SPEAKERS

Get to know the speakers for the 2022 MAT Conference

KEYNOTES

Anthony Folland

Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs

About Anthony Folland
 


 

All Sessions by Anthony Folland

  • Day 3 – Thursday, September 15, 2022
    • 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

      Incorporating the Department of Corrections into Vermont’s MOUD System of Care

Julia Harrison

Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs

About Julia Harrison
https://www.healthvermont.gov/alcohol-drugs

Julia Harrison is a Program Manager with the Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs. In this role she oversees part of Vermont’s system of care for individuals with substance use disorder and works directly with treatment providers statewide. She completed her undergraduate degree and received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Vermont. Prior to working with the State of Vermont, Julia spent over five years working with individuals at risk for and with addiction and mental health challenges, including in outpatient, withdrawal management and residential treatment settings. She is passionate about in the intersection of substance use disorders and the criminal justice system and has worked in collaboration with the Vermont Department of Corrections to improve care for incarcerated individuals.


 

All Sessions by Julia Harrison

  • Day 3 – Thursday, September 15, 2022
    • 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
      Incorporating the Department of Corrections into Vermont’s MOUD System of Care

Laura Hinds

Hindsight Consulting
 

About Laura Hinds
https://hindsightconsultinggroup.com/

Laura Hinds is the founder and Principal Partner of Hindsight Consulting Group, LLC. With a focus on clients’ needs and experiences, Laura engages with many non-profits to support their mission alignment, training, and organizational development needs. Focused on improving the services being offered to vulnerable populations and increasing racial equity in social services, Laura dedicates herself to creating empowering educational experiences for providers that positively impact client outcomes. In addition, Laura provides psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and expert testimony in service of special populations.

An alumna and Part-time Instructor at The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2), Laura has taught core and elective courses since 2007. Committed to the greater community, Laura has also served on various boards and committees that work to support the well-being of marginalized communities. Laura is proud to have curated and instructed Bryn Mawr’s Post-Graduate Certificate in Trauma for the last five years. Laura served 9 years as a member of Pennsylvania’s State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors, the last 3.5 years as Chair. She currently serves as an Expert Witness for the State Board, offering a review of regulatory cases with a focus on fairness and the protection of the public. Laura is humbled at the honor of being invited to instruct nationally offered trainings for providers and supervisors on the principles of Trauma Informed Care, Racial Equity, and Best Practices re: Supervision and Clinical Interventions.


 

All Sessions by Laura Hinds

  • Day 3 – Thursday, September 15, 2022
    • 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
      Racial Disparities in Substance Use Prevention

Katherine Hirchak

Washington State University
 

About Katherine Hirchak
https://wsu.edu/

Katherine (Kait) Hirchak, PhD, MHPA is a descendant of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health and is also faculty in the Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health (PRISM) Collaborative. Dr. Hirchak completed her postdoctoral training at the University of New Mexico’s Center on Alcohol, Substance use, And Addictions (CASAA) as a NIAAA T32 Fellow. For almost 15 years, she has partnered with Tribal communities to enhance health equity and well-being. Dr. Hirchak’s research interests, activities, and training include health policy, assessing alcohol and substance use disorder (SUD) interventions among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, conducting clinical trials and mixed-methods research in diverse settings, and culturally adapting evidence-based interventions. Dr. Hirchak collaborates on several National Institutes of Health grants focused on SUD research with AI/AN communities. She is also currently funded by NIAAA to adapt contingency management and behavioral economics culturally and developmentally among 18-29 year olds in partnership with a rural reservation outpatient treatment center (PI: Hirchak, K01AA028831).


 

All Sessions by Katherine Hirchak

  • Day 1 – Tuesday, September 13, 2022
    • 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
      Contingency Management in AK

Christina Love

Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA)

About Christina Love
https://andvsa.org/

Christina Love is an Alutiiq/Sugpiaq (Aleut) woman from Egegik village who was raised in Chitina, Alaska. She is a formerly incarcerated person in long term recovery who currently works as a Specialist for the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), the state’s coalition of domestic and sexual violence programs. Christina has dedicated her life to systems change for targeted populations in Alaska. At ANDVSA, Christina works with programs, agencies, and communities nationwide to address the roots causes of trauma, continuum of care for support services through strategic initiatives, equity and inclusion, organizational transformation, training and technical assistance, community-based organization, integrated services, curriculum development, evaluation, assessment, and community healing.

