Reviewer for SAMHSA’s TIP publication titled Incorporating Peer Support into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services. Nicole has worked in several roles including being a behavioral health case manager for an MOUD program at an FQHC and as a Project Manager to help grow recovery in the rural areas of Maine. Her current position is the co-founder and Executive Director of CARPS SC, a Recovery Community Organization (RCO), serving rural areas of South Carolina.
Asa Langston, moderator;
Michael Crouch
Michael Crouch is a National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (NCPRSS) through the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals, a Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS), and an Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Process (ADC-IP) through Addiction Professionals of South Carolina (APSC) Michael has a Bachelor’s in Human Services/Behavioral Health and is an Addiction Recovery Education Consultant. He has a vast knowledge of addiction treatment, peer-based recovery services, and engagement strategies. Michael utilizes evidence-based practices to help individuals and families affected by substance use disorder (SUD) as well as people who use drugs (PWUDs). Michael has experience working in multiple settings such as traditional SUD outpatient treatment, office-based opioid treatment, overdose follow-ups with community paramedics, the criminal justice system, emergency department, inpatient and outpatient care within a healthcare system, research, harm reduction services, managing a Recovery Community Organization(RCO), training CPSS during the state certification process and ongoing continuing education. Michael is a strong believer in strength-based, person-centered, and trauma-informed approaches to addressing public health, SUD, and mental health.
Greg Jacobs
Greg Jacobs is currently the co-founder and Deputy Director of the Community-based Alliance of Rural Peer Support in South Carolina (CARPS SC). He holds a bachelor’s degree in health systems management and is a Certified Peer Support Specialist. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in various roles in the field of substance use disorder treatment and recovery services including Admissions Director, Program Administrator, Referral Development, Marketing Manager, Adult Drug Court Treatment Liaison.
He has also worked at the state level of government as a Program Supervisor with the Dept. of Health and Human Services Medicaid Division and as Program Coordinator with the South Carolina Dept. of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) in the Treatment and Recovery Services Division.
Greg has dedicated his professional and personal life to helping develop and maintain appropriate recovery support services to underserved populations in the state of South Carolina. Greg was introduced to a singular pathway of recovery in 1989, and he began his own personal and continuous recovery journey in 1997 with the help of multiple pathways.
Asa Langston
Asa Langston is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and a devoted advocate for recovery. As Executive Director at FAVOR Lowcountry and Training and Education Coordinator for Oxford House Inc. in South Carolina, Asa is deeply committed to fostering recovery,
building supportive communities and advancing overdose prevention eIorts statewide. She will graduate in December with a bachelor's in integrated studies with minors in Sociology and Communication from the College of Charleston and will begin her master’s in public administration there in the spring. Asa’s leadership experience, combined with her firsthand understanding of recovery and her dedication to education and prevention, make her a passionate and informed moderator for the Overdose Prevention Panel.
The science of addiction reveals it as a complex brain disorder influenced by genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Rather than a moral failing, addiction is increasingly understood through neurobiological and behavioral frameworks. Overdose prevention services, grounded in evidence-based strategies, seek to minimize the negative consequences of substance use while respecting individual autonomy. Together, these approaches offer a compassionate, pragmatic pathway to improved health outcomes.
#treatment #intervention #theoreticalframework
Margie Stevens, PhD, CRC
Margie L. Stevens, PhD, CRC, is a distinguished expert in addiction and harm reduction, recognized by the South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction for her leadership in the field. She is an addiction and harm reduction educator at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville. Dr. Stevens is deeply committed to advancing evidence-based practices in addiction treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. Dr. Stevens’ work is shaping the next generation of healthcare providers, ensuring that compassionate, trauma-informed care is at the forefront of the field.
Our focus is on the timeline from 2016 to the current day to present on what we have learned and built over that time through collaboration, partnership and the use of SCORF funding. The Timeline will provide an overview, and the Panel Discussion will follow up on that in more detail and allow for audience guided questions. #publicsafety #firstresponders #abatementfunds #administration
Stephen Kudron, MA
Steve is originally from Springfield, Massachusetts and moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in 2012. Steve has worked in South Carolina law enforcement since 2013.
He began his career with the Mount Pleasant Police Department where he worked for 10 years in the Patrol Bureau before moving to the Community Wellness Unit in 2023. During his time in the Patrol Bureau, he was promoted to Field Training Officer in 2017 and Sergeant in 2021. Steve held collateral duties on the SWAT team and served as the Negotiations Team Leader. In 2025, Steve was promoted to Lieutenant at the Charleston County Sheriff's Office where he will develop and oversee the newly formed Community Wellness Unit. This unit focuses on opioid response, mental health follow-up, homeless outreach and internal peer support for Deputies.
