AGENDA

Day 1: Clinical Practice and Workforce Development | Tuesday, October 13, 2026

9:00 – 9:10 AM AKT
Welcome!
9:10 – 9:30 AM AKT
Opening Remarks

Speaker:

  • Dr. Robert Lawrence, MD (Alaska Department of Health)
9:30 – 10:30 AM AKT

Moving Beyond MAT: What We Really Teach in Addiction Medicine

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Speaker:

  • Dr. Ryan Wallace, MD, MPH, FASAM (Providence Medical Group)
10:30 – 10:45 AM AKT
Break
10:45 – 11:45 AM AKT
Pregnancy Wraparound Care for Rapid Methadone Stabilization and Linkage to OTP C

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Speakers:

  • Vania Rudolf, MD, MPH, FAAFP, DFASAM (International Society of Addiction Medicine)
  • Jennifer Justice, Parent Ally (FIRST Legal Clinic)
  • Adam Ballout, Attorney (First Legal Clinic)
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM AKT
Lunch Break
12:45 – 1:45 PM AKT
Recovery Happens in Relationships: Building Hope, Belonging, and Community Systems that Sustain Recovery

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Speaker:

  • Tammy lund, BGS Organizational Leadership (ShiftED Strategies)
1:45 – 2:00 PM AKT
Break
2:00 -3:00 PM AKT
Advancing MOUD Continuity of Care: Ensuring Treatment Equity and Opportunity in Alaska

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Speaker:

  • Elana Habib, MPH (State of Alaska Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health)
3:00 – 3:15 PM AKT
Closing Remarks

Speaker:

  • Dr. Victoria Kildal, Psy.D, LPCS,CDCS (Alaska Behavioral Health Association)

Day 2: Systems Integration and Continuum of Care | Wednesday, October 14, 2026

9:00 – 9:05 AM AKT
Welcome!
9:05 – 9:15 AM AKT
Opening Remarks

Speaker:

  • Dorene Asay, Public Health Specialist II (Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Health)
9:15 – 10:15 AM AKT

Challenges, Considerations, and Key Partnerships: Improving Substance Use Disorder Access and Outcomes in Rural Alaskan Communities

 

 

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Speakers:

  • Dr. Gabrielle Flamm, MD (Bristol Bay Healthcare Corporation / LA General HIV Fellowship)
  • Marlena Strandir, DO (Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation)
  • Nathalie Dull, RN, MS, FNP-C (Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation)
10:15 – 10:30 AM AKT
Break
10:30 – 11:30 AM AKT

Becoming a co-occurring treatment capable CCBHC – developing universal screening

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Speakers:

  • Joshua Arvidson, MSS, LCSW (Alaska Behavioral Health)
  • Hannah McKinney, DNP, PMHNP-BC (Alaska Behavioral Health)
  • Pamela Kennedy, MS, LPC, NCC (Alaska Behavioral Health)

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM AKT

Lunch Break
12:30 – 1:30 PM AKT

Maximizing the Alaska Tobacco Quit Line: Connecting Providers and Patients to Tobacco Cessation Support

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Speaker:

  • Lori Price, MPH, TTS (State of Alaska- Tobacco Prevention and Control Program)
1:30 – 1:45 PM AKT
Break
1:45 – 2:15 PM AKT

Closing Evidence to Practice Gaps

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Speaker:

  • Aaron Walbrecher, MSN RN (University of Alaska Anchorage)
2:15 – 2:45 PM AKT
  • Project ECHO – The All Teach, All Learn, All Support Model

Speaker:

  • Katie Spears, ECHO Project Coordinator (University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Human Development Project ECHO)
2:45 – 3:00 PM AKT
Closing Remarks

Speaker:

  • Jen Stukey (Narcotic Drug Treatment Center Inc.)