Christina is a well-known civil and disability rights activist. Christina has given hope and voice to those affected by addictions, helping to create a movement that changed the public conversation on recovery. As an advocate for change, she has worked skillfully within government to address the opioid epidemic, ensuring desperately needed investments are being made in treatment and recovery supports. Christina’s experiences inform her efforts to assist other people, making her more understanding and approachable. She served as the coordinator for Alaska’s DART Program (Disability Abuse Response Team). Christina focused on enhancing services for victims of domestic/sexual violence who experience disabilities. In recognition of the multiple systems that each victim is required to navigate, Christina’s collaboration provided a road map for participants, staff, and community members who are seeking assistance.

Christina is an expert in providing technical assistance, training and support to crisis intervention services, acute care, primary care and behavioral health providers on integrated care initiatives. Christina has more than 10 years of experience in the field of behavioral health services, with an emphasis on the treatment of substance use, workforce training development, and the use of evidence-based-practices in clinical and community settings.

As a Recovery Advocate, Christina has been a longstanding member of the Juneau Homeless Housing Coalition, Juneau Reentry Coalition, Juneau Coordinated Entry for Housing, Alaska State Opioid task force, and Alaska BRSS TACS (Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy) Policy Academy. She is a volunteer and Vice President of the board for Haven House Juneau, and Juneau’s Recovery Coach Advisory board. She is also a volunteer Chaplin for her local correctional center.

Christina is active on multiple local, state, and national panels and at informational gatherings. Her activism regularly engages with local and state legislators and law makers regarding addiction and incarceration policy. The city of Juneau and State of Alaska recognize Christina’s commitment to authentic change and support. Justice for Victims awarded her the 2016 Advocacy Award. Senator Dan Sullivan honored her and other colleagues in 2016 at the Wellness Summit as a pioneer for change and as a face and voice for recovery.

Christina’s vision is to serve Alaska’s most vulnerable population, to bridge the gaps in Alaska’s systems of care ultimately making access to services accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive.


 

All Sessions by Christina Love

  • Day 1 – Tuesday, September 13, 2022
    • 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
      Intersections of Trauma & Substance Use
  • Day 3 – Thursday, September 15, 2022
    • 10:30 AM – 10:35 AM
      Resilient Journeys

Mark Parrino

American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc.

About Mark Parrino
https://www.aatod.org/

Mr. Parrino has been involved in the delivery of health care and substance abuse treatment since 1974. He received both a Baccalaureate in Psychology (1974) and a Masters in Health Policy, Planning and Administration (1982) from New York University. Mr. Parrino served as the Director of the Gramercy Park Medical Group, an outpatient methadone treatment program, from 1980 to 1994. He also served as President of the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI). Mr. Parrino served as the Chair of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Consensus Panel for State Methadone Treatment Guidelines, the first Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) published for national distribution. Currently, Mr. Parrino is the President of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) and continues to be responsible for the development and implementation of the Association’s organizing initiatives. He also serves as the Vice President of the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (WFTOD).


 

All Sessions by Mark Parrino

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
      Opioid Epidemic in the United States – Clinical Issues and Policy Perspectives

Jennifer Shaw

Southcentral Foundation
 

About Jennifer Shaw
https://www.southcentralfoundation.com/

Jennifer Shaw is a medical anthropologist (PhD, 2013) and Senior Researcher at Southcentral Foundation (SCF), a large Tribal health organization serving 65,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley, and 55 rural villages. Originally from Kansas (Rock Chalk!), Jennifer has lived in Alaska since 2003. She spent several years in the Iliamna and Lake Clark region, where she completed her dissertation research on the role of subsistence in the perceived well-being of Dena’ina Athabascan youth. In 2010, she joined the SCF Research Department, where she leads community-based, participatory, health services research on topics of priority to the Alaska Native Community. Her research focuses heavily on the cultural adaptation and testing of health interventions for use with diverse Alaska Native and American Indian people. Her primary research interests are in substance and alcohol prevention and treatment, child and adolescent health, suicide prevention, and palliative care communication.


