Harm Reduction Office Hours

Overview

The Harm Reduction Office Hours series offered a unique opportunity for addiction providers and partners from across New York State to come together to highlight specific harm reduction efforts and share information on harm reduction successes and lessons learned.

Topics

This Office Hours series will explore a variety of topics and themes. Have a suggestion for a harm reduction topic to discuss at a future meeting? Please send your suggestion to the Chief of Medical Services or the Associate Commissioner for Harm Reduction.

Past meeting topics included:

Credentialing Credit

OASAS will be offering 1.5 clock-hour credit for CASAC, CPP/CPS, and Social Work CEUs for each webinar attended.

To receive credit, follow the steps below to take the quiz associated with the webinar you watched.

Go to https://answerkey.net/oasas/
Log on with your Username and Password (If you do not have an account, you can create one)
Scroll down to Harm Reduction
Find the training Harm Reduction Office Hours
Take the quiz and Survey Monkey, if prompted
Log off, then back on
Follow the same directions as above
Scroll down to Harm Reduction
Find the training Harm Reduction Office Hours
Click on Get Certificate

Webinars

The History of Harm Reduction

Presented by Maia Szalavitz

Meeting Materials

Presentation References & Resources

Maia Szalavitz is the author, most recently, of Undoing Drugs: The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction, which is the first history of the movement to focus drug policy on minimizing harms, not highs. She is also contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.

Her previous New York Times bestseller, Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction wove together neuroscience and social science with her personal experience of heroin addiction. It won the 2018 media award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Her 2006 book, Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids, was the first to expose the damage caused by “tough love” youth treatment and helped spur Congressional hearings.

She has also authored or co-authored five other books, including the classic on child trauma, The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, and has written for numerous publications including TIME, Wired, and Scientific American. She lives with her husband and two squeaky cats in New York City.

Harm Reduction Informed Substance Use Treatment: Why is it Essential to Success and What Do We Do?

Presented by Andrew Tatarsky, PhD, Founder and Director of The Center for Optimal Living

Meeting Materials

Andrew Tatarsky has worked with people who use drugs and their families for over 40 years. Andrew developed Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (IHRP) for treating the spectrum of risky and addictive behavior as an alternative to traditional abstinence-only substance use treatment. IHRP brings relational psychoanalysis, CBT and mindfulness together in a harm reduction frame. IHRP meets people where ever they are on their positive change journeys and works collaboratively to support people in discovering their truth and what goals and approach to positive change best suit them. The therapy has been described in his book, Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems, and a series of papers. He is Founder and Director of the Center for Optimal Living in NYC, a treatment, education and professional training center based on IHRP. His writing, teaching, clinical work and leadership aim to promote a re-humanized view of problematic substance use and a harm reduction continuum of care that will extend help to everyone who needs and wants it where ever they are ready to begin their positive change journeys.

Harm Reduction Strategies to Decrease Overdose Risk

Presented by Kelly S. Ramsey, MD, OASAS Chief Medical Officer

Meeting Materials

Motivational Interviewing and Harm Reduction: A New Look at an Old Friend Panel Discussion

Panelists:

Pat Lincourt, LCSW, OASAS Associate Commissioner, Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Joseph R. Turner, JD, Co-Founder/President/ CEO of Exponents
Dr. Delores Blackwell, Director of OASAS Services, Housing Works
Luis Laboy, MSW, MPA, Behavioral Health Manager, Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center and Chairperson for the Bronx Council on Alcohol and Substance Use
Melissa Rios, LCSW, Exponents
James Hollywood, LCSW, Vice President of Residential Treatment, Samaritan Daytop Village Andrea Fallick, LCSW-R, MS, Director of School Based Programs, Student Assistance Services Brigette Hartman-DeCenzo, LCSW, OASAS Director, Division of Prevention and Problem Gambling Services

→ View Panelist Bios

Meeting Materials

Joe Turner is the co-founder and current CEO of Exponents, a 30-year-old community based human services and harm reduction program in NYC. Exponents provides compassionate and person-centered drug treatment, recovery and wellness services to the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Since its founding in 1988, over 11,000 program graduates have completed its programs-many of whom are in management positions of nonprofit agencies. At Exponents, “…we meet people where they are, but we don’t leave them there!”

Joe was born and raised in Brownsville, (never ran…never will) Brooklyn, NY. He attended Long Island University. Inspired by the courage of civil rights lawyers, he attended and graduated from Hofstra University School of Law, where he went on to practice law in the fields of criminal justice, civil rights, and general practice. He has worked for the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Community Action for Legal Services. For the past 35 years, he has soldiered for social justice, compassionate human services, and recovery.

As CEO, Joe led Exponents through the disruption of COVID-19, enabling the agency to continue to provide drug treatment and crisis management services without interruption. Quickly turning to tele-health and tele-visual individual and group counseling sessions, as well as establishing a 24-hour crisis hotline, Exponents retained over 95% of its program participants. Joe has often said that “…every crisis shines a bright light on our strengths and weaknesses.” Indeed, the strength of Exponents that was gleaned from the COVID-19 crisis, was the forging of a “community of hope.”

He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Exodus Transitional Communities, co-chair of the Harm Reduction Committee of the ASAP of NYS, a member of the New York Certification Board, and the Executive Committee of the NYS OASAS Recovery Implementation Team. In addition, Joe is the co-chair of the New York State Harm Reduction Association, as well as the former president of President of the Board of Directors of Friends of Recovery –NY (FOR-NY).

Dr. Delores Blackwell is a multijurisdictional licensed clinical social worker, a master addiction counselor, a certified trauma professional and a certified compassion fatigue professional and holds multiple certifications. She has held numerous administrative and clinical positions within both the addictions and mental health disciplines. She is currently the Director of OASAS Services at Housing Works. She is also an adjunct professor at both Touro College and at Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work where she teaches advanced clinical courses and the practice lab.

She is a speaker who has presented nationally and internationally on issues such as Anger Management, Trauma therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Intimate Partner Violence, Mandated treatment, Clinician Self-care, and work with Women offenders. Dr Blackwell also sits on the editorial boards of both national and international Journals of Social work. Dr Blackwell has also been published with her work on Coercion and Women offenders and work with Mandated clients. Also, in conjunction with her numerous roles she also conducts and develops trainings for both mental health and addictions professionals in both direct practice and leadership positions and is educational training provider with OASAS on such areas as Harm Reduction, Cultural Diversity, Clinical Supervision and TGNCNB Cultural Competency.

Luis Laboy is an Experienced Behavioral Health Manager with expertise in program operations, admissions, recruitment, service delivery, utilization review and regulatory compliance. A bronxite with a strong passion to help the vulnerable marginalized individuals. He has a Master of Social Work from Fordham University. Master’s in public administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is Master Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor, and OASAS Certified Education and Training Provider, a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, Chairperson for the Bronx Council on Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders and a member of the NYS Alumni Association and member of the Bronx Opioid Impact Collaborative.

Melissa Rios: I am a licensed psychotherapist and addiction specialist with over 20 years of experience helping others. As a therapist, I believe that all people have innate resilience and numerous personal strengths and abilities. I also believe it’s natural for people to feel vulnerable at times. In my work, I have found that providing a safe environment and being non-judge mental are the keys to a successful therapeutic alliance. I have helped individuals focus on self-awareness and the identification and achievement of self-directed goals.
I also have extensive knowledge and experience in providing gender affirmative therapies and trauma informed services for women and families. I draw upon my extensive knowledge in education, psychology, and clinical practice by utilizing a variety of therapies and modalities.
I have successfully helped individuals of all ages build effective coping skills to deal with life’s challenges.

James Hollywood, LCSW, is Vice President of Residential Treatment and oversees the organization’s 12 residential substance use treatment programs with 830 beds and serving 3,000 clients each year. Mr. Hollywood brings more than 30 years of experience working in the fields of substance use, mental health, and homeless services. In his previous role as Assistant Vice President, Mr. Hollywood worked to develop skills among the treatment staff in delivering motivational interviewing and cognitive behavior-based therapies. He also worked on the expansion of Samaritan Daytop Village’s use of medically assisted recovery and withdrawal management. In 2013, Hollywood was honored with the Commissioner’s Service Award for Treatment by the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services. Before joining Samaritan, Mr. Hollywood worked at Palladia, a New York City-based social service agency, where he successfully implemented enhancements to address co-occurring mental health and substance use. Mr. Hollywood helped develop "Let's Get Organized," a program to help clients improve organization and time management skills to facilitate successful re-entry into community life. This intervention was recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as an innovative practice.

Andrea Fallick is an LCSW-R, a CASAC Master Counselor, a CPP, and has a MS in Rehabilitation Counseling. She is currently the Director of School Based Programs at Student Assistance Services Corporation (SAS), responsible for overseeing the prevention counseling and programming in over 40 schools throughout Westchester County. Andrea is responsible for the agency’s compliance with all NYS OASAS regulations, policies and procedures and oversees the provision of CEU’s for licensed Social Workers, LMHC’s, and LMHTs. She is part of the SAS Planned Intervention Services for families concerned about their adolescent and young adult children’s substance use and has extensive training in CRAFT.

Prior to joining SAS, Andrea was the Director of an OASAS licensed Substance Use and Family and Adolescent Treatment Program in Nassau County, Yours Ours, Mine Community Center (YOM) with a capacity to treat 230 patients. She was responsible for overseeing all clinic operations, clinical supervision, admissions, case disposition, and treatment.

Intro to Office Hours

Panelists:

Joe Turner, JD, Co-Founder/President/CEO of Exponents
Melissa Rios, LCSW, and Samantha Lopez, EVP/COO, of Exponents
Justine Waldman, MD, CEO/CMO of Reach Medical in Ithaca;
Saeeda L. Dunston, Executive Director, Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities, Inc.

