PLENARY SESSIONS

Don’t Call Me a BIPOC!
Philip Rutherford, Chief Operating Officer
Faces and Voices of Recovery

Philip Rutherford is a recovery coach, a passionate member of the recovery community and possesses a self-described Doctorate from the school of Hard Knocks. As COO, he is responsible for multiple lines of business within the Faces & Voices ecosystem. Phil has considerable experience in the areas of Substance Use Disorders, Recovery, Re-entry, and Race Equity.

Phil’s session will explore meaningful ways to develop recovery supports and engage in the Black community.  From a dissection of the term BIPOC to the nuance of working in rural, urban, and suburban communities, this session will provide practical guidance for all.

Primary Prevention: Moving Upstream Using Effective Strategies
Kris Gabrielsen, Co-Director
Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center

Kris Gabrielsen has worked in the substance misuse prevention field for over 30 years, collaborating with states and communities across the nation to bridge the gap between research and practice and assist prevention professionals in maximizing their effectiveness.

Her session will explore how primary prevention can move communities upstream toward health and wellness. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of primary prevention and the strategies shown through research to be effective, as well as those shown through research to not be effective and, in some cases, harmful.

We’re Recovering Too: A Family Perspective
Katie McHone-Jones, Shannon Sullivan and Jessica Miller-Bock, Co-Founders
Recovering Too

Katie McHone-Jones, Jessica Miller-Bock, and Shannon Sullivan are the co-founders of Recovering Too, an organization that supports families dealing with substance use disorder by sharing stories, providing resources, and facilitating a space for healing within an inclusive community. They met in a support group while navigating their relationships as their partners pursue recovery from substance use disorder. The three women launched a podcast in 2019, Boy Problems Podcast, about families navigating substance use disorder.

Addiction is a family disease; however, far too often the family element is left out of the equation. Hear from Katie, Shannon, and Jessica as they share their struggles navigating recovery, the resources that were most impactful, and how they are working to normalize life in recovery.

2023 Legislative Recap
Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, State of Indiana
Sen. Michael Crider, State of Indiana
Moderated by: Jay Chaudhary, Director, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Mental Health and Addiction 

Rethinking Reentry: What is IRACS?
Jayme Whitaker, Indiana Forensic Services

Roadmap to the Ideal Crisis System: Making the Vision Real
Dr. Margie Balfour, Chief of Quality & Clinical Innovation
Connections Health Solutions

Dr. Margie Balfour is a psychiatrist and national leader in crisis care, quality improvement, and law enforcement responses to behavioral health emergencies. In addition to her role at Connections Health Solutions, Dr. Balfour is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona. She was named Doctor of the Year by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and CIT International for her leadership at the Crisis Response Center in Tucson, Arizona, and was the first clinician to receive the NAMI Sam Cochran Criminal Justice award for her work to help law enforcement better serve people with mental health and substance use needs.

This session will explore the essential elements of a comprehensive behavioral health crisis system and how recent policy and funding developments can support improved crisis care.

MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS | DAY 1 | 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Taking Care of Teens: Initiatives to Improve Mental Health and Substance Use Services for Indiana Adolescents
Dr. Matt Aalsma, Indiana University School of Medicine
Dr. Zachary Adams, Indiana University

This session identifies innovative strategies for supporting healthcare professionals treating adolescents with substance use and mental health needs and navigating the behavioral health landscape for youth in Indiana.

Responding to Overdoses in an Ever-Changing Environment
Shelby Nierman, Indiana Department of Health
Charmin Gabbard, Fayette County Connection Cafe
Dr. Alison Greene, Indiana University

This session will highlight the Indiana Department of Health’s use of syndromic surveillance to rapidly detect and respond to increases in overdoses across the state. It will also highlight the emergence of Xylazine in Indiana and the implications of Xylazine exposure for human health. Overdose prevention strategies utilized by the Fayette County Connection Café will be discussed and related satisfaction among those who receive services will be presented.

Treating Problem Gambling Disorder
Larry Long, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration
Dr. Eric Davis, Life Recovery Center

This session will provide an overview of the history and prevalence of gambling in Indiana, as well as the Division of Mental Health and Addiction’s gambling disorder services and partners. Session attendees will also learn the in’s and out’s of being a problem gambling treatment provider and the importance of treating gambling disorder issues.

AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS | DAY 1 | 2:30-3:30 PM

Community Catalysts for Change
Monique Johnson, Allen County Drug & Alcohol Consortium
Aaron Lane, Courageous Healing
Paola Palami, Lutheran Child and Family Services
Kayce Smith, Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare

The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Community Catalyst Grant funds 37 innovative, community-based projects ranging from school-based prevention programming to crisis support. This session highlights four Catalyst grant recipients focused on bettering their communities around the state, including Courageous Healing, Allen County Drug and Alcohol Consortium’s BRAVE Center, Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, and Lutheran Child and Family Services, Inc.

