2025
May 8, 2025 – “Opioid Use & Misuse Among Older Adults”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Donna M. Lisi, PharmD – Chair @ Somerset County Local Advisory Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse
Dr. Abhilash Desai, MD – Medical Director @ Idaho Memory & Aging Center, P.L.L.C.
Additional resources:
Screening for Opioid Use Disorder in Older Adults
Chronic Pain Management in the Elderly
April 10, 2025 – “The Link Between Alcohol Use, Treatment & Opioid-Related Harms”
FEATURED SPEAKER:
Dan Blalock, PhD – Medical Associate Professor, Depart. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences @ Duke University School of Medicine
Additional resources:
SBIRT Colorado: Demonstration of Brief Intervention for Alcohol
Conduct a Brief Intervention: Build Motivation and a Plan for Change
March 13, 2025 – “Community Strategies to Fight Opioid Addiction”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Melissa Pielech, PsyD – Assistant Professor, Brown University @ Warren Alpert Medical School and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies
Tiffany Wilson, Esq. – Senior Counsel & Director, Office of Alternative and Community Responses
February 27, 2025 – “Preventing Opioid Misuse & Addiction”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Holly L. Geyer, MD – Medical Director, Mayo Clinic Arizona Occupational Health Services
Dr. Saira Jan, PharmD – VP & Chief Pharmacy Officer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
January 30, 2025 – “The National Opioid Crisis: Current Trends & Solutions”
FEATURED SPEAKER:
Jennifer Austin, Field Intelligence Manager – Drug Enforcement Administration – New Jersey Division
2024
December 12, 2024 – “The Opioid Crisis – Where We Stand as 2024 Concludes”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Lewis S. Nelson, MD – Professor & Chair, Dept. Emergency Medicine @ Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Captain Jason Piotrowski, NJSP – Executive Officer, Forensic & Technical Services Section
November 14, 2024 – “Building Resiliency Among Healthcare & Addiction Professionals”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Erin Bredenberg, MD – board-certified addiction medicine provider @ University of Colorado Hospital
Dr. Shuvendu Sen, MD – Vice Chair, Research & Faculty @ Jersey Shore University Medical Center
October 3, 2024 – “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day: Looking Back & Looking Ahead”
FEATURED SPEAKER:
Christopher M. Jones, Pharm.D., Dr.P.H., M.P.H. (CAPT U.S. Public Health Service) – Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention @ Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
September 12, 2024 – “Understanding & Supporting Recovery”
FEATURED PANELIST:
Dr. Donald Reeves, MD – Director, Psychiatry @ Rutgers University Correctional Health Care
July 25, 2024 – “Empowering Parents in Prevention & Recovery”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Melissa Wallach, MD, FAAP – Director, Medical Education @ St. George’s University Medical School
Lissette Lester, MSW – Deputy Director, Case Practice @ Division of Child Protection & Permanency, NJ
June 20, 2024 – “Opioids: Impacts of Health Disparities & Discrimination”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Eldene Towey, MDR – Chief of Addiction Psychiatry @ Westchester Medical Center Health Services
Aarin Michele Williams, Esq. – Chief Advisor @ NJ Division on Civil Rights
May 30, 2024 – “Treating Pain Without Opioids”
PANELISTS:
James Bailey, DO, FAAPMR – Chair of the NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute @ Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Sarah Vi Cerreto, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, HN-BC – John Theurer Cancer Center @ Hackensack University Medical Center
April 25, 2024 – “Trauma & Opioid Use Disorder”
PANELISTS:
Rebecca Bryan, DNP, APN – NJ Dept. of Children & Families Office of Resilience
Cathy Choy, MSW, LCSW – Trauma Recovery Center @ University Hospital, Newark
Hellen Da Silva, LPC, LCADC, ACS – Trauma Recovery Center @ University Hospital, Newark
March 28, 2024 – “When Addiction & Mental Health Collide”
PANELISTS:
Tim Vermillion, DSW, LCSW, Veterans Affairs Administration
Tiffany Wilson, Esq. – Office of Alternative & Community Responses
Jill Schlossberg, LPC – Mental Health Association, NJ
February 29, 2024 – “Emerging Threats Within the Opioid Crisis”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Matthew Salzman, MD, MPH – Associate Prof., Emergency Medicine @ Cooper Medical School