 

All Sessions by Jennifer Shaw

  • Day 1 – Tuesday, September 13, 2022
    • 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
      Contingency Management in AK

Donald Teater

SEARHC
 

About Donald Teater
https://searhc.org/m/

Don Teater is a family physician who has practiced medicine for over 30 years. He initially worked in a solo practice in Clyde, North Carolina with his wife, Martha, who is a behavioral therapist. Since 2004 he has focused on the intersection of pain, opioids, and addiction and he has been active nationally on all aspects of the opioid epidemic. He was the lead facilitator for the expert panel during the development of the CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. From 2013-2016, Teater was the Medical Advisor at the National Safety Council leading their effort to reduce opioid abuse and overdose. In 2018, Don and his wife Martha moved to Denver, CO. While working on the public health aspects of the opioid epidemic through public speaking and lobbying, he also works part-time as a pain and addiction specialist seeing Alaska Native patients with the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) in multiple communities in southeast Alaska. He also sees patients one day a week treating opioid use disorder and chronic pain in Waynesville, NC by telemedicine.


 

All Sessions by Donald Teater

  • Day 3 – Thursday, September 15, 2022
    • 9:10 AM – 10:30 AM
      Pain and Addiction: Wicked siblings in the family of Despair.

Kamilla Venner

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
 

About Kamilla Venner
https://psych.unm.edu/

Kamilla L. Venner, Ph.D., (Ahtna Athabascan) is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New Mexico. Her research aims to reduce the substance use related health inequities American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people experience. She explores ways to culturally tailor evidence-based treatments (EBTs) to improve acceptability, engagement, retention, and outcomes for AI/AN people. Her expertise in motivational interviewing with Indigenous populations has been shared nationally and internationally. Most recently, she is testing culturally centered implementation models to improve adoption of EBTs, such as medication treatment for opioid use disorder, in AI/AN programs and communities.


 

All Sessions by Kamilla Venner

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 9:10 AM – 10:10 AM
      Culturally centering medication treatment for American Indian/Alaska Native people with opioid use disorder

Daniele Zullino

University Hospitals of Genevax
 

About Daniele Zullino
https://www.hug.ch/en

Daniele Zullino is Head of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at the University Hospitals of Geneva and Professor of Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Geneva. He is a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy with additional specialization training in addiction psychiatry. The Division of Addiction Psychiatry (WHO Collaborating Center) covers the entire spectrum of addiction psychiatry with outpatient, day-care, inpatient and outreach services ranging from therapy for non-pharmacological addictions to diacetylmorphine-assisted (medical heroin) treatment. The main research topics of Daniele Zullino’s research group concern impulsivity, behavioral addictions, psychedelic-assisted treatments and drug policies. Daniele Zullino is, among others, vice president of the Swiss Society of Addiction Medicine, editor in chief of the Swiss Archives of Neurology, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and has been member of various national expert-groups who have accompanied Opiod-assisted treatmet in Switzerland. He has authored more than 240 scientific papers and book chapters.


 

All Sessions by Daniele Zullino

  • Day 1 – Tuesday, September 13, 2022
    • 9:15 AM – 10:30 PM
      Treatment for OUD in Europe: From Abstinence- to Existence-Oriented

PANELISTS

Sarah Abramczyk

State of Alaska
 

About Sarah Abramczyk
https://dfcs.alaska.gov/Commissioner/Pages/default.aspx

Sarah Abramczyk, MSW: Sarah is a lifelong Alaskan who has nearly 20 years of experience in the social services field. She is now raising her own family in Juneau, Alaska. Sarah has a BA in Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and completed a MSW at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Sarah has been with the Office of Children’s Services since 2005 encompassing a variety of roles, including 13 years of direct-service field work. She currently serves as the Social Services Program Administrator in state office. Sarah oversees instrumental statewide child welfare programs, such as the resource family program, service array, adoptions, and regulation development. Sarah is a dedicated advocate for safe children and strong families and finding effective solutions to difficult child welfare issues.