Day 3: Access, Engagement, and Innovation | Thursday, October 15, 2026

9:00 – 9:05 AM AKT
Welcome!
9:05 – 9:15 AM AKT
Opening Remarks

Speaker:

  • Dr. Sarah Spencer, DO, FASAM (Ninilchik Traditional Council Community Clinic)
9:15 – 10:15 AM AKT

Reimagining Access: What Happens When Pharmacists Join the MAT Care Team

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Speakers:

  • Carrie Urena, PharmD, BCPS (Rising Roots Recovery)
  • Brandy Seignemartin, PharmD (Alaska Pharmacy Association)
  • Catherine Arnatt, PharmD, MS, BCPP, FAKPhA (Southcentral Foundation/ Alaska Native Medical Center)
10:15 – 10:30 AM AKT
Break
10:30 – 11:30 AM AKT

Rapid hepatitis C testing and treatment

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Speakers:

  • Kimberly Geiger, MS, BSN (Alaska Native Medical Center)
  • Lisa Townshend-Bulson, RN, MSN, FNP-C (Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium)
11:30 PM – 12:30 PM AKT
Lunch Break
12:30 – 1:15 PM AKT

Family-Focused Treatment and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome

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Speaker:

  • Kate Dobler, MEd, BS, CPM, IMH-E (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System)
1:15 – 1:30 PM AKT
Break
1:30 – 2:30 PM AKT

The Evidence Is In: Mythbusting MOUD

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Speaker:

  • Hillary Tamar, MD, FASAM (Organization Community Medical Services)
2:30 – 2:45 PM AKT

Closing Remarks

Speaker:

  • Dr. Timothy Ballard, MD (Alaska Department of Corrections)

Agenda subject to change.

Description:

As medication treatment moves from controversy to standard of care, the harder question is no longer whether these medications work — it is whether we know how to practice in a way that lets them work. This lecture challenges the idea that addiction medicine is simply about choosing the right medication and argues that the real work happens in the space between prescription and person: relationship, trust, recurrence, hope, harm reduction, and repair. Drawing from the Alaska Addiction Medicine Fellowship, it explores what clinicians must learn beyond pharmacology if they are going to stay useful to patients whose recovery rarely follows a straight line. Ultimately, moving beyond MAT means asking not just what we prescribe, but what kind of healers — and what kind of systems — we are willing to become.

Ryan Wallace, MD, MPH, FASAM

Program Director
Providence Medical Group

Ryan Wallace, MD, MPH, FASAM, is a psychiatrist, addiction psychiatrist, and clinical educator based in Anchorage, Alaska. He serves as Program Director of the Alaska Addiction Medicine Fellowship, Medical Director of Providence Breakthrough, and faculty with the Alaska Family Medicine Residency. Fellowship trained in Addiction Psychiatry, Dr. Wallace's work spans clinical care, physician education, workforce development, and program leadership. His work explores the intersection of addiction, mental health, and human behavior, with particular emphasis on harm reduction, recovery-oriented care, psychodynamic perspectives on substance use, and the therapeutic relationship as a catalyst for change. Drawing on training in psychodynamic psychotherapy and addiction psychiatry, he brings a relational and humanistic perspective to understanding substance use disorders and the conditions that support lasting recovery.

Description:

Birthing people with OUD face fragmented and siloed health care, systemic barriers, stigma and multifaceted challenges, which contribute to adverse outcomes and significant negative consequences for individuals and society. Methadone is an essential component of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) treatment, with substantial evidence highlighting its benefits for maternal-and-fetal-health.

Emerging evidence shows rapid and split dose methadone initiation for perinatal people to be a safe and effective clinical approach. We present the efficacy of a novel inpatient methadone wraparound care pathway for rapid stabilization of perinatal people with OUD and linkage to OTP care.

Vania Rudolf, MD, MPH, FAAFP, DFASAM

Chair, Women and Addiction Group
International Society of Addiction Medicine

Dr. Rudolf is a board-certified family medicine and addiction medicine physician who completed fellowships in Addiction Medicine (Swedish Medical Center), High Risk Obstetrics (Swedish Medical Center) and Integrative Medicine (University of Arizona), as well as executive public health training at the University of Washington. She is the founder and president of the perinatal addiction group CHOICES, and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington. Dr. Rudolf serves as the current Chair of the Women and Addiction Interest Group for the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) and as the immediate past President of the Washington Society of Addiction Medicine (WSAM). She is an internationally recognized expert in the care of pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorder, with clinical, research and advocacy interests focused on the intersection of reproductive and behavioral health. Dr. Rudolf specializes in perinatal addiction and women leadership, and has been central to the development of policies and clinical guidance for compassionate, trauma-responsive and whole person addiction treatment.

Jennifer Justice

Parent Ally
FIRST Legal Clinic

Jennifer Justice, Parent Ally with FIRST Legal Clinic. I am a parent in recovery who has navigated the child welfare system and now support families to navigate child welfare systems, parenting, and recovery.