Bruce Ruck, BS, Pharm.D., DABAT – Managing Dir., New Jersey Poison Center
January 25, 2024 – “The Opioid Crisis: An Overview”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Lewis S. Nelson, MD – Professor and Chair, Dept. Emergency Medicine Chief of Division of Medical Toxicology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Captain Jason Piotrowski – Dir., Office of Drug Monitoring & Analysis @ NJSP
2023
December 7, 2023 – “The Opioid Epidemic: A Focus on Vulnerable Populations Part III”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Michael Ganon, DO – board certified in family and addiction medicine
Matthew Rudd – Community Justice Coordinator, Special Agent for Strategic Planning & Programs @ Cumberland Co. Pros. Office
Tevis Thompson, MS – Project Manager for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Initiatives @ NJ Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services
Harry Reyes, DHSc, LPC, LCADC – Assistant Division Director @ NJ Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services
November 9, 2023 – “Evidence-Based Programs for Prevention, Treatment and Recovery”
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Dr. Sharon Walsh, MS, PhD, – Professor @ University of Kentucky Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy
October 6, 2023 – “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day: An Update from NIDA”
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Dr. Wilson M. Compton, Deputy Director – National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) @ National Institutes of Health
September 14, 2023 – “The Road to Recovery”
PANELISTS:
Iris Jones, LPC, LCADC, CCS, NCC – Clinical Operations @ Cooper Center for Healing & Buprenorphine Field Initiation of ReScue Treatment (Bupe FIRST EMS)
Keith Kloos, CPRS – Community Outreach Coordinator @ Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) Carrier Clinic
August 17, 2023 – “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day – Training Seminar”
PANELISTS:
Patrice Reilly – Manager, Prevention Services @ Morris County Prevention Is Key
Barbara Kauffman – Director, Prevention Services @ Morris County Prevention Is Key
Rebecca Alfaro, MSW – Deputy Ex. Dir. @ Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Matt Birchenough – Dir., Community Events @ Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey
Links from the presentation:
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day – Social Media
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day – Opioid Campaign
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day – Traditional Media
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day – Press Kit
July 27, 2023 – “Public Health Barriers in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Josiah D. Rich, MD, MPH – Professor, Medicine & Epidemiology @ Brown University
Michele Calvo, MPH – Dir., Opioid Response & Policy @ NJ Depart. of Health
Dr. Richard T. Jermyn, DO, FAAPMR – Interim Dean @ Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
June 29, 2023 – “The Intersection of Race, Culture and the Opioid Crisis”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Aleesa Mobley, PhD – Clerkship Dir., Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences @ Rowan University
Captain Jason Piotrowski – Dir., Office of Drug Monitoring & Analysis @ NJSP
Solomon Middleton-Williams – Deputy Dir., Newark Community Street Team
Ashley Hill Trotter – Social Work Manager, Newark Community Street Team
May 25, 2023 – “The Rise of Poly-Substance Overdose Deaths”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Andrew L. Falzon, MD – Chief State Medical Examiner, State of New Jersey
Dr. Rachel Haroz, MD, FAACT – Associate Professor, Dept. of Emergency Medicine @ Cooper Medical School – Rowan University
April 27, 2023 – “The Collateral Impact of Opioid Misuse”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Amesika Nyaku, MD – Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases @ Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Robert Gaydosh – Deputy Director, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety
Adrienne Simpkins – Director of Outreach and Capacity Building, NJ Coalition to End Domestic Violence (NJCEDV)
March 30, 2023 – “Alternatives to Opioids”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Jane C Ballantyne, MD, FRCA – VP Clinical Affairs – Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP)
Dr. Andrew Kolodny, MD – Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research, Heller School for Social Policy & Management, Brandeis University