 

All Sessions by Sarah Abramczyk

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
      Recovery Roundtable: ­­­­­Pregnant & Parenting Individuals that use Opioids Addressing gaps, barriers, and access to treatment

Dr. Herbert Day

More info coming soon…
 

About Dr. Herbert Day
 


 

All Sessions by Dr. Herbert Day

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

      Recovery Roundtable: ­­­­­Pregnant & Parenting Individuals that use Opioids Addressing gaps, barriers, and access to treatment

Rachel Gladhart

Bartlett Regional Hospital
 

About Rachel Gladhart
Rachel Gladhart is a certified nurse midwife who has been providing ambulatory clinical services for families in Juneau for 17 years. After going back to school for health care innovation, she accepted the role of Plans of Safe Care Pilot Coordinator for Bartlett Hospital in 2021. Our program aims to improve child welfare outcomes by supporting families with substance use through intensive perinatal case management as well as changing the local landscape of recovery capital.

Robert Lawrence

Department of Corrections, State of Alaska
 

About Robert Lawrence

Robert Lawrence, MD, MEd, MA (bioethics)
Chief Medical Officer State of Alaska, Department of Corrections.

Dr. Robert Lawrence is the Chief Medical Officer for the State of Alaska Department of Corrections. He is a family practice physician with experience working with vulnerable populations in various settings including rural Alaska, Western Africa, and Haiti. He has worked in correctional medicine since 2009 and has been involved in the expansion of OUD medical treatment options for justice involved individuals in Alaska. He has a Masters of Education and Masters of Arts in Bioethics.


 

All Sessions by Robert Lawrence

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

      Recovery Roundtable: ­­­­­Pregnant & Parenting Individuals that use Opioids Addressing gaps, barriers, and access to treatment

Sarah Spencer

Ninilchik Traditional Council
 

About Sarah Spencer

Dr. Sarah Spencer is board certified in family and addiction medicine and has been providing treatment for opioid use disorder in rural Alaska for over a decade.  She works with Project HOPE to provide opioid overdose response training and naloxone distribution and is a founding member and volunteer medical director of Alaska’s only rural syringe access program in Homer.  She is currently an employee of the Ninilchik Traditional Council and provides family medicine and addiction treatment services at their tribal clinic, including telemedicine to remote native villages.  She is a co-author of the state’s medications for addiction treatment guide, and provides addiction medicine teaching and consulting services for non-profits like the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the SAHMSA funded Opioid Response Network.


 

All Sessions by Sarah Spencer

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

      Recovery Roundtable: ­­­­­Pregnant & Parenting Individuals that use Opioids Addressing gaps, barriers, and access to treatment 

Douglas Zock

Department of Corrections, State of Alaska
 

About Douglas Zock

Doug Zock is the Substance Use Disorder Criminal Justice Planner for the Alaska Department of Corrections. He has worked for the department since 2013 and during that time, has served in a variety of roles including development and expansion of all medication-assisted treatment therapies for individuals with an opiate use disorder, overseeing all the mental health functions at the Anchorage Correctional Complex-West location, Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention trainer. He has a Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services from the University of Colorado. When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family exploring the amazing hiking trails all over the state of Alaska.


 

All Sessions by Douglas Zock

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

      Recovery Roundtable: ­­­­­Pregnant & Parenting Individuals that use Opioids Addressing gaps, barriers, and access to treatment

Jenny Weisshaupt

ABADA
 

About Jenny Weisshaupt

Jenny Weisshaupt is a Health & Social Services Planner with the Alaska Mental Health Board, Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and Statewide Suicide Prevention Council. Her previous work includes work in child welfare, adolescent residential substance use treatment, and clinical and socio-behavioral research in hospital and university settings. Jenny has a BA in Sociology with concentrations in Health & Medicine and Deviance & the Law from the University of Pennsylvania as well as previous volunteer experience as an Alaska-certified Wilderness EMT-1, Fire Fighter II and BLS Instructor. She is a rescue dog mom, gardener, mountain runner, sea kayaker and all around nature and animal lover.