Adam Ballout

Attorney
First Legal Clinic

Adam Ballout is a career public defender and co-founder of FIRST Legal Clinic, which provides legal advocacy and parent ally support during pregnancy and after birth to help prevent family separation. He brings a family-defense perspective to the intersection of substance use treatment, infant health, and child welfare.
Description:

Recovery extends beyond medication and clinical treatment—it is strengthened by relationships, hope, belonging, and supportive communities. This interactive session explores how workforce practices, cross-sector collaboration, and relationship-centered approaches can improve long-term recovery outcomes alongside Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT). Drawing on more than 30 years of leadership, community systems work, and lived recovery experience, Tammy Iund will share practical strategies for creating environments where people feel connected, supported, and empowered. Attendees will explore ways to strengthen workforce capacity and build meaningful partnerships across organizations. Participants will leave with actionable ideas for creating recovery-supportive systems that promote engagement, resilience, and long-term success.

Tammy lund, BGS Organizational Leadership

Founder and Lead Consultant
ShiftED Strategies

Tammy Iund is the Founder and Lead Consultant of ShiftED Strategies, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations build stronger leaders, healthier teams, and connected communities. With more than 30 years of experience in education, nonprofit leadership, implementation, and workforce development, Tammy partners with organizations to strengthen systems, improve collaboration, and translate research into practical, sustainable action.

Her work is grounded in the science of hope, developmental relationships, protective factors, and belonging. As a person with lived experience in recovery, Tammy is passionate about the role that relationships, community, and supportive systems play alongside clinical care in sustaining long-term recovery. She brings an engaging, practical approach that equips participants with strategies they can immediately apply within their organizations and communities.

Description:

Expanding off site methadone access for enrolled Opioid Treatment Program clients is essential for ensuring continuity of care in long term care facilities, correctional institutions, and residential programs, and the DEA’s guidance outlines clear mechanisms for doing so. These options—supported by DEA’s off site delivery flexibilities for NTPs—enable consistent dosing for patients unable to travel to the OTP, reduce disruptions in treatment, and support safer transitions across institutional settings. In this presentation, the SOTA will go into detail and national examples of how this is done while identifying opportunities in Alaska.

Elana Habib, MPH

State Opioid Treatment Authority
State of Alaska Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health

Elana Habib is Alaska’s State Opioid Treatment Authority and serves as SAMHSA’s State Opioid Response Co-Project Director and Treatment Coordinator. She leads statewide efforts to develop, implement, and evaluate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs, building partnerships across health and community sectors. Formerly the Opioid Misuse and Addiction Prevention Specialist, she brings 18+ years in public health, including 13 years focused on SUD. Her experience spans HIV testing in corrections, syringe service programs, and behavioral health initiatives. She holds a Masters of Public Health in Health Behavior and Education, with expertise in project management, federal grants, and program evaluation.

Dorene Asay

Public Health Specialist II
Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Health

Dorene Asay is a Public Health Specialist with the Alaska Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health, where she serves as Co-Project Director for Alaska’s State Opioid Response grant. She also serves as Alaska’s Women’s Services Coordinator for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors (NASADAD), supporting initiatives that address the unique treatment and recovery needs of women and families. Her work focuses on expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, strengthening recovery support services, and improving behavioral health systems across Alaska. She is passionate about building partnerships, reducing barriers to care, and ensuring that underserved and rural communities have access to meaningful, person-centered services.
Description:

The approach to evaluating and treating substance use disorders represents a rapidly evolving field in healthcare. This discussion will highlight current practice guidelines and explore how these guidelines may be adapted to address the unique treatment landscape of rural Alaska. Drawing on experiences in Bristol Bay, AK, this discussion will also describe the strengths of a multimodal, partnership-based approach to sustainable prevention, treatment, and recovery programming in rural communities.

Gabrielle Flamm, MD

Physician
Bristol Bay Healthcare Corporation / LA General HIV Fellowship

Dr. Gabrielle Flamm is a board certified family medicine and addiction medicine physician. She worked in Dillingham, AK from 2021-2026, helping to establish the substance use disorder outpatient treatment program, and is dedicated to improving access to care for those living with substance use issues in rural communities. She is currently completing an HIV fellowship through Los Angeles General Medical Center.

Marlena Strandir, DO

Physician, Chief of Staff
Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation

Originally from the thumb of Michigan, Marlena Strandir is a Family Medicine physician who attended the Alaska Family Medicine Residency in Anchorage, Alaska. After graduating in 2016, she began her career as an attending in frontier Alaska at Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham. Today, she continues to practice at Kanakanak, providing full spectrum outpatient care as well as endoscopy.

