EMILY BHARGAVA
Technical Assistance Associate, Education Development Center

Ms. Bhargava works at the intersection of art and public health, facilitating and supporting health promotion and prevention programs across Massachusetts and beyond. Originally trained as a Medical Anthropologist, Bhargava focuses on inclusion, community voice, and equity as she bolsters community-level strategic planning, evaluation design, and program implementation.

REBECCA BISHOP, MA
Project Director, Education Development Center

Ms. Bishop has over 14 years of experience working with underserved communities and reducing behavioral health disparities through outreach, engagement, training, and technical assistance (T/TA). Rebecca Bishop, an adaptable and transformational leader, specializes in initiatives to improve youth and high-risk populations' health, mental health, and well-being. She brings expertise in mental health promotion, health equity, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, instructional design, community mobilization, and violence prevention and intervention. Bishop has a demonstrated history of applying a health and racial equity lens to substance use, youth development, violence, and prevention, as well as mental health issues. A highly skilled public speaker and facilitator, Bishop Ms. Bishop is an experienced public speaker and facilitator whose expertise in building equity can be embedded in program development or adapted to fit diverse cultures, frames, and perspectives. Bishop holds an MA in Social Work, Health, and Mental Health Administration from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and has a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.

NICHOLAS BORMANN, MD
Addiction Psychiatrist, Mayo Clinic

Dr. Borman is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and the medical director of the Fountain Center Substance Use Disorder treatment program. The program includes an 18-bed men’s residential unit, a 10-bed sober house, and seven intensive outpatient programs across southern Minnesota.

SCOTT BOYLES, LAC
Senior National Training Director, Train for Change

Mr. Boyles is the Senior National Training Director for Train For Change Inc. With over 30 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, he has acted as a counselor, clinical director, and director. For over two decades, Scott has been a consultant and trainer.

MONTY BURKS, PHD, CPRS
Deputy Director of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, State of Tennessee

Dr. Burks currently serves as Deputy Director of The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for the State of Tennessee, where his focus is bringing the non-profit and faith-based community together to serve better Tennesseans. Burks, a justice-involved person, has used his experience in the criminal justice system to provide insight and leadership in hiring formerly incarcerated and others who have fought and earned a second chance. Burks has more than 21 years’ experience working with the criminal justice system in various roles, including adjunct criminal justice professor at Motlow State Community College, Criminal Justice Student Research Analyst at Middle Tennessee State University, and Criminal Justice Off-campus program coordinator and professor at Tennessee State University.

HEATHER CHAPMAN, PHD, ICGCII, BACC
Director, Gambling Treatment Program, Ohio Department of Veteran Affairs

Dr. Chapman is a clinical psychologist, Director of the Gambling Treatment Program at the Cleveland VA Medical Center, and the leader of gambling treatment, training consultation, and research for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. After 30 years of work in the gambling field, Dr. Chapman was recently honored by the National Council on Problem Gambling with The Robert Custer Lifetime Award for Direct Service. Dr. Chapman’s aim is, as a research practitioner, to help people struggling with gambling and develop interactive and dynamic tools to assist and maintain change.

LAURA CLERY
Creator

Ms. Clery is among the top female comedians emerging online today, reaching over 24 Million fans. Laura produces daily videos on social media that intersect comedy, motherhood, and lifestyle vlogs and garner millions of views daily. While most of the content Laura shares is light-hearted, she also shares her struggles with addiction online to stay authentic with her followers.

TOM CODERRE
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, SAMHSA

Mr. Coderre is the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). With decades of public, private, and non-profit service, he is the first person in recovery to lead SAMHSA. His career has been significantly influenced by his journey and a philosophy that acknowledges the essential role peer recovery support services play in helping people with mental and substance use disorders rebuild their lives.

As SAMHSA’s Region 1 Administrator, Mr. Coderre prioritized prevention, treatment, and recovery services under the strain of COVID-19. He reconvened the Federal Interagency Workgroup on Opioids, and as overdoses spiked throughout 2020, he brought the region together to identify programmatic and policy solutions to respond.

Tom is the former Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and Senior Advisor to the SAMHSA Administrator. Mr. Coderre led the team that produced “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.” As Senior Advisor to Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, Mr. Coderre co-chaired a task force that coordinated a multi-layered strategy to address the opioid crisis. Mr. Coderre worked on mental health policy and helped draft an Executive Order to improve access to treatment by enforcing parity laws. He also worked with the State Police to establish the Hope Initiative, the first statewide program that engages law enforcement personnel in a proactive public health approach to combat the overdose epidemic.