Prior to moving into law enforcement, Steve worked in community based mental health treatment programs in Massachusetts, South Carolina and Ohio for 17 years. During this time, he worked in a variety of roles ranging from direct care to Director of Residential Services. Steve holds an MA in Psychology (2006) and a BA in Psychology (1998 Cum Laude) with a double major in Criminal Justice from Westfield State University in Massachusetts.
Chanda Funcell
Chanda Funcell, Ph.D., LMSW, HRS, is currently an executive director of the Charleston Center, a comprehensive treatment facility for substance use disorders within Charleston County Government. Services she oversees include withdrawal management, residential, outpatient, Opioid Treatment Program clinic, justice involved programming, harm reduction, prevention and specialized services for children, adolescents, and women. Additionally, she helps coordinate post-overdose initiatives including data work groups, community response plans, and fatality reviews. Dr. Funcell has worked in the field of substance use disorders for over 28 years. She has been a founding member of Charleston County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council since 2015. Dr. Funcell’s educational background includes a Ph.D. in Social Work from University of South Carolina, a Master’s Degree in Social Work from State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Relations from University of Pittsburgh. She is published in the areas of biracial identity development, , multi-ethnic families, motivational incentives, trauma informed care for substance use disorders, and emergency room buprenorphine fast track services.
Christopher Rosier
Chief Deputy Christopher Rosier began his career in law enforcement with the Mount Pleasant Police Department as a patrol officer in 2008. While at the Mount Pleasant Police Department he worked patrol, was a collision reconstructionist, field training officer, inspector and public information officer. He rose through the ranks to Captain until he left in 2025 to take a Chief Deputy position with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
He is currently the administrative chief deputy at CCSO that oversees the Community Wellness Unit. His passion is for community wellness and works alongside a great team to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Charleston County.
Awards received: Town Employee of the Month, Rookie Officer of the Year, Officer of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Fraternal Order of Police Award of Merit, Community Outreach Award, Supervisor of the Quarter nomination and Strong Thurmond Award of Excellence nomination.
Professional affiliations: Fraternal Order of Police (Lodge 3), and Southern Police Institute Alumni Association
Education: Graduate of the prestigious Administrative Officers Course (145th) at the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY. Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from University of Phoenix. Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from University of Phoenix. Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Technical College of the Lowcountry.
William Malcom
William Malcolm is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience in behavioral health. He joined the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office in August 2022 to work with individuals with behavioral health issues who have criminal justice involvement. In May 2024, he began the Charleston County Sheriff's Office Opioid Outreach Program which expanded in January 2025 under new Sheriff Carl Ritchie.
Nanci Shipman
Nanci Steadman Shipman is the founder and executive director of WakeUp Carolina, a nonprofit recovery community organization providing peer support, prevention, and harm reduction services to young adults, individuals, and families across **Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. Following the tragic loss of her 19-year-old son Creighton to an opioid overdose in 2016, she launched WakeUp Carolina to raise awareness, promote education, and offer hope in recovery—with the belief that no one and no family should walk this path alone.
Under her leadership, WakeUp Carolina has engaged more than three million community members since 2020 through partnerships with public health, public safety, schools, and local government systems. Nanci’s professional background spans education, healthcare marketing, hospice administration, and nonprofit leadership. She also serves on several statewide task forces and advisory councils focused on overdose response, family engagement, and systems coordination.
A Charleston native and mother of five, Nanci brings lived experience, deep community roots, and a relentless commitment to building compassionate, community-based solutions to the opioid epidemic.
Faith-based organizations can leverage their unique position within communities to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to addiction recovery. By implementing strategies, the church can create a more supportive and understanding environment for individuals struggling with addiction, helping to break down cultural barriers and encourage more people to seek the help they need. #faith-based #recovery
Taquina Davis
Dr. Taquina Davis comes to Health E Strategies with over fifteen years of experience demonstrating the ability to partner with multiple sectors effectively, including managing and assisting with advocacy, health and racial equity, community engagement, and
health care delivery. She possesses the desire and experience to work with organizations that help strengthen and implement strategies designed to achieve health equity. Her expertise includes program development, community health, population
health, complementary and alternative health, chronic disease prevention, and wellness.
As a leader in community health, she worked in and with communities to substantially
impact and improve community health outcomes. Her previous work involved
developing, implementing, evaluating, and maintaining comprehensive, evidence-based
chronic disease prevention and wellness programs for underserved and uninsured
community members. She has also led local coalitions by overseeing the development
and design of plans, logic models, and cultivating resources with new partners to
support community health and health equity priorities. In this role, she led proposal
development and wrote proposals to secure further funding opportunities. Dr. Davis also
served as an advisor on various local community coalitions, boards, and advocacy
committees, assisting with the advancement of state and local public health practice
interventions to help achieve health equity.