Melissa Rios a licensed psychotherapist and addiction specialist with over 20 years of experience helping others. As a therapist, she believes that all people have innate resilience and numerous personal strengths and abilities. She also believes it’s natural for people to feel vulnerable at times. In her work, she has found that providing a safe environment and being non-judge mental are the keys to a successful therapeutic alliance. She has helped individuals focus on self-awareness and the identification and achievement of self-directed goals.

She also has extensive knowledge and experience in providing gender affirmative therapies and trauma informed services for women and families. She draws upon my extensive knowledge in education, psychology, and clinical practice by utilizing a variety of therapies and modalities.

She has successfully helped individuals of all ages build effective coping skills to deal with life’s challenges.

Samantha Lopez is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Exponents. Exponents is a non-profit community-based organization in lower Manhattan compassionately dedicated to serving those impacted by HIV/AIDS, substance use, the carceral system and behavioral health challenges. The organization delivers those services through a client-centered strength-based approach which greatly improves health outcomes and promotes overall wellness in our communities. Exponents is led and predominately staffed by persons of color and is a recovery community organization in the purest sense of the term, with the majority of staff having lived experience, many of whom are program graduates.

Ms. Lopez has been with the organization for over twenty years. She currently oversees daily operations including programming development, facilities, education and workforce development training. She integrated the service continuum which includes medically supervised outpatient substance use treatment with medication assisted treatment; harm reduction services; low threshold AOD counseling; HIV testing, education and linkage to PreP & PeP: re-entry services, prevention services, Hep C screening and community engagement. She is responsible for all agency development activities and has secured and managed funding from SAMHSA, OASAS, BJA, CDC, HRSA, DOL and a range of private foundations. Ms. Lopez was instrumental in the development of and still leads Exponents’ Center for Personal and Professional development which provides CASAC, CRPA and Harm Reduction education and training services to those interested is entering or advancing in the behavioral health sector.

In 2018, Ms. Lopez spearheaded all facets of the relocation of Exponents’ program site to a newly built out 37,000 square foot space overlooking Battery Park that includes a computer lab multiple large training spaces and a telecommunications systems that allows for most services to be conducted in a hybrid of on-site and remote provision.

Prior to coming to Exponents Ms. Lopez a graduate of New York University was a program coordinator at HIV Care services, a program of Public Health solutions where she managed a portfolio of over 30 Ryan White Title I. She began working in the nonprofit sector as Assistant Director of Program Development for Elmhurst Hospital Center. Ms. Lopez has also served on the Community Advisory Boards of two MHRA Projects, FITA and HIV CARE Services.

Justine Waldman is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Since December of 2016, she has been providing Low Threshold Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT), Hepatitis C treatment and acute care to People Who Use Drugs at the Syringe Service Program (SSP) at the Southern Tier Aids Program in Ithaca, NY. She is currently the CEO and CMO of Reach (Respectful, Equitable Access to Compassionate Health) Medical in Ithaca, NY which opened in February of 2018. REACH houses a medical practice offering integrated primary care and low threshold harm reduction services for people who tend to face stigma in the current medical system. Reach Medical offers primary care, MAT, viral screening, vaccination and treatment and on demand behavioral health care. Since the Spring of 2020, REACH has been growing a robust outreach program staffed by individuals with lived experience who offer viral screening, vaccination and treatment, acute primary care and MAT visits via telehealth. In addition, REACH is the administrative home for case management for the Ithaca Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program (LEAD).

REACH has an established Peer Advisory Board in which peers are provided stipends through a local foundation grant to advise REACH on various aspects of our organization, e.g., service delivery, and research. REACH has an increasingly renowned Research Department steeped in bringing the REACH model to scale (PEW grant), and studying the outcomes that are being achieved in a rural health equity setting (HRSA grants).

Saeeda Lesley Dunston has served as the Executive Director at Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities, Inc. since August 2014. She is recognized among her peers and human justice providers throughout New York State as having a wealth of programmatic, administrative knowledge in developing and implementing culturally competent programs and services –attributes significant in not only promoting transformative change within organizations where she was employed, but also, through her professional skills sets and empathetic and insightful understanding of the challenges encountered by marginalized communities, in empowering individuals and families to become change agents and engaged participants in their communities.

Ms. Dunston has devoted her career to channeling and directing her commitment to service. Her unparalleled work ethic and laser-like ability to ascertain the bottom line to develop and implement strategies ensure that communities, most specifically communities of color, are provided with the tools to live productive, healthy and aspirational lives.

Prior to Elmcor, Ms. Dunston served in senior management positions in Brooklyn multi-service agencies and served several boroughs and citywide advocacy and policy focused coalitions that address poverty, anti-racism, human justice, health care needs of marginalized populations and communities throughout New York City. These experiences, mobilized and retrofitted at Elmcor, in developing and enhancing new and existing programs, such as the Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Program, that provide exceptional learning and out-of-school time opportunities to youth to pursue post-secondary education and careers in STEM fields.

She has expanded Elmcor’s works by launching Queen’s only Youth Recovery Clubhouse, large supermarket style food pantry, HIV testing & education programming in the Bronx & Harlem, new Older Adult Network in North Queens, Violence Prevention Enhancement Programming, 3k-4k preschool in South Jamaica Queens and mobile substance use disorder treatment unit providing medication-assisted care & counseling throughout the entire Borough of Queens; leveraging organizational resources to address the prevailing socio-economic-health disparities that challenge Queens communities; and; promote inter- and intra-agency collaborations around issues of behavioral health, health equity, social and economic justice, anti-stigma and community education.

During the COVID19 Pandemic she worked closely within her area Congressional Representative to shepherd the concept of providing funeral benefits for those families impacted. Ms. Dunston has also been able to move forward on the vision for Elmcor to break ground on their supportive and senior affordable housing development in Corona.

Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program

The goals of the presentation: 1) Provide a detailed overview of ODMAP, highlighting the systems analytics; 2) describe the spike alert system built into ODMAP and highlight how that process benefits community level response strategies; 3) provide an overview of best practices and use cases; and 4) discuss statewide implementation strategies (currently 26 states have adopted an implementation strategy – NYS could be number 27). States that have adopted a statewide implementation strategy, are better able to provide a robust overdose dataset that local agencies can use for overdose response and strategic planning.

Panelists:

Robert A. Kent, JD, General Counsel of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Thomas H. Carr, Executive Director of the ONDCP’s Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program
Jeff Beeson, Deputy Director of the ONDCP’s Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program
Rita Noonan, PhD, Branch Chief, CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention
Lisa Worden, Program Analyst, Oneida County Health Department
Ermelindo Laracuente, Jr., a Drug Intelligence Officer for NY/NJ HIDTA and assigned currently to the Mohawk Valley Crime Analysis Center in Utica, NY

Meeting Materials

Robert A. Kent is the General Counsel with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). In this role Mr. Kent provides overall legal support to all components of ONDCP.

Mr. Kent most recently served as the Vice President of Advocacy and General Counsel for the American Association of Orthodontists, a national healthcare organization. Prior to that he served as the General Counsel for the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). In this role, Robert provided overall legal support, policy guidance, and direction to the OASAS Executive Office and all divisions of the agency. Robert led the OASAS efforts to implement New York State’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force recommendations, including the Combat Addiction/Heroin Campaign, the Federal Opioid Targeted Grant program, and Medicaid Redesign Team initiatives including implementation of historic legislation to increase access to treatment, including harm reduction services. Robert has co-authored articles on patient confidentiality and sober homes and has presented nationally and throughout New York State on the addiction system of care.

In 2011, Robert was recognized by the Caron Foundation with their Legal Professional Public Service Award. In 2013, Robert was recognized by the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies with their Leadership Award. In 2016, Robert was recognized by the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence with their Nyswander/Dole “Marie” award; the Long Island Recovery Association Friend of Recovery Award; and the Northern Tier Providers Coalition Public Service Award. In 2018, Robert was honored by the Friends of Recovery New York with the Charles Devlin Recovery Advocate Award and by Christopher’s Reason with the Outstanding Leader in the Recovery Community Award. In 2019, Robert was honored by NYAPRS with its Public Policy Leadership Award and by the MHANYS with their CEO Award. In 2020, Robert was honored by the NYS Justice Center with their Champion Award.

Mr. Kent is a graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law.

Thomas H. Carr is the Executive Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, which he has held since 1994. He also serves as Executive Director of the George Mason University HIDTA Program and the Center for Drug Policy and Prevention at the University of Baltimore. In response to the nation’s opioid epidemic, Mr. Carr works with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and other HIDTA programs on the Overdose Response Strategy (ORS). This strategy resulted in creating a public health-public safety partnership supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the hiring of drug intelligence officers and public health analysts. This effort has led to the unprecedented sharing of overdose data among law enforcement and public health agencies.

Mr. Carr spearheaded the development of the Overdose Detection and Mapping Application Program (ODMAP), a real-time overdose syndromic surveillance system used to identify spikes in fatal and non-fatal overdoses. In July 2017, Mr. Carr and the ODMAP development team received the Special Achievement in GIS award from the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), an international supplier of geographic information system software. ODMAP is currently operating in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Carr was a Lt. Colonel with the Maryland State Police and retired as chief of the Bureau of Drug Enforcement. He graduated with honors from Towson University and was first in his class at the Maryland State Police Academy in 1971. He attended the FBI National Academy, the DEA Drug Commanders School, and the Federal Executive Institute.

Jeff Beeson serves as first deputy director and chief of staff for the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (W/B HIDTA) and the University of Baltimore’s Center for Drug Policy and Prevention (CDPP). His responsibilities include oversight of the administration of the HIDTA program, including the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP), the Overdose Response Strategy, training, and special projects designed to reduce the proliferation of drugs and violence in our communities. Mr. Beeson oversees grant acquisition, budget development and monitoring, and project performance managing relationships with a network that includes federal, state, and local government agencies as well as non-profit organizations.

Prior to joining the W/B HIDTA, Mr. Beeson served as assistant vice president for applied research at Towson University, overseeing a portfolio of federal and state grants and contracts supporting workforce and public safety initiatives. He was appointed to several positions within Maryland state government, including the Maryland Department of Public Safety, and began his career as a member of U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski’s staff. Mr. Beeson has a master’s degree in social sciences, with a focus in criminal justice.