Mr. Coderre is the former National Field Director of Faces & Voices of Recovery and appeared in the documentary film The Anonymous People. He served as a member of the Rhode Island Senate from 1995 to 2003 and as Chief of Staff to the Senate President from 2009 to 2014. He has been recognized on numerous occasions for his dedication and advocacy efforts. Mr. Coderre graduated from the Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.

AMY CROLL, LMSW, CPS
Capacity Coach, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services 

Ms. Croll has served in a training capacity for the State of Iowa over the past 24 years. She has been a capacity coach and trainer for Iowa HHS since 2012. Ms. Croll has vast experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, and policy. She works full-time for Homeward, Polk County’s homelessness planning entity, serves on the Urbandale City Council, and engages in nonprofit consulting projects.

DEANN DECKER
Director, Bureau of Services, Planning and Performance, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Ms. Decker has served as Bureau Chief of Substance Abuse for the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) for 17 years, now the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Decker is currently the Director of Services, Planning, and Performance with Iowa HHS. Her Bureau is made up of approximately 30 FTE staff who specialize in Problem Gambling and Substance Use Disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. The Bureau also houses discretionary grants for prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Before coming to the Department of Public Health, she was a substance use disorder clinical reviewer for Magellan Behavioral Health for 11 years. Magellan was the first state’s managed care company for mental health and substance use disorder services from 1995- 2016. Ms. Decker received her Bachelor’s in Family Services from the University of Northern Iowa. She is also a Certified International Alcohol and Drug Counselor.

SANDRA DEL SESTO, MED, ACPS
Master Trainer/Curriculum Designer, PTTC

Ms. Del Sesto is a national consultant and master trainer in behavioral health and strategic planning for non-profits. She was the founder and, for 30 years, the executive director of Initiatives for Human Development, a statewide, multi-service prevention program, and a founder of CODAC, RI’s largest non-profit treatment program. She was also the founding director of the Institute for Addiction Recovery at Rhode Island College. She is a member of the advisory boards of the Prevention Technology Transfer Center National Coordinating Office (PTTC-NCO), the New England Prevention PTTC, and the New England School of Addiction Studies. She is also a member of the National Behavioral Health Association’s Evidence-based Workgroup. For years, Sandra served as the RI delegate to and the former Prevention Committee Co-Chair of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), certifying behavioral health professionals. Sandra is a co-author of SAMHA SPF Application for Prevention Success Training (SAPST) and its basic and advanced Prevention Ethics courses, as well as many other face-to-face and online courses in prevention.

PAOLO DEL VECCHIO, MSW
Director of the Office of Recovery, SAMHSA

Mr. del Vecchio is the Director of the Office of Recovery, where he provides leadership for SAMHSA’s efforts to advance recovery across the nation. This includes expanding the availability of recovery support services – including peer services, housing, employment, and whole health care – to people with mental health and/or substance use conditions and their families.

Previously, Mr. del Vecchio served as SAMHSA’s Executive Officer and Director of the Office of Management, Technology, and Operations, leading improvements in human resources, information technology, ethics, and more. He also previously served as Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services, providing executive leadership for Federal efforts to improve the nation’s mental health service systems. This included management of the federal/state mental health block grant program and directing a range of programs and activities that address topics such as suicide prevention, children’s mental health, homelessness, disaster mental health, HIV/AIDS, and others.

A person in long-term recovery from mental health conditions and addictions, as well as a trauma survivor, Mr. del Vecchio, has over 40 years of behavioral health experience as a consumer, family member, provider, advocate, and policy maker. He graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in social work from Temple University, has published widely, and is a highly sought-after national leader and speaker.

THOMAS EACHUS, LISW
Executive Director, Black Hawk Grundy MHC

Mr. Eachus has been with the Black Hawk Grundy Mental Health Center since 1988 and has been its Director since 1993. 2017 the Center became an Allen Health Systems, UnityPoint Health affiliate. In addition to his administrative duties, he has provided clinical services and ethics workshops for over twenty years.

AMANDA ELAZEAR
Peer Recovery Coach, University of Iowa Addiction and Recovery Collaborative

Ms. Eleazer is a Peer Recovery Coach for the University of Iowa Addiction and Recovery Collaborative. She has provided recovery services to all UI ARC patients and throughout the UI Hospital on their Addiction Medicine Consult service. She also spends a lot of time trying to educate providers on how to provide quality healthcare to people with a substance use disorder.