Taquina has her MA in Health & Wellness with a concentration in alternative medicine
and her Ph.D. in Health Education and Promotion
Willie Thompson
Dr. Thompson’s work experiences have included diversity student engagement, recruitment, retention, mentoring and support at UC San Diego, Howard University, Benedict College and Allen University. At Allen University, he served as Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, facilitated special programs and initiatives for the Office of Academic Affairs, and instructed courses in psychology, research methodology, religion, sociology, and substance abuse. Dr. Thompson served the Principal Investigator for the: Allen University Summer Transportation Institute (AUPATHWAYS), the Allen University Restore and Inspire Student Excellence (AURISE) Collegiate Recovery Initiative, co-principal and program coordinator of initiatives funded by the Lilly Fund, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Climate Action Campaign (CAC).
Jails pose unique challenges to addiction care. Learn how one jail in the state used available funding to begin an MOUD treatment program, thereby saving lives, reducing recidivism and challenging the status quo. Learn how this addiction medicine specialist tackled intake evaluation, medication administration, and reentry barriers. Every jail is different; this is what worked for us. #treatment #publicsafety #administration #incarceration
Melissa Fritsche
Dr. Melissa Fritsche, MD, FASAM is board certified in both Addiction and Family Medicine. She graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 2006, and from the Spartanburg Regional Family Medicine Program in 2010. She has worked in Opioid Treatment Programs in North and South Carolina, and now has her own private practice established in 2018 which has served over 400 addiction patients in Spartanburg. She works with people with opiate use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and benzodiazepine dependence. She is a strong supporter of harm reduction, which is proven to save lives. Other areas of medicine have included Wound Care and Reproductive Health. She is passionate about saving lives by treating addiction.
We will deliver a concise update on the most significant advancements in addiction treatment from the past year, including alcohol, stimulants, and opioids. Our aim is to share these latest findings with addiction treatment professionals in South Carolina. As both clinicians and researchers, we'll sift through complex research and present essential updates in an easily digestible, clinically-focused format. Our focus will be on best practices for clinicians and treatment centers caring for individuals with addiction. #treatment
Lindsey Jennings
Dr. Jennings is an Associate Professor at MUSC, dually boarded in emergency medicine and addiction medicine. She is actively involved in research to improve the care of patients with addiction in emergency department settings.
Karen Hartwell
Dr. Karen Hartwell is an addiction psychiatrist and a Professor in the Addiction Sciences Division in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. She directs or co-directs three substance-related Project ECHOs. She has been involved in both laboratory and clinical studies, ranging from Phase 2 to Phase 4, related to stress, trauma, cue reactivity, gender differences, TMS and substance use involving opioids, stimulants, cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use disorders. Dr. Hartwell is also the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Director and clinical educator
Allison Smith
Dr. Allison Smith is a native of West Virginia and attended West Virginia University for her undergraduate and medical school training. She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry and fellowship training in Addiction Psychiatry at MUSC. She joined as faculty in July 2020 as an Assistant Professor with a dual appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine. Her passion is caring for medically complicated patients with co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses and substance use disorders and treating chronic pain, geriatric, and transplant patients.
Explanation of how the Therapeutic Equine Activities (TEA) Program is an evidence-based experiential learning program fostering recovery through developing mental and emotional wellness skills, fostering resiliency, and increasing confidence and problem-solving skills using the unique bond between horses and humans. Results from the TEA program’s study will be analyzed and shared with the goal of showing how horses help to enhance mental and emotional wellness outcomes supportive of recovery. #recovery #abatementfunds #administration
Lindsay McDade
Evoto
Lindsay McDade is an eleven-year veteran of the fire service. She is currently the Community Risk Reduction Manager with Cayce Fire Department. McDade manages the post overdose follow up, drug take back events, data collection, outreach with Muffin the Therapy Horse about drug awareness messaging, Therapeutic Equine Activities program for those in recovery and naloxone leave behind initiatives. McDade has her Bachelor of Science in Fire, Arson, and Explosion Investigation from Eastern Kentucky University. She manages Hoof Beat Ranch which is the farm and caretaker of all horses in the equine programs. She is dedicated in using her passion for horses to help her community combat the opioid crisis and support first responder wellness.
Kat Wilson
Kat Wilson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate working with The Courage Center for over 3 years to serve individuals and their families recovering from substance use disorders. Kat has a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from National University. Additionally, Kat has over ten
years of experience working in the equine industry, including barn manager, riding instructor, trainer, groom, and exercise rider for racehorses in training. Kat seeks to combine her passions of helping people and horses to offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy to those recovering from substance use disorders and trauma. She currently works with McDade in the Therapeutic Equine Activities Program and is pursuing Natural Lifemanship certification.