Rita Noonan, PhD: Areas of Expertise include drug overdose prevention strategies, Community-level drug overdose prevention, Dissemination and implementation science, Public health and public safety collaboration, Prevention programming and evaluation.

Rita Noonan, PhD, is a sociologist and branch chief in CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention. Dr. Noonan and her staff oversee prevention and evaluation strategies that support CDC’s $1.2B program, Overdose Data to Action (OD2A). OD2A is designed to reduce drug overdose deaths and related harms in the United States by providing funding to 47 states and 16 large city/county health departments to improve public health surveillance, implement evidence-based prevention strategies, and shed light on emerging innovations in the field. Dr. Noonan also works closely with several High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs), overseeing the public health component of the Overdose Response Strategy, a national program she co-created to actively link public health and public safety efforts in every state, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

Rita started her career 20 years ago in CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control’s (NCIPC) Division of Violence Prevention where she specialized in sexual and intimate partner violence prevention, program evaluation, and dissemination and implementation science. Prior to her arrival at CDC, Dr. Noonan was on faculty at the University of Iowa in the sociology department, serving as an expert in gender, Latin American studies, and social movements. Currently, she teaches graduate public health courses at both Emory University and Georgia State University. She has co-authored more than 40 scholarly publications across a broad range of violence and injury topics, including the “Interactive Systems Framework,” which is cited extensively among implementation scientists, and “Evidence-based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What’s Working in the United States,” a seminal knowledge translation tool for community practitioners.

Dr. Noonan is the recipient of several prestigious awards including a Fulbright Scholarship, a MacArthur Fellowship, and dozens of NCIPC awards, including the 2017 Director’s Award and the NCIPC Excellence in Public Health Service Career Award in 2019. She received her PhD degree from Indiana University.

Lisa Worden is a Program Analyst, Oneida County Health Department, NY. Lisa has been working in the field of public health for 24 years in community health planning, public health emergency preparedness and coordination of various community health partnerships and initiatives. Lisa is currently serving as one of the Project Coordinators of the County’s Opioid Task Force, the Coordinator for its Overdose Response Team, Street Engagement Team, Overdose Fatality Review Team and the BJA Partnership Grant Project Director.

Ermelindo Laracuente, Jr. was a 32 year member of the New York State Police of which 15 years were assigned to the Narcotics Unit, Electronic Surveillance Unit, Computer Crime Unit (Crimes Against Children). Worked in Local Village Justice for over 3 years. Currently a Drug Intelligence Officer for NY/NJ HIDTA, assigned to a 3-county area of responsibility. Assigned to the Mohawk Valley Crime Analysis Center in Utica, NY serving as liaison between Law Enforcement and Public Health forging partnerships to create a strategy to reduce opioid overdoses and opioid related deaths.

Harm Reduction and the Criminal Justice System: Supporting Persons with SUD Who Are Involved in the Criminal Justice System

Panelists:

Steve Hanson, OASAS Associate Commissioner for Courts and Criminal Justice
Pat Lincourt, OASAS Associate Commissioner for Treatment and Recovery
Delores Blackwell, Director of OASAS Services, Housing Works
Murray Edwards, Program Director, Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC)
JoAnne Page, President/CEO and Rob DeLeon, Senior Vice President, The Fortune Society
Erin Burke, Forensic Case Manager, Brooklyn TASC
Rashida Dunne, Peer Specialist, CASES

Murray Edwards earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, Master Counselor with a Gambling designation (CASAC-G). Murray has been active in the treatment and addictions field since 1993 and currently serves as the Program Director for the Bowery Residents’ Committee’s outpatient program, The Fred Cooper Substance Abuse Service Center.

With over 25 years in the mental health field, Murray has vast experience and has worked in a variety of modalities including the Shelter system, Detox and Rehab, a hospital based day treatment program, a Parole Treatment program, a Residential Therapeutic Community and outpatient. Additionally, Murray has been a guest Lecturer at Columbia School of Social Work and presented at conferences and symposiums. He has been the provider chair for the Manhattan Council for since 2016.

JoAnne Page has over 45 years’ experience in criminal justice, with the last 30+ of those years at the helm of The Fortune Society. Under Ms. Page’s stewardship, The Fortune Society has been recognized as a national leader in criminal justice advocacy and as a pioneer in assisting former prisoners to reintegrate into society. The organization offers more than a dozen programs including mental health and substance abuse treatment, counseling, family services, HIV/AIDS health services, alternative to incarceration and supervised release services, employment services, creative arts and housing. These innovative and successful initiatives have become models for similar programs across the country. Ms. Page is especially proud of the housing programs that she has developed. This includes the opening of the groundbreaking Fortune Academy in 2002, the nationally recognized emergency and transitional residence housing homeless formerly incarcerated individuals. Ms. Page took an abandoned drug den and turned it into a place of hope and understanding. In 2010, Fortune opened Castle Gardens, a certified LEED Gold, green, mixed affordable and supportive permanent housing development with 114 apartments and 20,000 square feet of service space. Fortune’s housing model is currently being replicated in Syracuse, NY. In April, 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Fortune opened Freedom House, a 38 bed emergency and transitional residence housing men with behavioral health issues who otherwise would have been incarcerated. In December, 2021 Fortune starting housing justice involved seniors as the permanent supportive housing provider in a senior’s residence in the Bronx. In January, 2022, Fortune purchased a building that was being used as an illegal hotel and will be converting it to permanent supportive and affordable housing, as well as having two other housing initiatives in the pipeline. A graduate of Yale Law School, JoAnne is a frequent speaker at conferences and presentations about criminal justice issues and services for justice -impacted individuals.

Rob DeLeon is a non-profit executive and advocate for criminal justice reform with over 18 years of experience. He is the Senior Vice President at The Fortune Society, an organization that provides individuals involved in the criminal justice system with wrap-around clinical and social services to support community reintegration. Fortune also does policy advocacy for legislation that will impact the people they serve.

Mr. DeLeon, is formerly incarcerated, he spent 10 years in prison beginning at age 17 at which time he was charged, and ultimately convicted as an adult. Since his release, Mr. DeLeon has leveraged his lived experience to become an active leader in juvenile and criminal justice reform initiatives.

As an advocate and spokesperson, Mr. DeLeon has supported and advised on many social justice issues, including prison and parole reform, fairness in policing practices, access to appropriate health care for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, and youth and community justice. He has also collaborated with community partners, service providers and government stakeholders on a number of important initiatives including the roll out of Alternatives to Detention for juveniles in the Family Court system, Ban the Box, and Raise the Age.

Erin Burke is a New York native with a passion for criminal justice. In 2018, she graduated Farmingdale State College with a Bachelors in Applied Psychology while simultaneously working as the Vice President of Psi Chi, the secretary of Psych Club, and a member of Golden Key Honor Society. After graduation, Erin attended John Jay School of Criminal Justice and graduated in 2020 Magna Cum Laude with a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. Erin has been working at Brooklyn TASC since the fall of 2021 and is applying her knowledge to real life applications as a Forensic Case Manager.

Rashida Dunne is a Peer Specialist for CASES Supervised Release Program's, Bronx location. Her journey began in 2014 when she enrolled in the Howie the Harp Peer Specialist training program and upon completion, became a Certified Peer Specialist in NYS. In January of 2016, Ms. Dunne joined the Pretrial team at CASES as its first Peer Specialist, enriching the quality of the program’s services. Rashida takes pride in connecting with her clients by way of their shared lived experiences and guiding them to available community supports and services that meet their needs. In July 2022, Rashida was promoted to the department’s first Opioid Overdose Prevention Coordinator to support the program’s efforts to provide harm reduction options to participants.

Harm Reduction in Opioid Treatment Programs

Panelists:

Sara Lorenz Taki, MD, Medical Director, Greenwich House OTP
Tolani Ajagbe, MD, FASAM, Medical Director, Crouse Health OTP
Stephanie Pagan, LMHC, C-DBT, Site Director, SATP Unit 1, Montefiore Medical Center
Marcia Duncan, CASAC II, Helio Health
Lesley Puryear, OASAS SOTA
Pat Lincourt, OASAS Associate Commissioner of ATAR
Pamela Mund, OASAS Associate Chief of Addiction Medicine
Gregory James, OASAS New York State Addiction Medicine Advisor/Office of New York SOTA
Celyn Ng, MPHarm, MPH, OASAS Project Manager Bureau of Adult Treatment Services and Mary Brewster, OASAS Associate Commissioner of the Division of Harm Reduction
Dr. Sara Lorenz Taki is medical director of Greenwich House Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program, an opioid treatment program in Manhattan that provides treatment for approximately 1000 people with opioid use disorder. She provides oversight for all health services, including medication management, hepatitis c treatment, overdose prevention, psychiatric services, and the Greenwich House COVID-19 vaccination program.

Dr. Taki completed her internal medicine residency in the Social Medicine Program at Montefiore Medical Center and she is board certified in addiction medicine. Dr. Taki currently serves on the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute’s Substance Use Guidelines Committee and the Clinical Advisory Panel for OASAS. She is a frequent speaker for the Empire Liver Foundation on hepatitis c treatment in people who use drugs. Dr. Taki recently developed clinical internships for the Institute for Family Health’s addiction medicine fellowship program and physician assistant programs at CUNY and Touro. Dr. Taki has special interest in the integration of harm reduction into opioid treatment programs, treatment of hepatitis c, women’s health, and creating low threshold treatment for patients with substance use disorders.