February 23, 2023 – “What Parents Need to Know About Opioids: Guidance for Conversations”
KEYNOTE:
Honorable Matthew J. Platkin, Esq. – New Jersey Attorney General
PANELISTS:
Dr. A. Omar Abubaker, DMD, PhD – VCU School of Dentistry & MCV Hospital
Dr. Ona Fofah, MD – Rutgers New Jersey Medical School & University Hospital
Dr. Kelly Moore, PsyD – Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology
January 26, 2023 – “From Pills to Fentanyl: Understanding the Opioid Crisis”
FEATURED SPEAKER:
Dr. Lewis Nelson:
Professor and Chair, Dept. Emergency Medicine
Chief of Division of Medical Toxicology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
2022
December 8, 2022 – “Opioids in New Jersey: A Look at 2022”
PANELISTS:
Agent Tim McMahon, DEA-NJ
Captain Jason Piotrowski, NJ State Police
November 10, 2022 – “Saving Lives – Harm Reduction and the Opioid Crisis”
PANELISTS:
Charla Cousar, Program Management Officer – NJ Department of Health
Katherine Kneisel, CHES – Rutgers RWJ Medical School Division of Addiction Psychiatry
Richard Lo Russo Jr., recovery coach – face of the issue
October 6, 2022 – “Where We Stand & How We Move Forward”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Andrew Kolodny – Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University
John Butler, Esq. – Office of the NJ Governor
Jennifer Fearon – Office of the NJ Governor
Office of the NJ Governor presentation
September 8, 2022 – “Highlighting Addiction Recovery”
PANELISTS:
Commander Karina D. Aguilar, DrPH, MSW, CPH – United States Public Health Service
- Assistant Regional Administrator, Region II
(NJ, NY, PR, US Virgin Islands & the Federally Recognized Tribes in the Northeast) - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Email: Karina.Aguilar@samhsa.hhs.gov
Mary Beth O’Connor, Esq.
- Website: junkietojudge.com
- email: marybeth@junkietojudge.com
- Twitter: @MaryBethO_
- Book “From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction”: O’Connor, Mary Beth: 9780757324567: AmazonSmile: Books – available on all usual sites & from your local book store
July 14, 2022 – “The Role of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in Fighting the Opioid Crisis”
PANELISTS:
Dr. James F. Baird IV, DO – Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director, Inspira Health – Mullica Hill
Dr. Herbert Kaldany, DO – Psychiatry Director, NJ Department of Corrections
Tim Seplaki, CPM – Chief of EMS Data and Technology, NJ Department of Health
June 28, 2022 – “Fentanyl: What You Need to Know Today”
PANELISTS:
Special Agent Timothy P. McMahon – DEA-NJ
Dr. Mehruba Anwar Parris, MD – Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School
Marlon Williams, MPH – forensic epidemiologist, New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)
June 16, 2022 – “The Opioid Epidemic and the Impact of Race, Part II”
PANELISTS:
Dr. Dara Kass, MD – U.S. Depart. of Health & Human Services, Regional Director for Region 2
Bretta Jane Jacquemin, MPH – NJ Dept. of Health, Center for Health Statistics
Jared Hunter – Salvation and Social Justice
May 26, 2022 – “The Opioid Epidemic: A Focus on Vulnerable Populations Part II”
PANELISTS:
Honorable James E. McGreevey – Former New Jersey Governor – Ex. Dir., New Jersey Reentry Corporation
Barrett Young – CEO, Rescue Mission of Trenton
Brian McGovern – Ex. Dir., North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI)
April 28, 2022 – “Combating the Stigma of Opioid Addiction”
PANELISTS:
Edouard Coupet Jr., MD – Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine and Core Faculty, Yale School of Medicine
Emily Einstein, Ph.D. – Health Science Policy Analyst, National Institute on Drug Abuse
Celina Levy – Executive Director, Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Addiction (GCADA)
March 24, 2022 – “Doing Your Part: Safe Disposal of Opioids”
PANELISTS:
Laurie Smith – Community Initiatives Coordinator, Atlantic Prevention Resources
Howard Pine, Esq. – Deputy Director, Division of NJ Consumer Affairs
Susan A. Gibson – Special Agent in Charge, DEA-NJ
February 24, 2022 – “The Opioid Epidemic and the Impact on New Jersey Families”
PANELISTS:
Suzanne Borys, Ed.D. – Assistant Division Director for the Office of Planning, Research, Evaluation, Prevention and Olmstead in the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Susan Long, MSW, LSW, CTP – Director of Hope One of Atlantic County
Pam Capaci – CEO of Hope Sheds Light in Toms River
Donna DeStefano – founder, Parents in Connection for Kids, Inc. (P.I.C.K.)