Nathalie Dull, RN, MS, FNP-C

Prevention and Recovery Program Director
Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation

Nathalie Dull is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner with more than 20 years of nursing experience, including five years dedicated to addiction treatment and recovery. She holds master’s degrees in Nursing and Counseling Psychology, with additional training in addictions and social determinants of health.

Her approach integrates primary care and behavioral health, recognizing how trauma, toxic stress, and environmental conditions influence health and recovery. She is committed to compassionate, person-centered care, with interests in prevention, family and community resilience, and aftercare that supports long-term recovery.

Description:

Alaska Behavioral Health will treat over 10,000 Alaskans in 2026. For our organization’s 50+ year history, our primary area of expertise has been treating both pediatric and adult mental health conditions, however, co-occurring conditions are common in the population we treat. As we became one of Alaska’s first SAMHSA attested CCBHCs, we examined what changes we needed to make to our system to better screen, assess and treat those experiencing co-occurring conditions. We also identified chronic, high prevalence conditions, such as alcohol use disorder, as significant drivers of negative outcomes, latent and acute suicide risk and non-response to standard treatment in our treatment population. We implemented universal screening across our continuum of care and worked to reduce co-occurring related exclusion criteria and provider biases. While we have more improvements to make, we will discuss lessons learned and planned next steps in building a more co-occurring capable treatment system.

Joshua Arvidson, MSS, LCSW

Chief Operating Officer
Alaska Behavioral Health

Joshua Arvidson, MSS., LCSW is the Chief Operating Officer at Alaska Behavioral Health and Co-Project Director for three of Alaska's first SAMHSA-attested CCBHCs. Joshua has served on the Steering Committee for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and teaches graduate courses for UAA's Department of Psychology.

Hannah McKinney, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Chief Medical Officer
Alaska Behavioral Health

Hannah McKinney, DNP, PMHNP-BC, Chief Medical Officer at Alaska Behavioral Health is a Doctor of Nursing Practice board certified in Psychiatry and Mental Health. She obtained her doctorate from the University of Wyoming, although she is originally from Tennessee. Her professional interests include treating a wide variety of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan through evidence-based medication management. Her personal interests include distance running, skiing, hiking, climbing, biking, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Pamela Kennedy, DBH, LPC

Chief Client Experience Officer
Alaska Behavioral Health

Pamela Kennedy, MS LPC NCC Chief Client Experience Officer at Alaska Behavioral Health (AKBH) is passionate about the work she does to improve the care, quality of services and client experiences at AKBH. She is a Licensed Clinician (LPC) in the State of Alaska, Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) as well as an approved supervisor for those seeking licensure as an LPC. She has been providing supervision for LPC licensure for 8 years. Her clinical focus is on providing person centered, goal directed, trauma informed behavioral health interventions using cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectal behavioral therapy techniques, and sensory integration techniques.
Description:

Tobacco-related diseases are the most common causes of death among people with behavioral health conditions. Quitting smoking is associated with decreases in depression, anxiety, and other mental health symptoms.

Substance Use Treatment providers have an important role in helping Alaskans recover from substance use, including tobacco and nicotine products. 55.1% of patients that were advised to quit felt it was effective at encouraging them to stop using tobacco/nicotine. Integrating tobacco treatment and tobacco free campus policies into substance use treatment settings can reduce barriers to quitting and support recovery.

This session will overview emerging tobacco and nicotine products, their impacts on Alaskans, proven treatment, screening and referral tools, local tobacco resources, and how to complete a referral to Alaska’s Tobacco Quit Line (ATQL). ATQL offers free and confidential tobacco use treatment including distance delivered quit coaching, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) mailed to clients, and a personalized quit plan.

Lori Price, MPH, TTS

Public Health Specialist
State of Alaska- Tobacco Prevention and Control Program

Lori Price is a Public Health Specialist in Tobacco Cessation and Behavioral Health for the State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. Mrs. Price’s work includes providing education and training on cessation and Alaska’s tobacco Quitline, working with providers, grantees, and contractors in the behavioral health and medical settings, working with and providing technical assistance to grantees across the state, developing and providing presentations, materials, and resources to a variety of audiences, and collaboration with providers, partners, and grantees.
Description:

This session introduces Academic Detailing as tailored, evidence-based educational outreach for healthcare professionals. Participants will learn how the approach works, what research shows about its effects and limitations, and how to distinguish educational needs from barriers that require organizational action. Practical examples and an overview of UAA’s Clinical Briefings for Alaska program will illustrate its application in clinical settings.