Tolani Ajagbe, MD, FASAM: Dr. Ajagbe serves as the Chief of Psychiatry and Medical Director, Addiction Treatment Services at Crouse Health, Syracuse, New York. He is also the Division Chief of Addiction Psychiatry and Program Director, Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Dr. Ajagbe earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He completed his residency training in General Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University and later completed a clinical fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at the same institution. He is board certified in General Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Ajagbe is a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Stephanie Pagan, LMHC: Stephanie Pagan earned a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from CUNY’s City College of New York. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and identifies as a Latinx Native New Yorker. She oversees a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program as Site Director within Montefiore Medical Center’s Substance Abuse Treatment Program (SATP), a substance use treatment program serving approximately 1,100 people with substance use disorders, and as the Program Director of SATP’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. She has worked in the mental health field since 2009, beginning her journey in residential treatment at YAI under OPWDD and later working in a variety of outpatient substance use modalities including outpatient detox, outpatient chemical dependency, and methadone maintenance. Additionally, Stephanie has a focus on community organizing and social justice, serving on Montefiore Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and a variety of liberatory clinical peer groups.

Marcia Duncan has served as a counselor in Helio Health’s Opioid Treatment Program in Syracuse NY since 2018. Previously, she was a case manager in Helio Health’s Residential Services program. All told, she has nearly 15 years’ experience in the field of substance abuse and treatment. Marcia is a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC II). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Social Relations and a master’s degree in International Studies.

Harm Reduction in Mental Health/Mental Health Integration

Panelists:

Van Yu, MD, CMO, Center Urban Community Services (CUCS) and its healthcare affiliate Janian Medical Care
Carolann Slattery, Ed.D., LCSW-R, Vice President for Outpatient Services, Samaritan Daytop Village
Orlando Serrano, LMHC, M. Div., Senior Clinical Director: Integrated Harm Reduction, Harlem United
Mary Brewster, OASAS Associate Commissioner for Harm Reduction;
Pat Lincourt, LCSW, OASAS Associate Commissioner for ATAR (Addiction Treatment and Recovery) Grace Hennessy, MD, Associate Chief of Addiction Psychiatry
Dr. Van Yu is Chief Medical Officer of the Center Urban Community Services (CUCS) and its healthcare affiliate Janian Medical Care, which provides on-site psychiatric and primary care to people lived experience of homelessness at outreach programs, shelters, safe havens and supportive housing programs. Dr. Yu earned his medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1995 and completed a residency in psychiatry in 1999, including serving as a chief resident, at the New York University Medical Center. After completing residency, Dr. Yu was an Attending Psychiatrist in the Bellevue Hospital Center Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) for two years before becoming Assistant Director from April 2001 to March 2003. He joined the Project for Psychiatric Outreach to the Homeless, the precursor of Janian Medical Care, as a Staff Psychiatrist in April 2003. He also served as Medical Director of the Manhattan Outreach Consortium from 2007 to 2013. Dr. Yu is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the New York University School of Medicine where he has had a faculty appointment since 1998.

Dr. Carolann Slattery Ed.D., LCSW-R serves as the Vice President for Outpatient Services for Samaritan Daytop Village. Prior to joining Samaritan Daytop Village, Dr. Slattery was Vice President of Outpatient Services for Daytop Village. She previously worked in the education field as a special education advocate and clinical specialist and served as Vice President for Rockland County's Special Education Committee.

Dr. Slattery is passionate about her work within the addiction treatment field and is an advocate for individuals with addiction and mental health concerns. She has worked with adolescents, adults and families for over 20 years within the judicial and educational systems. Dr. Slattery is a certified trainer for the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) Program, under the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Master of Social Work classes at several universities. Dr. Slattery has authored evidenced-based curriculums, literature reviews and program evaluations.

Dr. Slattery earned a B.A. in Communications from Dominican College, M.S. in Literacy and Education from Long Island University, Master of Social Work from New York University and Doctor of Education and Psychology in Counseling Psychology, Administration and Supervision from Argosy University.

Orlando Serrano, LMHC, M. Div.: Orlando Serrano, LMHC is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, who uses he, his, him pronouns. He has been working in the behavioral health and social services field for over 13 years. He currently works as a Senior Clinical Director in the Integrated Harm Reduction Department at Harlem United. He provides clinical supervision to front line staff and emerging clinicians on best practices, applying Harm Reduction and Trauma Informed Care principles to culturally diverse clients dealing with multiple vulnerabilities related to chronic health issues, substance use and mental health. In the Department Orlando also manage the Behavioral Health Services Program supplying weekly clinical supervision to the BHS team who provides low threshold psychotherapy, substance use counseling and group therapy services. In 2010 he completed a Masters in Mental Health Counselling from The City College of New York and keeps and active NYS License since 2013 for his bilingual (English/Spanish) practice. Since 2011 he had been providing LGBTQI psychodynamic psychotherapy as a certified therapist from the Psychotherapy Center for Gender and Sexuality at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy (ICP). In 2018 he completed a certification from the Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity (IPSS) to apply psychoanalytic principles in his counseling practice.

Harm Reduction and Nursing: Safer Injection Techniques, Wound Care, and Motivational Interviewing

Panelists:

Lisa Keegan, BSN, RN, Director of Integrated Health Services, St. Joe’s Treatment;
Cheryl Lynn Martin, MA, RN, CASAC-M, Integrated Health Trainer and Clinical Consultant, Coordinated Care Services, Inc.;
L. Synn Stern, RN, MPH, Health Clinic Nurse, New York Harm Reduction Educators/OnPoint NYC;
Luis Fernandez, Care for the Homeless NYC;
Narelle Ellendon, RN, Office of Drug User Health (ODUH), NYS DOH;
Michele Falkowski, RN, OASAS Director of Nursing
Nancy Lenhert, RN
Kimberly Valentin, LPN
Surprise Guest: Andrea Littleton, MD
Lisa Keegan, BSN, RN: Lisa Keegan, BSN, RN has been a nurse for over 20 years. Her specialties include critical care, project management and nursing leadership. As a project coordinator, she guided many organization-wide evidence-based quality improvement initiatives for patients, their families, and her colleagues. Lisa is currently employed at ST. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers as the Director of Integrated Health Services. She also provides care as a bedside nurse at Adirondack Health in their Emergency Department. Lisa is a member of the OASAS Nurses Advisory Panel, the Philippine Nurses Association of Metro D.C.’s Education Committee, and is a Commissioner for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pathway to Excellence Program.

Cheryl Lynn Martin, MA, RN, CASAC-M: Cheryl Martin is an RN of 52 years, with 13 years’ experience in surgery and medicine as well as 32 years in behavioral health. She currently works for Coordinated Care Services Inc. as a consultant and trainer. She has a Trauma Certificate from the University of Buffalo, School of Social Work and is a Master Certified Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC). She has been a member of Motivational Interviewing Network Trainers (MINT) since 2004.

L. Synn Stern, RN, MPH: L. Synn Stern has been working in and around syringe services programs since NYC's pre-legal days in the 1980s. She's helped establish syringe services in Macedonia, Eastern Connecticut and elsewhere, and currently works full time in the health clinic of New York Harm Reduction Educators (On Point NYC's East Harlem site). She's probably best known for "Tricks of the Trade," a safer street sexwork manual first published in 1991 and still in use today. She's happy to be on this panel with her nursing colleagues.

Narelle Ellendon, RN: Narelle Ellendon is a Registered Nurse and an Opioid Program Manager with the New York State Department of Health’s, (NYSDOH), Office of Drug User Health. Ms Ellendon is the lead in coordinating the expansion of buprenorphine access and other opioid overdose prevention interventions across the state. Prior to working for the NYSDOH, she was the Director of Capacity Building Services for Harm Reduction Coalition, (HRC) overseeing their national training and capacity building services to support the integration and expansion of drug user health interventions, including syringe access services, overdose prevention services, Hepatitis C and HIV prevention, screening, care and treatment. Before immigrating to the US over 18 years ago, Ms Ellendon worked in Australia as an outreach community health nurse with the homeless, drug-using populations and as a registered nurse within correctional facilities, drug treatment and other healthcare settings.

Nancy Lenhert, RN: Nancy Lenhert is a Public Health Nurse with over 30 years’ experience as a registered nurse including 20 years in public health. Ms. Lenhert’ s current role addresses injury prevention related to substance use disorder in the maternal, child and infant health populations in Dutchess County. Most recently, Nancy has received the New York State Public Health Award for her work in applying population based public health nursing initiatives to decrease morbidity and mortality in our most vulnerable maternal, child and infant health populations affected by the opioid crisis. Ms. Lenhert is a Certified Lactation Counselor and New York SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner) nurse. She began her nursing career working in the hospital on a women’s oncology unit. Ms. Lenhert has an extensive experience as a nurse including working as a school nurse, in a women’s correctional facility, at a local pediatrician’s office, in STI, Immunization and TB clinics and as a Nurse Manager at a federally qualified health center.

Kimberly Valentin, LPN: Kim is an LPN Clinical Coordinator at Sun River Health, a federally qualified health center in NYS. She has been a nurse for 10 years and has spent the last nine years working in a MAT program. She is currently furthering her education attending Mount St Mary College to become an NP. She plans to specialize in addiction medicine and she continues to attend trainings as a clinical leader to support program operations. She is a naloxone trainer in English and Spanish. She is also a member of the OASAS Nurse Advisory Panel (NAP).

Luis Fernandez, CASAC: Luis Fernandez-CASAC, has worked at Care For The Homeless (CFH) for 8 years as an Opioid & Substance Use Disorder Coordinator, supervising our Medication Assisted and OASAS Street-MAT Program. Before coming to CFH, his career in substance use treatment has included and Outpatient Program in Queens, NY, providing substance use Counseling to HRA, and Mandated Parolees specializing in Individual Counseling, group therapy, and Anger Management groups in Harlem for an Agency named FACESNY Scattered Site/Supportive Housing Program, providing Individual Counseling, Intake, Referrals, and Crisis Intervention.