MARISSA EYANSON
Division Administrator, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Ms. Eyanson serves as the Director of the Division of Behavioral Health for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, linking together Iowa’s State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), Single State Authority (SSA) for Substance Abuse, and the State’s work related to Tobacco Use, Prevention, and Control. From her first job as a direct support professional to her work in Medicaid-managed care, Marissa has focused on the intersections between behavioral health supports, network capacity building, and improving outcomes for highly complex individuals. She brings a unique ability to pivot perspectives from provider to payer to regulator.

Marissa has worked with the Iowa Department of Human Services since 2018. Before stepping into her current role, she served as the policy director for Iowa Medicaid, leading program management and policy development across the full spectrum of Iowa’s Medicaid program. Marissa has focused on leveraging systems and teams throughout her career to achieve high-quality outcomes. She has led improvements in organizational structure, managed programs, and developed policy by building strong partnerships, articulating a clear vision, and aligning to purpose. She is committed to building successful teams and strengthening relationships that will improve systems and services that ensure that all individuals and families have an opportunity to succeed. Marissa is a lifelong small-town Iowan and a graduate of Iowa State University. She and her husband have two children and enjoy time spent with family, their pets, and traveling.

KIM FREESE, LAC
Regional VII Director, SAMHSA

Ms. Freese is the SAMHSA Regional VII Director serving Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska, and nine federally recognized tribes since 2015. Ms. Freese has worked in the behavioral health care field since 1992 and is a person thriving in long-term recovery from addiction.

LORI FRICK, MA, LMHC
Child Protective Services Director, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Ms. Frick has a master’s degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Loras College. Lori has spent her entire career working in human services in both the private and public sectors. She believes that children must reside safely WITH their families, not from them, when possible. Child welfare work is her passion; she strives for excellence within CPS at HHS.

KELLY GARCIA
Director, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Praised for transformative leadership, Ms. Garcia serves as the Director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Governor Kim Reynolds appointed Garcia to oversee the state’s social services agency in November 2019. She was unanimously confirmed by the Iowa Senate on February 26, 2020. Later that year, Garcia was asked to serve as Interim Public Health Director. As a dual director, Garcia led the agency’s pandemic response while shepherding consolidation to a single health and human services structure. Two years later, Kelly led Iowa’s largest agency, which was committed to transparency and accountability. The key to this success is building strong teams, transforming the agency’s business processes, and driving home a human-centered strategic vision. Before moving to Hawkeye, Garcia led improvements in organizational structure, program management, and policy development in the great state of Texas, including serving in several executive positions at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Garcia has over 20 years of experience in program evaluation, budget planning, and policy development. Garcia graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and received her MPA from The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. She was a member of the Governor’s Executive Development Program sponsored by the LBJ School of Public Affairs and has been acknowledged as a distinguished alumnus. She is married to attorney Dan Garcia, and they have two children.

JODEE GOCHE, MPS, CPS
Certified Prevention Specialist, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Ms. Goche is a Certified Prevention Specialist with seventeen years of experience in the prevention field. Her prevention work has included implementing evidence-based community programs and providing Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (SAPST) and Ethics training for prevention professionals. She has provided technical assistance to community coalitions and applies this knowledge to her work for the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State University. Ms. Goche holds a Master's in Prevention Science from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s in Management from Briar Cliff University.

MIRNA HERRERA, MA MT-BC, CPS
Regional Behavioral Health Advisor, SAMHSA

Ms. Herrera has worked in the behavioral health field since 2011, focusing on the peer support workforce and trauma-informed practices. She worked as a peer manager at University Health in Kansas City, as a trainer through the Missouri Credentialing Board for peer support certification and peer supervision, and as a consultant with the Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center on peer support services. Her personal lived experience with PTSD ignited her passion for trauma-informed care, for which she trained and consulted multiple organizations across the region. She is also an advocate and educator for Naloxone and harm reduction practices. As a Regional Behavioral Health Advisor for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), she continues focusing on peer support and recovery services in Region 7.

SHELLEY HORAK, EDD, MPH, CHES
Director of Early Intervention and Support, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Ms. Horak is the Director of Early Intervention and Support for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. She is also an Assistant Professor at Des Moines University and an Adjunct Professor at Simpson College. She holds a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University and a master’s degree in public health from Des Moines University. Dr. Horak is committed to exploring solutions to children's and families' complex problems.