Community-Based Solutions to Combating the Drug Epidemic
Ann Carruthers, Clark/Floyd System of Care
Neil Kring, Addictions Coalition of Delaware County
Lindsay Sarver, Schneck Medical Center
Moderated by: Paul Wyman, former Howard County Commissioner 

The drug epidemic has left no community untouched, however, cities, towns, and counties across the state of Indiana are taking collaborative, cross-sector approaches to reduce the risk of overdose, expand treatment and recovery services, and create avenues for individuals to seek help. Learn how three communities are responding to the drug epidemic in their own backyard.

Barriers to Employment for Justice-Involved Individuals
Christopher Moeller, Indiana Legal Services
Michael Martin Drain, Ivy Tech Community College

This session identifies the many challenges justice-involved individuals are faced with when seeking employment and education, and offers resources available to make re-entry into society a smoother process.

MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS | DAY 2 | 10:30-11:30 AM

Meeting People Where They Are: Integrating Harm Reduction into the Continuum
Madison Alton, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration
Kelly Hans, Holding Space Recovery Project

This session will provide information about harm reduction efforts in Indiana at a state and local level. Session attendees will learn how harm reduction fits into the substance use care continuum to meet the needs of individuals who use drugs, and what strategies can be applied locally to implement harm reduction services.

Transforming the Crisis Continuum
Kara Biro, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration
Jeremy Ormiston, Fort Wayne Police Department 
Sam Burgett, Porter County Sheriff’s Department
Linda Grove-Paul, Centerstone

With the increasing need for mental health, it is time to change the way we support individuals in mental health crises. Meeting people where they are and ensuring they have a say in what their treatment and recovery look like, all while encompassing a no-wrong-door approach. Building and expanding all three pillars of the crisis care continuum – someone to call, someone to respond, and a safe place for help – will help Hoosiers in crisis receive the support they need when they need it.

Clubhouse Indiana: Expanding and Sustaining the Clubhouse Model in Indiana
Michael Shorter, Clubhouse Indiana

Since 2002, Clubhouse Indiana has represented the combined efforts of Clubhouse Model Programs in the Hoosier State. Clubhouse Indiana works to support existing programs through the sharing of best practices and resources, while continuing to look forward to expanding the footprint of standards-based Clubhouses throughout Indiana. This session will explore the history of the global Clubhouse Model, explain the basic structures found in all Clubhouse programs, and will feature Clubhouse member testimonials.

AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS | DAY 2 | 1:30-2:30 PM

Becoming IRACS-Ready
Jayme Whitaker, Indiana Forensic Services
Aaron Spaulding, Choices Coordinated Solutions
Dr. Lynn Witty, Addictions Coalition of Delaware County
Emily Anderson, Delaware County Circuit Court
Jon Winkler, Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office

The Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support (IRACS) pilot program is a criminal-justice collaboration that integrates peer professionals into county jails as a part of the Sheriff’s correctional team. The peer team provides resources, support, collaboration, advocacy, and Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) interventions within the criminal-justice systems in the local pilot communities. There are five (5) infrastructure components vital to readiness to successfully implement such an intense peer-driven reentry program in a community. This session explores readiness and breaks down the components and process for IRACS program implementation.

Care Management for Individuals with Mental Health & SUD: Panel Discussion with Medicaid Managed Health Plans
Elizabeth Wahl, Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program
Amber Chappelow, CareSource
Lissi Lobb, Anthem Indiana Medicaid
Amy Hodowal, Managed Health Services
Stacy Tunon Watson, UnitedHealthcare
Brittany Moorman, MDWise

Navigating the healthcare system and finding the right treatment and care can be complex. The Indiana Medicaid managed health plans Anthem, CareSource, MDwise, Managed Health Services, and United HealthCare will describe their care management programs for Medicaid members with substance use disorders and mental health conditions. This facilitated panel discussion will include information about how to refer individuals to care management programs and the benefits of receiving case management and care coordination through the Medicaid health plans.

Success in Primary Prevention
MeriBeth Adams-Wolf, Our Place Drug & Alcohol Education
Brian Mounts, Alcohol and Addiction Resource Center
Angela Wehner, Porter-Starke Services
Moderated by: Jeannie Bellman, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration 

Primary prevention is a crucial part of the continuum of care but what do successful prevention programs look like? A panel of primary prevention providers will share their experiences in implementing substance misuse primary prevention and mental health promotion strategies. Participants will learn factors to consider when implementing primary prevention, ways in which primary prevention intersects with treatment, recovery, and family services, and how to gauge successful outcomes. Participants will also learn about effective mental health promotion and messaging campaigns that increase reach to youth, adults, schools, and communities.