Surprise Guest: Andrea Littleton, MD: bio forthcoming

Harm Reduction Peers

Panelists

Will Robertson – Harm Reduction Peer, Certified Peer Recovery Coach, Harlem United
Kelly Culbert – Certified Peer Worker, OnPoint
Cal Wenger – Harm Reduction Peer, Hudson Valley Community Services
Ivette Chavez Gonzalez – Peer Outreach Worker, Evergreen Health Center
Meghan Hetfield – NCPRSS, NYCRPA, NYCARC, WEConnect Health Management, PRSS, Harm Reduction Works facilitator

Get a Certificate of Completion

Sign into your Answerkey Account at https://answerkey.net/oasas/ as you would for a Learning Thursday Training
(If you don’t have an account register for one at https://answerkey.net/oasas/?f=reg )
Scroll Down and Click on the Harm Reduction tab
Scroll down to Harm Reduction Office Hours DECEMBER 2022 (2) and Click Begin Test
Once you have taken and passed the test log off then back on
Click Get Certificate

OASAS Peers (CRPAs) and CASACs

Panelists:

Lauren Connally, Catholic Charities PSP, Bridge Clinic Coordinator
Luis Laboy, LMSW, SIFI, MPA, M-CASAC, CRPA, ACACIA NETWORK, Senior Administrator for OASAS Residential Services
Paul Smith, Peer Supervisor, Odyssey House
Anita R. Kennedy, BS, CRPA, CMA, Peer Engagement Specialist, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai at Beth Israel
Traci Buckley, CRPA & CARC, The Addiction Center of Broome County, Inc.
Dakota Atkinson, CRPA-P, The Addiction Center of Broome County, Inc.
Luis Laboy: Luis Laboy is a person in long term recovery, Senior Administrator for OASAS Residential Programs at ACACIA Network. A Bronxite with a strong passion to help the vulnerable marginalized individuals with addiction prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. He is a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, Licensed Master of Social Work from Fordham University. Master’s in public administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is a Master Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor, an OASAS Certified Education and Training Provider, Chairperson for the Bronx Council on Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders, a member of the ASAP New York Certification Board, on the Steering Committee at FORNY Alumni Association of New York State, member of the Bronx Opioid Impact Collaborative, as well as the State Opioid Response Citywide Addiction Support Network, and the South Bronx Street Outreach Provider.

Anita Kennedy: Anita Kennedy is a well-educated New York State Certified Recovery Peer Advocate with Mount Sinai Beth Israel. She spends countless hours performing street outreach to assist those who are experiencing substance use disorder. Ms. Kennedy also presents at area meetings to educate the community members about substance use disorders and the various resources available. To date, she has trained thousands of people in East Harlem with the use of Narcan to reverse opioid overdose.

Ms. Kennedy is a Director of the board for NAMA-R (National Alliance of Medication Assisted Recovery). Through this position, she has presented at AATOD conferences, assisting others to obtain certification as a Certified MAT Advocate.

Anita serves as the Peer Representative to the board for the Manhattan Council on Treatment, Harm Reduction, Addiction, Recovery, and Prevention where she seeks to provide quality presentations, while promoting networking amongst the members from various agencies.   In addition, she has given her talent throughout the state to assist with planning the New York State Recovery Conference, in which she has also presented.

While being in long-term recovery herself, Anita has made it well-known that her lived experience has helped to fulfill her life’s purpose of helping others in similar situations. She endeavors to make Medication Supported Recovery and Wellness available to all as an option, and educate those she meets that “while there are many different pathways to wellness, recovery is possible.”

Traci Buckley: Traci Buckley is a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate and a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach. She started her career as a Peer Advocate in September 2019, working for the agency for whom she was a client of only four months prior; Fairview Recovery Services. More specifically at Fairview’s Recovery Center called Voices in Binghamton, NY. She went into three different inpatient settings six times a week to facilitate Peer Support Groups or did so virtually throughout the COVID Pandemic. When Traci decided that it was time to seek work elsewhere, she was honored and privileged to receive a job offer from ACBC (Addiction Center of Broome County) in their Norwich Clinic, as Norwich is Traci’s hometown. She has an associate degree in Liberal Arts; Social Sciences and Humanities from SUNY Morrisville and plans to continue her education to work toward her CASAC. In 2021, Traci was selected by the NIH (National Institute of Health) HEALing Communities Study to be a spokesperson in their campaign to decrease Opioid Overdose Deaths and increase awareness of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (also known as MAT or Medication Assisted Treatment). There are three videos of her speaking to these points on YouTube, as well as the NIH website. If all eyes and ears are on Traci, it is because she is either passionately preaching her gratitude for recovery or singing. Traci found her love of music early in her recovery and sang at several of the Recognition Dinners at Fairview, as well as at many Fellowship Meetings and Events. She celebrated her four-year anniversary or sober birthday in December 2022, and has an abundance of gratitude for her recovery, as well as her work as a Peer Specialist. Traci states that she knows that the clients and the work we do with them has helped her to stay on this path, and without this path she wouldn’t have her beautiful daughter, her amazing family, or her support network. It is her passion and life’s mission to share this amazing life with all who want it. “I remember people saying that it was going to kill me, but from an active addiction viewpoint, death was welcomed, even a desired destination. Today however, I am grateful for every moment of every day, and I never pray for it to end. It is a miracle, a blessing, an amazing change that I have been so lucky to experience. I will do everything I can to share it!” Traci Buckley

Lauren Connally: I have worked in the Mental Health/ Addictions field for over 20 years. Various case management and program management positions.

I have been employed by Catholic Charities Project Safe Point. since April 2017, when I started as a Peer Navigator. As a peer I worked closely with St. Peter’s Hospital, meeting with patients and their families in the Emergency Room. I provided harm reduction services, linkage to treatment and recovery support.

I have done outreach and educational trainings in the community and provided recovery support to clients across our programs.

I am currently the Bridge Clinic Coordinator and Peer Supervisor. Through the Bridge clinic we provide rapid access to suboxone, case management, harm reduction and peer services. I enjoy my job immensely and am always looking more opportunities for the clients that we serve.

Paul Smith: I entered treatment May 31, 1994 at Phoenix House I really wanted to get away from my family I was tired of letting them down. I completed 18 months of residential treatment and 6 months of looking for work before Phoenix house hire me at the Belle Terre facility. Over the next nine years I worked at Phoenix House, Palladia, Basic’s Day-top and now Odyssey House

I began in 2006 as a counselor in the adult component, within two years I was promoted to Senior Counselor. I committed myself to providing the best services possible to our clientele and was soon promoted again to CASAC counselor at the Edgecombe facility. It did not take long for me to realize that the reason I was progressing so well was because I was working in my calling. Helping those in recovery is precisely what I want, and am meant to do with my life. Within five years of beginning at Odyssey House, I was promoted to Volunteer Coordinator at the OH ROCS program.

My time at OH ROCS has been fulfilling in so many ways both professionally and personally. In 2010 I became a certified Recovery Coach as well as a certified Trainer of Trainer. More recently in 2014, I became a certified Recovery Peer Advocate and also earned my Bachelor’s degree, I earned International Certification Alcohol and Drug Counselor ICADC   While I am thankful for these professional achievements I am most thankful for the real difference my work has made in the lives of some of Odyssey House’s clients.

I currently hold a my Bachelor’s degree, (BA), International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICADC), Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CASAC), Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) Certified Addiction Recovery Coach, (CARC) Trainer of Trainer’s (TOT)

However, No certification or degree can compare to the pride I felt at the knowledge of seeing that what I do can make such an impact on an individual’s life.

This work is my calling, and I will continue to answer the call for as long as I am alive.

Dakota Atkinson: My name is Dakota Atkinson, and I am a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate at the Addiction Center of Broome County, also known as, ACBC. I am a person in recovery and have been for a little over three years now. I have overcome numerous Adverse Childhood Experiences throughout my life. The never-ending hurdles that life has placed in my path have made me resilient and reminded me that I am strong. I have been able to overcome obstacles that seemed truly impossible to beat. And my experience doing so, provides me the opportunity to be a valuable resource for my clients. Along with Substance Use Disorder, I have also struggled with, and sought treatment for, my mental health. I am grateful to share that my journey to recovery included a successful completion of outpatient treatment at ACBC. It is a privilege to tell clients/peers that I’m not just an employee of the agency, but also alumni, being that I was a client here first. It allows for an even deeper level of which we can relate on, as well as giving me a source of pride for the place in which I work! I know that our agency saves lives because it helped save mine. Since starting my career as a Peer Specialist, I have created a safe environment in which I am able to protect my strong recovery, as well as share it with others. My experience, along with what I have learned acquiring certifications for, Medication Assisted Treatment, Harm Reduction, and Mental Health, allow me to relate with so many struggling individuals from all walks of life. And I believe that as long as I continue to help others, my recovery will remain strong. As long as I continue to practice gratitude, I will remain happy. I will continue to set goals in hopes of acquiring more growth and knowledge. But I also won’t forget to stop and recognize how far I’ve come, to give thanks to all who came before me and chose to help the newcomer. And I won’t forget to pray for the still sick and suffering. Those of us who made it to recovery are so, very, lucky!

Cannabis and Harm Reduction

Panelists:

Staff from the NYS Office of Cannabis Management (OCM):

Lyla Hunt, Deputy Director of Public Health and Campaigns, NYS OCM

Damian Fagon, Chief Equity Officer, NYS OCM

→View Panelist Bios

Resources:

Dispensary verification tool: https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/12/ocm-licensed_dispensary_seal.pdf

List of dispensaries: https://cannabis.ny.gov/dispensary-location-verification

Cannabis Incident Reporting: https://cannabis.ny.gov/report-an-incident

Book Damian mentioned: Drug Use for Grown-ups by Carl Hart, PhD

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/opinion/drug-crisis-addiction-harm-reduction.html?smid=url-share

SAMHSA Preventing Cannabis Use Among Youth: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep21-06-01-001.pdf

SAMHSA Advisory: Cannabidiol (CBD) – Potential Harms, Side Effects, and Unknowns: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep22-06-04-003.pdf

Lyla Hunt: Lyla Hunt has worked on cannabis in New York State since 2018, during which time she was a lead author of the Cannabis Impact Assessment, oversaw cannabis listening sessions across the state, facilitated the inter-agency coordination to align State agency partners on cannabis messaging and data collection, and coordinated the Governor’s Regulated Marijuana workgroup to inform the Executive Chamber’s development of a consolidated cannabis law. As the Deputy Director of Public Health and Campaigns for the Office of Cannabis Management, Lyla has spearheaded the development of packaging, labeling, marketing and advertising regulations as well as robust public education campaigns. In addition, she sits on the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ Cannabis Subcommittee and serves as Co-Chair for the Cannabis Regulators’ Association’s Special Committee on Public Education and Communications.