 

All Sessions by Jenny Weisshaupt

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
      Moderator – Recovery Roundtable: ­­­­­Pregnant & Parenting Individuals that use Opioids Addressing gaps, barriers, and access to treatment

RESILIENT JOURNEYS SPEAKERS

Tim Easterly

Resilient Journeys Speaker
 

About Tim Easterly
 


 

All Sessions by Tim Easterly

  • Day 1 – Tuesday, September 13, 2022
    • 12:30 PM – 12:35 PM

      Resilient Journeys

Matt Lamb

Resilient Journeys Speaker
 

About Matt Lamb

 

All Sessions by Matt Lamb

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 11:30 AM – 11:35 AM
      Resilient Journeys

Christina Love

Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA)

About Christina Love
https://andvsa.org/

Christina Love is an Alutiiq/Sugpiaq (Aleut) woman from Egegik village who was raised in Chitina, Alaska. She is a formerly incarcerated person in long term recovery who currently works as a Specialist for the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), the state’s coalition of domestic and sexual violence programs. Christina has dedicated her life to systems change for targeted populations in Alaska. At ANDVSA, Christina works with programs, agencies, and communities nationwide to address the roots causes of trauma, continuum of care for support services through strategic initiatives, equity and inclusion, organizational transformation, training and technical assistance, community-based organization, integrated services, curriculum development, evaluation, assessment, and community healing.

Christina is a well-known civil and disability rights activist. Christina has given hope and voice to those affected by addictions, helping to create a movement that changed the public conversation on recovery. As an advocate for change, she has worked skillfully within government to address the opioid epidemic, ensuring desperately needed investments are being made in treatment and recovery supports. Christina’s experiences inform her efforts to assist other people, making her more understanding and approachable. She served as the coordinator for Alaska’s DART Program (Disability Abuse Response Team). Christina focused on enhancing services for victims of domestic/sexual violence who experience disabilities. In recognition of the multiple systems that each victim is required to navigate, Christina’s collaboration provided a road map for participants, staff, and community members who are seeking assistance.

Christina is an expert in providing technical assistance, training and support to crisis intervention services, acute care, primary care and behavioral health providers on integrated care initiatives. Christina has more than 10 years of experience in the field of behavioral health services, with an emphasis on the treatment of substance use, workforce training development, and the use of evidence-based-practices in clinical and community settings.

As a Recovery Advocate, Christina has been a longstanding member of the Juneau Homeless Housing Coalition, Juneau Reentry Coalition, Juneau Coordinated Entry for Housing, Alaska State Opioid task force, and Alaska BRSS TACS (Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy) Policy Academy. She is a volunteer and Vice President of the board for Haven House Juneau, and Juneau’s Recovery Coach Advisory board. She is also a volunteer Chaplin for her local correctional center.

Christina is active on multiple local, state, and national panels and at informational gatherings. Her activism regularly engages with local and state legislators and law makers regarding addiction and incarceration policy. The city of Juneau and State of Alaska recognize Christina’s commitment to authentic change and support. Justice for Victims awarded her the 2016 Advocacy Award. Senator Dan Sullivan honored her and other colleagues in 2016 at the Wellness Summit as a pioneer for change and as a face and voice for recovery.

Christina’s vision is to serve Alaska’s most vulnerable population, to bridge the gaps in Alaska’s systems of care ultimately making access to services accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive.


 

All Sessions by Christina Love

  • Day 1 – Tuesday, September 13, 2022
    • 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
      Intersections of Trauma & Substance Use
  • Day 3 – Thursday, September 15, 2022
    • 10:30 AM – 10:35 AM
      Resilient Journeys

Christine Furey

Resilient Journeys Speaker
 

About Christine Morrison

 

All Sessions by Christine Morrison

  • Day 2 – Wednesday, September 14, 2022
    • 2:00 PM – 2:05 PM
      Resilient Journeys

Matt Wright

Resilient Journeys Speaker
 

About Matt Wright

 

All Sessions by Matt Wright

  • Day 1 – Tuesday, September 13, 2022
    • 2:30 PM – 2:35 PM
      Resilient Journeys

Register Today

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