CHRISTOPHER JONES, PHARMD, DRPH, MPH
Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention SAMHSA

Capt. Jones brings a wealth of experience to SAMHSA, having led substance use, mental health, and injury and violence prevention policy, program, and research activities for more than a decade. Before becoming Director of CSAP, Capt. Jones served as the director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this role, he provided scientific leadership and overall management of the Center, including driving the Center’s strategic direction and advancing the Center’s priorities of preventing drug overdose, suicide, and adverse childhood experiences. During his career, Capt. Jones has served in various leadership roles in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

LINDA KALIN, BS, RN, CSPI
Executive Director, Iowa Poison Control Center

Ms. Kalin is the Executive Director of the Iowa Poison Control Center. She has over 30 years of experience in clinical toxicology and poison center activities. Linda began her career as an emergency room nurse and, in 1989, became Iowa’s first Certified Specialist in Poison Information. She serves on the America’s Poison Centers Board of Directors as Treasurer. Linda is a frequent lecturer and speaker throughout Iowa on topics involving drug abuse.

LAURA LARKIN
CCBHC Project Director

Ms. Larkin has worked for the state of Iowa for 16 years in the mental health and behavioral health divisions. Laura also has extensive experience in community and school-based mental health services in Iowa

JOSH LUFTIG, PA-C
Founder, Director of Harm Reduction Services, CA-Bridge

Mr. Luftig has over 23 years of experience in Emergency Medicine, is a co-founder of Bridge, and serves as a Director and National Implementation Leader. He is a nationally recognized expert in medication for addiction treatment (MAT), naloxone distribution, and is a regular speaker at local and national conferences. He co-established one of the nation’s largest ED-based MAT initiation programs at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA. He co-developed a novel high-dose rapid buprenorphine induction protocol published in JAMA and widely adopted as a standard for EDs.

MEGHAN MEAD, JD
Senior Attorney, Mid-States Region, Network for Public Health Law

Ms. Mead is a senior attorney in the Mid-States region at the Network. She has expertise in data sharing and privacy laws, including extensive experience with HIPAA. Her other interests and areas of expertise include social determinants of health, such as housing and food security, public benefits, guaranteed income, and housing instability and evictions. Before her work at the Network, Meghan served as the Director of Law and Policy at New Mexico Appleseed, where she identified and successfully advocated for effective solutions to child and family poverty at the local, state, and federal levels. She also spent almost a decade in private law practice, providing regulatory and transactional legal advice to healthcare providers, including hospitals and medical groups. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School and received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude in history and economics from Mount Holyoke College. She is licensed to practice law in New Mexico and California.

LORENE MEIN, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner. Primary Health Care, Inc.

Ms. Mein is a Family Nurse Practitioner working for Primary Health Care, Inc. She received her Master’s from the University of Minnesota and her Doctorate from the University of Iowa. She has a personal passion for addressing tobacco addiction, treatment, and prevention.

NICHOLE NIDEY, PHD
Assistant Professor, University of Iowa College of Public Health

Dr. Nidey is a maternal and child health epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. She conducts patient and community-engaged research aimed at improving healthcare and outcomes for pregnant and postpartum persons with substance use.

AMELIA ROESCHLEIN, DSW, MA, LMFT
Consultant, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Dr. Roeschlein is a licensed clinician who has led mental health, substance use, and integrated care programs and trained mental health providers in academic medicine since the late 90’s. She is a National Council for Mental Wellbeing consultant with a portfolio in trauma-informed, resilience-oriented, and equity-focused systems (TIROES) and integrated health. A regular conference speaker, Dr. Roeschlein has the expertise and published research in topics including harm reduction in re-entry and incarcerated populations, personality disorders and mentalization, connection and belonging, co-occurring disorders, compassion cultivation, clinical supervision, adaptive leadership, and interpersonal violence, including healing families and survivors of domestic violence. Dr. Roeschlein earned her doctorate in social work from the University of Southern California with a focus on innovation and creating large-scale social change through transdisciplinary training of mental health practitioners. She also completed a fellowship in leadership, equity advancement, and diversity.

JOSH RUBIN, MPP
Principal, Health Management Associates

Mr. Rubin is a Principal with Health Management Associates, a national research and consulting firm focused on publicly financed healthcare. Josh has spent nearly 30 years doing behavioral health-related work, including as the Chief Operating Officer of Vibrant Emotional Wellness, where he helped run the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. He also served as New York City’s Assistant commissioner for Substance Use Disorder Services.