Damian Fagon: Damian Fagon was appointed as the Chief Equity Officer of the NYS Office of Cannabis Management in June 2022. In this role, Mr. Fagon will oversee the social and economic equity initiatives laid out in the MRTA. As a 3rd-generation farmer with a background in international development, agriculture and small business, he has led development initiatives with castor farmers in Jamaica, rice growers in Sierra Leone, and coffee exporters in Guatemala. Mr. Fagon has also launched and advised commercial cannabis operations in South Carolina, New York, and the Caribbean.

Additional panelist bios are forthcoming.

Syringe Services Programs and Harm Reduction Panelist Bios

Maximo (Max) Sepulveda: Max Sepulveda, MPA, is the Managing Director for Harm Reduction Services at Housing Works (HW). Since 1990, Mr. Sepulveda has been delivering care coordination, health education and care navigation services to high-risk populations in NYC. Since his tenure at Housing Works in 2009, he has been involved in the provision of care coordination and harm reduction services to marginalized and disenfranchised populations. In December 2012. Mr. Sepulveda began to oversee several harm-reduction programs in the organization providing syringe services, overdose prevention, and other harm reduction interventions to substance users and other vulnerable communities. Additionally, Mr. Sepulveda manages HW’s ReCharge Program which delivers Crystal Methamphetamine harm reduction services in New York City.

Roberto Gonzalez: Roberto Gonzalez, Director of Harm Reduction Services, ACR Health. Roberto brings with him over 30 years of both lived and professional experience in the field. Born into poverty and homelessness, Roberto has strived to survive and found his passion in the mission of saving lives. From the streets, to becoming a volunteer/peer, then employed as a Prevention Health Advocate, Roberto has continued to excel in the mission of expanding access to harm reduction services through his street knowledge, networking, collaborations with community providers and implementation of unconventional models. He now oversees harm reduction services throughout 9 counties in Upstate New York.

Amanda Lewis: Amanda Lewis is a credentialed substance use counselor at the Addiction Center of Broome County. Amanda started her recovery journey as a patient at the Addiction Center of Broome County and has now been employed with them for over four years. Amanda found her love for harm reduction while being a peer and furthermore, starting the second-tier syringe services program at the Addiction Center of Broome County. Amanda strives to provide low threshold services to patients in the Broome County area along with serving women with co-occurring disorders. Amanda is also a certified trainer for certified recovery peer advocates and mental health first aid.

Donna Demarest: My name is Donna Demarest and I have been working as the Director of Harm Reduction at Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI) for eight years this June.

In 1992 I started my career as a New York State Emergency Medical technician through the 911 system. During my time there I participated in Woodstock 1994, The Papal visit in 1995 and for the Staten Island Yankees! I worked in the field of Pre-Hospital Care for 14 years, dispatched ambulances for 7 years and during this time I won the Borough President’s EMT of the Year Award (1995).

I am a 911 First Responder and Vice President of Volunteer Heart Ambulance and am an instructor at T.I.M.E.R. EMT school. I hold several degrees AAS in Business Management, BS in Human Services and MS in Psychology. This allowed me to do great work in my current career. At CHASI I helped build the Harm Reduction Department, working every aspect of the job; I have been out in the streets with the clients, I have retrieved syringes from school yards at 3am and have worked with the staff to ensure all clients are educated in safe injection, safer sex practices and STI transmission. I have worked side by side with Elected Officials to support the community in Overdose Prevention and have been to the local Police Precincts to educate the officers in Harm Reduction. I was lucky enough to work with Don Des Jarlais and his team while he was doing research and was one of the co-authors on his paper “Break the Cycle” 2019.

Syringe Services Programs and Harm Reduction

Panelists:

Maximo (Max) Sepulveda, MPA, Managing Director, Harm Reduction Services, Housing Works;
Roberto Gonzalez, Director of Harm Reduction Services, ACR Health;
Amanda Lewis, CASAC, ACBC; Donna Demarest, MPsy, EMT-B, Director, Harm Reduction, CHASI

Outpatient Providers and Harm Reduction

Panelists:

S. Viola Varner, LMSW, CASAC, Clinical Director, Outpatient Services, Exponents;
Ross Sullivan, MD, Executive Medical Director, Helio Health; Erin Shafto, RN, Outreach Nurse, REACH Medical;
Andre Stokes, Senior Director of Specialty Substance Use Disorder Services, BestSelf Behavioral Health;
Laura Combs, LCSW-R, CASAC, CPP, Executive Director, New Choices Recovery Center;
Amelia Peck, Director of Clinic Services, BestSelf Behavioral Health;
Lucy Paredes, Outreach Community Health Worker, REACH Medical;
Joan Callahan, Assistant Director, The Recover Center, Project Renewal

S. Viola Varner: S. Viola Varner is a dedicated Social Worker with a passion for community building and family wellness. Viola has years of experience working with underserved and vulnerable populations of all ages. She previously worked in the fields of education, family services and crisis intervention. Viola believes in the resilience of each community member she works with and uses a strength-based approach to help them work towards achieving their individualized goals. Viola completed her graduate degree in social work from Hunter Silberman, specializing in mental health family practice. Viola currently serves as the Clinical Director of 822 Outpatient Services at Exponents. When not at work, she enjoys family movie nights, writing poetry and a good spa day.

Ross Sullivan: Dr. Sullivan completed his medical school education at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. Afterwards, he entered and finished a residency in Emergency Medicine at the same hospital. Dr. Sullivan then completed a medical toxicology fellowship at the SUNY Upstate Poison Control Center and SUNY Upstate Emergency Department. Dr. Sullivan also is board certified in Addiction Medicine. Dr. Sullivan is the Executive Medical Director of Helio Health (a community not-for-profit that offers substance use and psychiatric treatment), as well as the director of the medical toxicology fellowship and inpatient addiction medicine at SUNY Upstate Hospital. He also is the director of the Upstate Emergency Medicine Opioid Bridge Clinic; a program initiating buprenorphine in the ED with prompt referral to an ED based clinic.

Erin Shafto: Having been a nurse for 18 years, I have worked at REACH Medical basically since its doors opened in 2018. As a nurse, I performed MOUD intakes and care, primary care, triage and care management. Since September of 2020, when it became clear that we were losing contact with some of our most vulnerable patients, I have been the outreach nurse for the organization. I started going out to the encampments and the shelter providing COVID-19 testing and treatment support, which quickly progressed to providing a bridge between the often stigmatizing medical system, triaging for wounds and illness, and providing access to our MOUD providers via telemedicine. Since then I have continued to extend my reach to the homeless encampments and rough sleepers, homeless shelter and associated hotels, low income housing units, supportive housing units, local syringe exchange, and county jail.

Andre Stokes: Andre Stokes currently serves as Senior Director of Specialty Substance Use Disorder Services at BestSelf Behavioral Health in Buffalo, NY. With 16 years of experience, he has worked in various levels of mental health and substance use services, Andre understands the challenges that people experience regarding addiction and dual diagnoses. He has been instrumental in many local agendas with relation to family & addition services and trauma recovery in the City of Buffalo. Andre utilized interest within the field as motivation to earn a CASAC, Associate’s Degree from Erie Community College, Bachelor’s Degree from Empire State College, Master’s Degree from the University at Buffalo and is currently working on his Doctorate in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher University. Bringing the same level of motivation to the field, Andre remains intentional within the community regarding mental health and addiction services.

Laura Combs: Laura Combs, LCSW-R, CASAC, CPP, currently serves as the Executive Director for New Choices Recovery Center. New Choices offers outpatient and residential treatment services along with methadone, supportive housing and prevention services. Ms. Combs has over 40 years of experience working primarily in the field of substance use prevention and treatment. She has served in schools as an intervention counselor, worked as a family therapist, provided SUD treatment services and provided supervision and program management for multiple programs and services. In addition, she has served on several not-for-profit boards and NYS committees. Ms. Combs has assisted in the development and implementation of innovative services designed to utilize evidence-based practices and technology to improve participant services.

Amelia Peck: Amelia Peck is the Director of Clinic Services for BestSelf Behavioral Health. She began her work with BestSelf after relocating from California where she worked with high risk foster youth in Los Angeles County as well as residential substance use programs. At BestSelf, she has worked with grant programs partnering with Family Treatment Court and assisted with the integration of mental health and substance use service across CCBHC clinics. She lives in Hamburg with her husband and three children.

Lucy Paredes: I began working with REACH in August of 2022 as an Outreach Community Health Worker. In May of 2022, I received my bachelor degree in Public Health from Slippery Rock University. I completed my undergraduate internship with the Institute for Nonprofit Leadership at SRU in the Social Determinants of Health division. As an intern for INL, I planned and co-hosted a conference addressing the Social Determinants of Health in Butler County for various community organizations, hospitals, and professionals. While my journey with REACH Medical is just beginning, I have learned so much from our patients, training, and partnerships.

Bupe-AP for Harm Reduction Providers

Bupe-AP will cover the cost of buprenorphine for eligible uninsured and under-insured individuals with no out of pocket costs for their medication. Buprenorphine is used to help manage OUD involving substances such as heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioids, and decreases the risk for opioid-related mortality (overdose).