Aaron Walbrecher, MSN, RN

Nurse Planner/Clinical Training Coordinator
University of Alaska Anchorage

Aaron Walbrecher, MSN, RN, is the Clinical Training Coordinator and Nurse Planner at the University of Alaska Anchorage, with more than 12 years of experience in psychiatric, public health, and educational nursing. He leads academic detailing work that brings short, evidence-based, one-on-one education to clinicians where they practice. His work centers on CE development, instructional design, and practical tools that help close the gap between evidence and everyday care.

Katie Spears

ECHO Project Coordinator
UAA Center for Human Development Project ECHO

Katie moved to Alaska in 2018 and worked for the State of Alaska, Department of Administration. She joined UAA's CHD Project ECHO team during COVID and has collaborated with Hub teams to develop ECHO programs covering dementia, mental health and developmental disabilities, FASD, substance use disorders, early infant learning, and support for families of children with complex needs. With her administrative background, Katie brings a systems-level perspective to workforce development.
Description:

Alaska is entering a new era of pharmacist-provided care. Beginning January 1, 2027, changes to state law will modernize collaborative practice agreements and establish a pathway for trained pharmacists to prescribe and manage medications for opioid use disorder as part of collaborative care teams. This presentation will explore innovative models for integrating pharmacists—some of Alaska’s most accessible yet underused healthcare professionals—into medication-assisted treatment. Attendees will learn about the new collaborative practice framework, training and DEA requirements, pharmacist roles across the MAT continuum, and strategies for developing effective pharmacist-prescriber partnerships. The session will also examine practical workflows for assessment, medication management, follow-up, documentation, referrals, and care coordination. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to expand MAT capacity, strengthen continuity of care, and bring treatment closer to where Alaskans live.

Carrie Urena, PharmD, BCPS

Pharmacist/Founder
Rising Roots Recovery

Carrie Urena, PharmD, is an Alaska pharmacist passionate about expanding compassionate, patient-centered addiction treatment services. After earning her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completing a PGY1 residency with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, she worked in opioid treatment programs serving individuals with substance use disorders across Alaska.

Carrie is the founder of Rising Roots Recovery LLC, a developing opioid treatment program in Anchorage centered on the belief that recovery is built through dignity, community, and culturally respectful care. Her work focuses on improving access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), reducing stigma, and creating recovery environments where people feel safe, supported, and valued.

She is also involved in advocacy efforts to improve healthcare access in Alaska and promote collaborative, team-based approaches to patient care.

Brandy Seignemartin, PharmD

Executive Director
Alaska Pharmacy Association

Dr. Brandy Seignemartin graduated from the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and completed an executive fellowship at the Washington State Pharmacy Association. She serves as Executive Director of the Alaska Pharmacy Association and as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the UAA/ISU PharmD Program, where she coordinates courses on the complexities of the healthcare system, conducts research in pharmacy policy and regulatory models, and serves as the experiential education zone liaison for Alaska. Her work is focused on advancing policies and practice models that better integrate pharmacists into the healthcare team and expand access to patient care, with particular emphasis on translating policy change into innovative and sustainable practice.

When not working, she enjoys the great outdoors of Alaska, from exploring the Chugach Mountains in her Jeep to fishing Alaska’s many beautiful waterways.

Catherine Arnatt, PharmD, MS, BCPP, FAKPhA

Integrated Clinical Pharmacist
Southcentral Foundation / Alaska Native Medical Center

Catherine Arnatt, PharmD, MS, BCPP, FAKPhA is an integrated clinical pharmacist at the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center with the Southcentral Foundation/Alaska Native Medical Center, and an officer with the US Public Health Service. Cathy Arnatt received her Doctorate of Pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia, holds a Master of Science in Human Services Management, with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis, is a Fellow of the Alaska Pharmacists Association, and is Board Certified in Psychiatric Pharmacy. She acts as a Subject matter expert on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and chronic pain management. She has held positions with behavioral health and special education programs serving children and adults within non-profit long-term care, outpatient clinics, and public-school settings. Cathy Arnatt enjoys travel and family time, advocating for underserved populations, and learning new things.
Description:

How to build trust, safe rapport in a nonjudgmental or non-clinical environment and accurate test results with Cephid GeneXpert.