LAUREN SISLER

Ms. Sisler is a two-time Emmy award-winning sports broadcaster who joined ESPN and SEC Network in 2016 as a sideline reporter for college football and gymnastics. As a sportscaster and former collegiate gymnast, Lauren is passionate about sports but even more passionate about telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, and fans who make it more than a game. Her life was not always defined by victories. In 2003, as a freshman at Rutgers University, tragedy struck her world when she unexpectedly lost both parents within hours of each other to their concealed battle with prescription drug addiction. On her journey through grief, Lauren bravely emerged from the shadows of shame, embraced her story, and found hope again. “I carried that shame until I finally realized I wouldn’t let the pain I harbored define me, just like it didn’t define my parents.” Lauren realized that embracing her story and making peace with it had the power to heal, and she could inspire others to do the same. Through her authenticity and vivid storytelling, Lauren’s presentations take listeners on an emotional passage that ignites gratitude and a reimagined purpose in their lives. “Your story is significant. Learn to love it, then do something with it.”

JUDGE JEFFREY SMITH
Spokane County District Court, Mental Health Therapeutic Court & Therapeutic Court

Judge Jeffrey Smith was appointed to the Spokane District Court in 2016 and elected in 2018 and 2022. Judge Smith currently presides over the Mental Health and DUI Therapeutic Courts. He is President of the District and Municipal Court Judges Association for Washington State. Judge Smith is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Gonzaga University. Before the Bench, Judge Smith practiced complex commercial litigation and corporate law, emphasizing intellectual property. Before law school, Judge Smith practiced medicine for 16 years as a Physician Associate in surgery and primary care. Judge Smith is a graduate of Whitworth University, Yale University School of Medicine, and Gonzaga University School of Law.

STEPHANIE STRUTNER, MPH, CPSII
Lead Epidemiologist, Catalyst Evaluation Group

A retired substance use prevention coalition director, Ms. Strutner owns and operates an independent consulting firm, Catalyst Evaluation Group. She supports clients by measuring impact and conducting biostatistical and epidemiological analyses. She also serves as a Master Trainer for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and serves as the part-time CEO of the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Emory & Henry College, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management from the University of Tennessee with a focus and field practice in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, a Certificate in Social Enterprise Effectiveness from the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee. She is a Level II Certified Prevention Specialist. Stephanie has spoken to the United States Congress on several occasions on the impact drug use has on our communities and has also testified before the Tennessee General Assembly on multiple pertinent prevention issues. In 2018, she was summoned to a meeting in the West Wing of the White House with the President of the United States to discuss effective opioid prevention strategies in local communities. In 2020, the efforts and impact of the coalition she led were selected to be showcased as a case study to Congress. In 2023, she was invited by the Institute for Research and Evaluation (UTRIP of Slovenia) to attend the United Nations Commission on Narcotics and Drugs, the global policy forum for drug policy. Stephanie is an avid snow skier and wake surfer, she also enjoys stand-up paddle boarding, golf, boating, sports, and spending time with her family.

GLORIA URIDEL
Training Program Coordinator, Faces and Voices of Recovery

Ms. Uridel is a Training Program Coordinator with Faces & Voices of Recovery, working with Curriculum Development and managing contracts. She previously provided direct peer support services at Communities for Recovery, an RCO in Austin, TX, where she served as a certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, Peer Support Supervisor, and training facilitator for Communities for Recovery Training Academy. She also created an educational wellness program for the organization.

SUSAN WALKER
Program Manager, Faces and Voices of Recovery

Ms. Walker, a woman in long-term recovery, served as executive director of the Turning Point of Windham County Recovery Center in Vermont for 14 years. The peer-led center grew from a volunteer-operated grassroots drop-in center to a richly programmatic organization where certified peers led programs and teams of peer specialists serving people who practiced myriad recovery pathways. Extensive training and focused supervision on ethics and boundaries ensured our specialists had clarity around peer and professional roles and accountabilities. Suzie worked in the textbook publishing field before working in the recovery field. Her current role as a Curriculum Development Specialist combines her passions for recovery and training at Faces & Voices of Recovery.

MONICA WILKE-BROWN, LMSW
Project Director, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Ms. Brown is the Project Director for the Opioid Response grants at the Iowa Department of Public Health. She has experience with several opioid grants as well as County Substance Abuse Prevention grants, Iowa's Child Protection Centers' grants, and the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grant, which integrated substance use screenings into primary care, other medical services, and the National Guard. Monica's prior experiences include HIV Prevention work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, substance abuse and violence prevention services in central Iowa, and work with international students and immigrant groups in St. Louis. Before joining the Department, Monica spent ten years managing community-based programs at a Central Iowa non-profit. Monica received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and her Master of Social Work degree from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.