The Bupe-AP pilot program will be managed by the DOH AIDS Institute’s Office of Uninsured Care Programs (UCP) working in partnership with the NYSDOH Office of Drug User Health. The pilot program will utilize UCP’s existing pharmacy benefit management system, allowing access to over 4,300 pharmacies currently enrolled.

The Program will allow for select OASAS and DOH programs to roll-out the benefit, make modifications as necessary and expand to additional agencies in the future. Programs will be required to utilize guidelines to identify those patients who meet eligibility criteria. Opioid Stewardship funds will be utilized to cover the cost of medication as well as staff time to process the claims.

New York State has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to address the overdose epidemic, comprised of a nation-leading continuum of prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services. This comprehensive system includes crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, mobile treatment and transportation services, as well as medication for substance use disorder.

Panelists: Karin Timour, M.A., M.Ed., Director, Downstate Outreach and Technical Assistance, Uninsured Care Programs, New York State Department of Health; Piper Coalson, Health Program Coordinator, New York State Department in the Office of Drug User Health; Mary Brewster, OASAS Associate Commissioner for the Division of Harm Reduction; Pat Lincourt, OASAS Associate Commissioner for Addiction Treatment and Recovery (ATAR); Carmelita Cruz, OASAS Chief Equity Officer; Pamela Mund, OASAS Associate Chief of Addition Medicine; Kelly S. Ramsey, OASAS CMO

Panelist Bios:

Karin Timour: Karin Timour is the Director of Downstate Outreach and Technical Assistance for the Uninsured Care Programs at the New York State Department of Health. A graduate of Columbia University, she has an MA in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Cross-Cultural Counseling. She has been a staff trainer for NDRI and Cicatelli Associates, and an HIV Coordinator at Phoenix House.

Piper Coalson: Piper Coalson is originally from New Mexico, where she worked for nonprofits and New Mexico State University with communities to improve health outcomes for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD). In 2021, Piper moved to New York City and worked in the South Bronx as the naloxone coordinator for a harm reduction agency.

Piper is currently a Health Program Coordinator for the New York State Department in the Office of Drug User Health.

Piper works with partners to develop strategies to address pharmacy and insurance barriers faced by both PWUD and providers. These strategies include coordinated efforts with government departments, chain and community pharmacies and other stakeholders.

She also works with NY MATTERS (New York Medication Assisted Treatment to Emergency Referral System in the planning, development, expansion, implementation, and execution of the model through coordinated efforts with: local health departments, emergency departments, urgent cares, inpatient units, correctional health facilities, court systems and community-based organizations (CBOs).

Recovery Centers and Harm Reduction

Panelists:

Brenda Harris-Collins: Brenda Harris-Collins works in the Division of Addiction Treatment and Recovery (ATAR) for New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). Brenda is the Director of the Recovery Bureau where she oversees New York States Recovery Centers, Peer Integration, including Peer Engagement Specialists and the NYS recovery agenda. She is working diligently in her position to assure that Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) and Recovery Support Services continue to flourish in the State of New York and maintain its leadership role in the nation. Brenda is a Trauma Informed Care Champion at NYS OASAS and promotes the transformation of OASAS and providers to being trauma informed. Brenda brings to the Recovery Bureau 35 plus years in the field of Addiction, 14 years focusing on ROSC and being a Recovery Coach for approximately 12 years. Most recently she has worked with the 12 NYS OASAS Addiction Treatment Centers (ATCs) as an Assistant Director, of the Bureau of ATCs (BATC) overseeing the six downstate ATC facilities. Other passions that Brenda has in the field of Addiction are Families in Recovery as she is a family member in recovery, Women in Recovery and Faith-based Recovery. She is a strong believer in hope being available to all and that recovery is real.

Ginger Cato: Ginger Cato is the Director of the Rob Constantine Recovery Community and Outreach Centers, a program of HFM Prevention Council and a family member in recovery. Before working at the Recovery Center, Ms. Cato was the Assistant Program Director at Montgomery County Domestic Violence, a program of Catholic Charities of Fulton and Montgomery Counties where she now serves as President of the Board. She is passionate about advocating for those who haven’t yet found their own voice. She also works diligently to break the stigma of addiction and believes recovery is possible for everyone. Ms. Cato is a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA), a certified instructor for several CCAR trainings including Recovery Coach Academy and Ethical Considerations for Recovery Coaches, and in 2014 was named a Women of Distinction by Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Human Services from SUNY Empire State College.

Kyle LaFever: Kyle LaFever is the Assistant Director at Friends of Recovery of Delaware and Otsego Counties, Inc. based in Oneonta, NY. In this position he assists with managing three Recovery Centers in Chenango, Otsego, and Delaware Counties, two youth clubhouses, an Appalachian Regional Commission funded workforce project, multiple State Opioid Response grants, and a SAMHSA funded Building Communities of Recovery grant. Kyle recently brought his organization into the spotlight across the state for setting up one of the first naloxone vending machines in New York State at their Otsego County Recovery Center.

Being a New York Certification Board Trainer Registry Member facilitating certification track education to his staff and the community is something he is very passionate about. His wide range of work experience and education from earning multiple degrees in chemistry, being a church musician, to his time as a college professor at multiple colleges gives him strong leadership and public speaking skills while still being relatable to the Recovery Center’s participants.

Kyle is very invested in the recovery community with personal lived experience and has become a personification of hope for those who still struggle with Substance Use Disorder. With a loving wife, beautiful daughter, a new baby boy, assisting with multiple family businesses, being a worship leader at church, Kyle spends most of his free time reading and playing piano.

Kristopher Moses: Kristopher is a veteran of the United States Marine Corp, and has over 23 yrs. experience working in (community, state and federal) mental health, addiction and behavioral health treatment programs. Kristopher holds a Master’s Degree in Community Psychology and Counseling and is a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC). Kristopher has experiences working with youth, adults and families; he has experience working in substance use treatment inpatient, outpatient and acute care programs. Kristopher has worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in their outpatient and inpatient, Substance Use Disorder (SUD)Treatment Programs. Kristopher has worked for New York State Department of Corrections and Community Services, managing their substance use disorder treatment programs. Most recently, Kristopher has come to OASAS from the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), Adult State Operations, where he was a liaison for Riker’s Island and multiple psychiatric centers across the state, working on OMH’s Long-term to Intermediate Care Initiative and with their forensic populations.

Kristopher Moses is currently, a supervisor in the OASAS Recovery Bureau and is OASAS’s Statewide Veterans Affairs Liaison. Kristopher supervises the OASAS Liaisons for the Recovery Community Outreach Centers (RCOCs) and works with 31 OASAS State and grant Funded RCOCs ensuring compliance and for ongoing communication and support. Kristopher has worked to ensure the RCOCs are visible, he has help them to facilitate outreach with the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), working with and training OMH’s Staff and participants in their Transitional Living residences (TLR) and inpatient programs on addiction and recovery issues. Kristopher also facilitated outreach to the Dwyer Veteran Programs, The Department of Veterans Affairs and OMH’s Recovery Centers. He also facilitates a monthly learning collaborative with the RCOCs, where different topics on addiction treatment and recovery are presented each month. Kristopher was a key partner in the development of the 30 in 30 Project, featured on OASAS’ Website. Kristopher has worked to develop a coalition with The Department of Veterans Affairs, Albany Stratton VAMC Community engagement specialists, OASAS Opioid Overdose Prevention Trainers and the Council on Problem Gambling, where an annual training has been put together to address suicide, addiction and problem gambling amongst the veteran population. Kristopher is a member on the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State (ASAP) Veterans Committee and the Outdoor Rx Committee.

Bill Doyle: Bill Doyle is the current program manager at The Valley RCOC, which is under the umbrella of Seaway Valley Prevention Council located in Ogdensburg New York. Bill is a former iv drug user with real-life experience when it comes to substance use disorder and recovery. Bill practices a Harm-Reduction/Moderation Maintenance form of recovery and loves to share his experience with others when relevant. Bill is also a strong advocate when it comes to educating his community on the different forms of Harm Reduction and how we all use it in our everyday lives.

Lillian McCarthy: Lillian McCarthy has worked in the nonprofit human services field for over 28 years and has lived experience as a family member in recovery. She is a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate as well as a Certified Addiction Recover Coach. She currently serves as the Associate Director of the Prevention Council in Saratoga Springs and the Director of Healing Springs Recovery Community and Outreach Center. She also sits on the Saratoga County Community Services Board. She has worked to grow Healing Springs from the original 2.5 staff at its opening 6 years ago, to its current 10 staff and numerous volunteers. Healing Springs provides services throughout the county and in many different areas. She is vested in her community and the amazing work done by the Prevention Council and Healing Springs. Her goal is to expand the recognition of, and the utilization of services provided by Healing Springs to individuals and families with substance use disorder.

Matt Thompson: Matt Thompson is Site Supervisor at Save the Michaels House of Hope Recovery Center located in Niagara County Lockport, NY. A person in long term recovery Matt is CRPA Certified and also a CASAC T.

“Niagara County is considered a rural community but the drug epidemic continues to devastate our local communities and the families residing here continue to struggle with limited resources. Fatal overdose numbers remain high and the addition of xylazine has changed the addiction problem once again in our county. Every person that comes to the Recovery Center for help has a chance to change. Even if they’re not quite ready to commit to treatment we will start the conversation and invite them back. We have multiple success stories using this approach. Recovery Centers are the gates to Harm Reduction saving lives is what we all do.”

Kristopher Moses, M.A., CASAC, The OASAS Statewide Veterans Affairs Liaison and Team Leader in the Bureau of Recovery Services, Division of ATAR, NYS OASAS; Jessica Feliciano, PARC - New York City; Bill Doyle, CRPA, RCPF, Program Manager, The Valley Recovery Center - North Country; Mary Brewster, OASAS Associate Commissioner for the Division of Harm Reduction; Pat Lincourt, Associate Commissioner for the Division of ATAR; Kelly S. Ramsey, OASAS CMO

Trauma-Informed Care and Harm Reduction

Panelists:

Samantha P. Koury: Samantha Koury, LMSW, is the Co-Director at the Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, as well as a trainer and consultant on various projects. She is a graduate of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work and is a current EdD doctoral candidate at Marymount University. Samantha has over six years of experience working with staff in different agencies, organizations, and systems to become more trauma-informed in their work. She is passionate about trauma-informed leadership, workforce wellness and helping organizations and systems plan for, implement, and sustain trauma-informed organizational change.

