Speakers discussed the current state of access to treatment and harm reduction services for people with substance use disorders. Topics included recently waived federal regulations related to medications and telehealth, as well as the availability of harm reduction and recovery support services. Speakers will also discuss potential for a future state that builds on innovations borne out of this crisis to re-imagine our systems through the lens of health and equity. A moderated discussion followed the speakers’ presentations.
Speakers:
Brandon George, Vice President for Recovery, Advocacy and Programs for Mental Health America Indiana; Director, Indiana Addiction Issues Coalition
Yngvild Olsen, MD, MPH, is an addiction medicine specialist in Baltimore City, Vice President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and co-author of the book The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know
Joe Pritchard, CEO, Pinnacle Treatment Centers
Devin Reaves, MSW, CRS, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition
Moderators:
Regina LaBelle, Director, Addiction and Public Policy Initiative, O’Neill Institute; former Chief of Staff; Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Obama Administration
Shelly Weizman, Associate Director, Addiction and Public Policy Initiative, O’Neill Institute; former Assistant Secretary for Mental Hygiene; Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York.