Session 1: HEALing Communities Study: A Groundbreaking Approach to Tackling the Opioid Crisis
Chair: Scott Walters, HCS Steering Committee Chair; Regents Professor, Department of Population & Community Health, The University of North Texas Health Science Center
Dr. Walters’ research focuses on developing better ways of helping people change. This has included developing, implementing, and evaluating programs for substance use, mental health, interpersonal violence, cancer risk, and other health outcomes. He is a frequent trainer in motivational interviewing, and in his spare time, he writes newspaper articles on topics like Ben Franklin, Western movies, and cartoon villains.
(45 minutes, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. 30 minutes of presentation and 15 minutes of Moderator Q&A)
Speakers
- Nabila El-Bassel, HCS NY PI, Social Intervention Group (SIG) Director, University Professor, Columbia University, Dr. El-Bassel provides significant national and international leadership to the global health agenda. Dr. El-Bassel is a Professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work and Director of the Social Intervention Group (SIG), which was established in 1990 as a multi-disciplinary center focusing on developing and testing effective prevention and intervention approaches and disseminating them to local, national, and international communities. Dr. El-Bassel is also the Director of the Columbia University Global Health Research Center of Central Asia (GHRCCA), a team of faculty, scientists, researchers, and students in both New York and Central Asia committed to advancing solutions to health and social issues in Central Asia through Research, Education, Training, and Policy and Dissemination.
- Jeffrey Samet, HCS MA PI, John Noble Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair of Public Health, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Dr. Samet is a general internist and addiction medicine physician, the John Noble Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (BUCASM), Professor of Public Health at Boston University and Vice Chair for Public Health in the Department of Medicine. He was Chief of General Internal Medicine at BUCASM and Boston Medical Center for 20 years (2002 - 2022). His clinician investigator work addresses addiction and HIV challenges.
- Dan Feaster, HCS NY MPI, Professor, Public Health Sciences, Co-Director, Center for HIV and Research on Mental Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami
Moderator Q&A (15 minutes)
Overview of Presentation 1: This session gives an overview of the HEALing Communities Study by emphasizing its remarkable scale, the rigorous science involved, and the significant outcomes achieved. In addition to the study's primary outcomes, it will highlight the following key areas of impact: Opioid Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), showcasing the extensive efforts and successes in increasing access to life-saving interventions. Non-Fatal Overdoses, discussing how the study addressed and reduced non-fatal overdoses through targeted strategies. Reducing Stigma, highlighting the progress made in reducing stigma associated with opioid use, benefiting both individuals and communities. This session will underscore the breadth and depth of the study’s impact while presenting a clear picture of its scientific and community-based achievements.