January 27, 2022 – An Hour With Sam Quinones Author of “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic
FEATURED GUEST:
Sam Quinones, Author
contact: samquinones7@yahoo.com
read Sam’s newest book “The Least of Us”
2021
December 9, 2021 – “The Opioid Epidemic and the Impact of Race”
PANELISTS:
Andrew J. Bruck, New Jersey Acting Attorney General
Captain Jason Piotrowski, NJ State Police
Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP
Dean, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Interim Dean, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Jayme S. Ganey, LPC
Program Manager of Culture Connections
Family Connections
November 18, 2021 – “Post-Operative Pain and Alternatives to Opioids”
FEATURED EXPERT:
Sarah Vi Cerreto
BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, HN-BC
Slides from the presentation
October 28, 2021 – “Childhood Trauma Part II: Substance Use and Adverse Childhood Experiences”
PANELISTS:
Chief Christopher Leusner, Middle Township Police Department
David B. Levine, MD, FAAP – Atlantic Medical Group Pediatrics
Dave Ellis, Executive Director – Office of Resilience – New Jersey Department of Children and Families
Christopher A. Jakim, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration – New Jersey Division
Slides from the presentation
October 6, 2021 – “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day: How You Can Help Fight the Opioid Epidemic”
FEATURED GUEST:
Lieutenant Commander Jamie Mells, PhD – U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps – Overdose Data to Action Coordinator, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Slides from the presentation
July 29, 2021 – “The Opioid Epidemic: A Focus on Vulnerable Populations”
PANELISTS:
Christine Scalise – NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Katherine Findley, Ph.D. – NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Brad Christensen – NJ Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs
Kathy Dodsworth-Rugani, Ph.D. – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Telehealth Program
Slides from the presentation
June 17, 2021 – “Data to Action: How the State Uses Data to Address the Opioid Epidemic”
PANELISTS:
Capt. Francis McGovern – New Jersey State Police
Jeffrey D. Laszczyk, Jr., PharmD – Administrator, NJ PMP
Suzanne Borys, Ed.D. – Assistant Division Director for the Office of Planning, Research, Evaluation, Prevention and Olmstead in the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS)
Slides from the presentation
May 20, 2021 – “The ALTO Program: Treating Pain without Opioids”
PANELISTS:
Alexis M. LaPietra, DO, FACEP
Mark Rosenberg, DO, MBA, FACEP
Dr. LaPietra’s presentation
Dr. Rosenberg’s presentation
April 22, 2021 – “Dr. Andrew Kolodny – One Year Later: The Opioid Epidemic During COVID-19”
FEATURED GUEST:
Dr. Andrew Kolodny
Co-Director, Opioid Policy Research Collaborative Heller School for Social Policy and Management Brandeis University
Executive Director, Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing
Slides from the presentation
March 18, 2021 – The Perfect Storm: COVID-19’s Impact on Addiction Over the Past Year
PANELISTS:
Lt. Jason Piotrowski – New Jersey State Police
Dr. Meg Fisher, MD, FAAP – NJ Depart. of Health, Special Advisor to the Commissioner of Health
Caitlin O’Neill, Director of Harm Reduction Service – New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition
Jenna Mellor, Executive Director – New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition
Slides from the presentation
February 11, 2021 – Burnout on the Frontline: Managing COVID-19 Fatigue
PANELISTS
Kaitlin A. Caruso, Acting Director – NJ Division of Consumer Affairs
Chantal Brazeau, MD – Assistant Dean for Faculty Vitality – New Jersey Medical School & Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Robert Czepiel, Jr. – Assistant Attorney General, Chief Resiliency Officer – NJ Resiliency Program for Law Enforcement
Erika Shortway, Director of Recovery Services – Morris County Prevention is Key’s Center for Addiction Recovery Education and Success (CARES)
Slides from the presentation