Mary Brewster, OASAS Associate Commissioner for the Division of Harm Reduction; Brenda Harris-Collins, OASAS Director of the Recovery Bureau, Division of Addiction Treatment and Recovery (ATAR); Kelly S. Ramsey, OASAS CMO; additional panelists TBA

Overdose Awareness and Harm Reduction International Overdose Awareness Day

Panelists: Terrell Jones, On Point NYC; Jason Beltre, Director of Community Initiatives and Impact, On Point NYC; Marilyn Reyes, Co-Director, The Peer Network of NY; Luis Laboy, LMSW, SIFI, MPA, M-CASAC, CRPA, Senior Administrator for OASAS Residential Services, Acacia Network; Emma Fabian, AVP of Harm Reduction, Evergreen Health Services; Mary Brewster, OASAS Associate Commissioner for the Division of Harm Reduction; Pat Lincourt, Associate Commissioner for the Division of Addiction Treatment and Recovery (ATAR); Kelly S. Ramsey, OASAS CMO

Panelist Bios:

Terrell Jones: Terrell Jones is the Advocacy and Community Engagement Manager at OnPoint NYC. Terrell is a passionate advocate, activist, and inspiration for drug users, sex workers, the homeless, and other marginalized communities. Terrell Jones is a former drug user who, like many other people of color, was incarcerated because of his drug use. Determined to change the racist drug laws in New York State, stigma associated with drug use and that often resulted in his being denied job and housing opportunities, Terrell became an advocate for drug policy reform, an activist to advance harm reduction throughout New York City and New York State, and a vocal supporter of giving people a second chance. Terrell has now been in the harm reduction field for over 19 years and worked his way up from participant, to peer educator, to staff, and now to the management team. In his current role at OnPoint, he often collaborates with the Drug Policy Alliance, Faith in Harm Reduction, and VOCAL NY. Terrell is also the Co-Director of the Peer Network of New York where he emphasizes the professional and personal development of peers working in the field of harm reduction. Terrell's work has brought him around the country giving talks and advocating for harm reduction policies and practices to be used to assist drug users, sex workers, and other individuals impacted by the war on drugs. Terrell represents OnPoint NYC on the New York City Mayor's Taskforce for Opiates and Prescription Drugs Overdose. He also helped organize People of Color Tour of Harm Reduction in Fall 2016 where City Council members and other Legislators from New York City and New York State visited syringe exchanges around the city and attended panels on the history and importance of harm reduction. He has become the face of harm reduction.

Jason Beltre: Jason Beltre, a proud Afro-Latino (Puerto Rican & Dominican) and New York native, who witnessed the effects of the “war on drugs”, the crack epidemic, police violence, and gentrification in his beloved Harlem. Armed with a degree from Marist College, and an instinct that can only be honed in New York, he now thrives as the Director of Community Initiatives and Impact at OnPoint NYC, boasting over a decade of experience in Public Health and Social Justice. In this role, Jason is responsible for all OnPoint NYC’s outward facing work and community engagement. The exponential growth that the Outreach and Public Safety Team has experienced can be directly attributed to Jason’s unwavering commitment to giving back to his community. His empathy and dedication have positively impacted countless lives, especially amongst those most in need in New York City.

Marilyn Reyes: Marilyn Reyes, born and raised in The Bronx, is a mother, grandmother, activist, public health worker, and so much more. Fueled by her experiences and her desire to improve job prospects for people coming home from incarceration, Marilyn has worked for Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY), a statewide grassroots membership organization that builds power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration, and homelessness in order to create healthy and just communities. She served as a Peer Educator with New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE), a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the health, safety, and well-being of marginalized, low-income persons who use drugs or engage in sex work, their loved ones, and their communities. Marilyn is also Co-Director for the Peer Network of New York (PNNY) and a member of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Marilyn's work uplifts her own experiences but also the experiences of so many women who have had their lives upended by the failed war on drugs and mass incarceration. Since 2018, Marilyn has also worked as a Wellness Advocate with the Relay Initiative, providing peer support services in NYC Emergency Departments for participants after they experience a non-fatal overdose.

Luis Laboy: Luis Laboy is a person in long term recovery, Senior Administrator for OASAS Residential Programs at ACACIA Network. A Bronxite with a strong passion to help the vulnerable marginalized individuals with addiction prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. He is a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, Licensed Master of Social Work from Fordham University. Master’s in public administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is a Master Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor, an OASAS Certified Education and Training Provider, Chairperson for the Bronx Council on Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders, a member of the ASAP New York Certification Board, on the Steering Committee at FORNY Alumni Association of New York State, member of the Bronx Opioid Impact Collaborative, as well as the South Bronx Street Outreach Provider.

Emma Fabian: Emma holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University at Buffalo. In her position at Evergreen Health, she oversees harm reduction and drug user health services, including syringe exchange, low-threshold buprenorphine, drop-in services, and more. She participates in several local and statewide workgroups that are addressing issues that impact people who use drugs. Emma also currently serves as a part-time faculty member of the SUNY Buffalo School of Social Work and generally enjoys talking to all types of audiences about harm reduction, drug use, and related topics.

Recovery Awareness and Harm Reduction: Your Story Matters

Panelist Bios:

Jade Vernsey: Jade Vernsey is an NYS Board Certified Recovery Peer Advocate at The Valley Recovery Center in Ogdensburg, NY with the Seaway Valley Prevention Council. In March 2019, Jade experienced the most complex, mentally and emotionally challenging and life-changing event of her life. Fortunately, she found a brilliant team of professionals who believed in her, worked together to provide coordinated care, and created a comprehensive and individualized treatment program including counseling, behavioral therapy, Naltrexone extended-release injections and Bupropion (Wellbutrin). Jade describes the MSR program as pivotal in her recovery, and the main contributing factor to her successful completion of both the Judicial Diversion Program and her overall recovery journey.

James “Jay” Harrington: James “Jay” Harrington is a person in long term recovery after 20 + years in active addiction, 10 of which were spent in and out of jails and prisons. During his journey of recovery, Jay successfully completed the Recovery Coach Academy and all qualifications necessary to become a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) as well as a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach (CARC). He currently works for the Prevention Council/Healing Springs Recovery Community and Outreach Center. Jay works in the community creating programs, groups, and events throughout Saratoga County, literally meeting people where they are. Whether it’s Passing out Fentanyl/Xylazine Test strips, Narcan training, linking people with Harm reduction tools, Medication Supported Recovery (MSR), connecting people to Treatment and/or recovery coaching always treating people with kindness and compassion.

Brendan Norton: Brendan Norton is a person in long-term recovery and has been working in the recovery field for the past 7 years. He earned his masters degree from the University at Buffalo, magna cum laude, and began working at Healing Springs Recovery Community Center, as their Family Support Navigator. He started that program, from the ground up, and grew it to serve almost 300 families a year. Brendan is currently employed at Arkview Recovery Center, doing community outreach and treatment coordination. Brendan also serves as the chairperson of Recovery Advocacy in Saratoga and is an active member of the recovery community.

Brian “Saleem” Berry: Brian ‘Saleem” Berry is a Peer Worker at PARC Queens for Citywide Addiction Support Network (CASN), a member of Samaritan Daytop Village Alumni Association, a Veteran and most importantly, a father. In his role as a Peer Worker, Brian assists members of the community who are seeking recovery. He is passionate about recovery and assisting others to fulfill their dreams and find a “new way to live.” Brian has recognized his gift of “being able to connect with others, to assist them in achieving their goals” as most rewarding.

Taylor Smith: My name is Taylor Smith, I am an addict in recovery, and both of my parents struggled with substance abuse, mostly alcohol. I started smoking marijuana when I was 11 years old, I was introduced to it by some friends. I grew up, learned, and became accustomed to chaos. Chaos became comfortable because it was all I knew. When I graduated high school, I wanted to be a musician and I was accepted to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but I was scared to leave my home and my parents and everything I knew, even though it was extremely toxic, so I started working and making some money. My father ended up getting hurt at work and was forced to retire early, which made our financial situation stressful. He turned to harder substances, and when I was 19, he introduced me to Heroin. 7 years went by very quickly. My father passed away in December 2019 and over the course of the year of 2020 I started losing everything. I lost my fiancée, my license, my car, and finally my job. January 8th, 2021, I decided to seek help and I was admitted to Arms Acres. While in detox I was put on a methadone taper for about a week, and it helped a little bit with the withdrawal symptoms. When I was transferred from detox into rehab, the doctor asked me if I wanted to stay on Medication Assisted Treatment, now called Medication Supported Recovery. The doctor gave me 3 options, methadone, suboxone, or vivitrol. We went through the pros and cons of each option, and I actually took the night to think about it because I was not sure if that was the path I wanted to take. However, I was still sick, and the best option for myself sounded to be suboxone, and so that is what the doctor prescribed me. They started with 8mg and quickly moved down to 4mg. Now I have been on 4mg for about 2 years, and I am looking to move down to 2mg soon, I already started the conversation with my doctor. If I didn’t have Medication Supported Recovery, I do not know if I would be in the same place that I am today. MSR/MAT’s have helped me to stave off cravings and withdrawal symptoms, which has in turn allowed me to accomplish the goals I set and live my life. Getting off the fentanyl and heroin I was using would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible for me, without the help of harm reduction. Opioid withdrawal is like the worst flu you ever had times 10, while also having no control over your muscles, bowels, or anything else. The fact that MSR exists to help people like me is nothing short of a miracle, and the result of that miracle is that I get to live my life today, and every day until I pass on.