Kimberly Geiger, MS, BSN

RN/Hepatology Nurse Specialist
Alaska Native Medical Center

Kimberly is a hepatology nurse specialist at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. She has been a registered nurse for 16 years and before that worked as a teacher and mental health therapist. Additionally, Kimberly is an ordained minister who draws heavily on her faith to connect with people from all walks of life. She feels very privileged to care for Alaska Native people.

Lisa Townshend-Bulson, RN, MSN, FNP-C

Nurse Practitioner, Director ANTHC Liver Disease Program
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Lisa Townshend-Bulson, MSN, FNP-C, is the Director of the Liver Disease & Hepatitis Program at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) in Anchorage, Alaska. In this role, she leads a statewide Tribal health initiative focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of liver disease among Alaska Native and American Indian people. Lisa also practices as a nurse practitioner, providing specialty care for patients with a variety of liver diseases including viral hepatitis, autoimmune, metabolic and alcohol-associated liver disease.

Lisa has been engaged in national leadership efforts in hepatology and viral hepatitis policy. She has served on several committees for the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), including the Public Policy Committee, Hepatitis B Special Interest Group, and Hepatology Associates Committee, contributing to national discussions on liver disease policy, clinical practice, and workforce development. She also participated in the Hepatitis C Virus Birth Cohort Testing Work Group, which contributed to the development of the 2012 CDC guidelines recommending hepatitis C screening for the baby boomer population.

Lisa played a key role in developing and expanding ANTHC’s LiverConnect CE program, an innovative tele-education and consultation network that connects liver disease specialists with healthcare providers across Alaska and throughout the Indian Health Service system. Lisa is a champion of provider education and a believer that specialist knowledge should be shared not siloed. She led development of provider education on the ANTHC liver disease website (www.anthc.org/hep), which provides up-to-date clinical guidance and patient resources.

Description:

This session will explore Hushabye Nursery's integrated maternal-infant model of care for substance-exposed newborns and their caregivers, combining inpatient stabilization with outpatient behavioral health and care coordination services. Their approach bridges the gap between hospital-based care and long-term recovery support for families. The program includes a specialized inpatient nursery for infants experiencing withdrawal, paired with outpatient services that include behavioral health treatment, case management, peer support, and care coordination. Services begin prenatally when possible and continue through the first year postpartum to support both infant health and family stability.

Kate Dobler, MEd, BS, CPM, IMH-E

Arizona State Opioid Treatment Authority and Women's Services Network Coordinator
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System

Kate Dobler serves as Arizona’s State Opioid Treatment Authority, Women’s Services Network Coordinator, and is the Project Director for Arizona’s State Pilot Grant Program for the Treatment of Pregnant and Postpartum Women (PPW-PLT), diagnosed with substance use disorder, together with their babies and families. Kate built her career driving positive bottom-line results for State of Arizona agencies by overseeing system development and improvement in the state’s early childhood development, health, and maternal mental health systems that support healthy babies and families.

Kate holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, a Certificate in Public Management, a Bachelor's of Science in Family Resources with an emphasis in Child Development and is an endorsed infant-toddler mental health professional with the Infant Toddler Mental Health Coalition of Arizona. Kate works to build systems that meet people where they are, with what they need, when they need it, and in the ways that feel like help. At the core of Kate’s work, is the belief that babies live in families, families live in communities, and that it takes all of us to support healthy, happy, and safe families.

Description:

This session will explore many of the most persistent misconceptions about medications for opioid use disorder, ranging from “med-seeking” stereotypes to concerns about high doses, diversion, detox needs, and long-term treatment. Using current evidence and real-world clinical experience, we will clarify how MOUD works, why these myths persist, and how they affect access to care. Participants will learn practical strategies to counter misinformation, communicate effectively and compassionately, and support equitable, evidence-based treatment for individuals and families impacted by opioid use.

Hillary Tamar, MD, FASAM

Territory Medical Director
Organization Community Medical Services

Dr. Hillary Tamar is board-certified in both Family and Addiction Medicine. She has dedicated her career to improving care for people who use drugs, with a particular focus on expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder through opioid treatment programs. Her work emphasizes the advancement of clinical practices that prioritize safety, accessibility, and dignity for all those affected by substance use.

She serves as a Territory Medical Director for Community Medical Services, providing leadership and oversight across Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. In this role, she helps guide clinical care and promote best practices across the country.