Speakers

Michael Curry, Esq., is president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (the Mass League), which represents 50 health centers, serving more than one million patients from 300+ practice sites. He was named one of the Boston Business Journal’s Power 50 Movement Makers of 2024, 2023 and 2022; one of Boston’s Most Influential Men of Color by GetKonnected!; one of Boston Magazine’s 150 Most Influential Bostonians in 2024 and 2023; and a Bostonian of the Year in 2021 (along with his member health centers) by The Boston Globe and Boston Magazine.

He brings more than 35 years of experience and results in civil rights advocacy, health reform and health equity. He is a current, nationally elected (4-term) member of the National NAACP’s Board of Directors (2014-present) and the immediate past president of the Boston Branch of the NAACP (2011-2016). Michael is also an adjunct professor at New England Law Boston, where he teaches diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and at Suffolk University’s Moakley Center and Sawyer School of Management, where he teaches a health care management and policy course.

In the three years since Michael assumed the role of CEO at the Mass League, the staff have more than doubled, the organization secured a more than $360 million contract with the state to administer the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MA Repay), and he launched the Institute for Health Equity Research, Evaluation & Policy (IHE) after raising just under $8 million dollars. The IHE is focused on conducting “emancipatory research” and ensuring patients, community health, and communities are central to developing new knowledge in health. In addition, Michael is the co-chair of the Harvard School of Public Health’s (Harvard Catalyst’s) Community Coalition for Equity in Research (CCER), aimed at supporting bi-directional community engagement to improve the relevance, quality, and impact of research.

In 2022, Michael co-founded the Health Equity Compact in Massachusetts, a collective of more than 80 C-suite leaders of color in health care, insurance, philanthropy, government, and academia with a mission to realize bold statewide policy and institutional practice changes that center on racial justice and health equity. Early wins include filing an omnibus health equity bill with the Massachusetts Legislature, working with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation to produce a ground-breaking report on the cost of inequity ($5.9 billion annually), and hosting an annual Health Equity Trends Summit that draws more than 1,000 leaders and advocates for a day-long discussion on solutions.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from New England School of Law and later graduated from the inaugural class of the Executive Leadership Council’s (ELC’s) Pipeline to Leadership Program. He also has an honorary degree from William James college, a Doctorate in Business Administration from Curry College, and Healthcare Administration from Labouré College.

He also serves on numerous boards, commissions and committees, including Embrace Boston, Eastern Bank’s Board of Advisors, public broadcasting GBH’s Board of Advisors, Alliance for Business Leadership (ABL), Harvard & Legacy of Slavery Initiative’s External Advisory Committee, Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care (MCSIC), The New England Council (NEC), Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Community Development Advisory Council (CDAC), Health Policy Commission’s Advisory Board, and RIZE Massachusetts, dedicated to funding solutions to end the overdose crisis.

He is a frequent political commentator on WBUR’s Radio Boston, Morning Edition, and Week in Review; WBGH’s Boston Public Radio with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan and WGBH’s Greater Boston; and New England Cable News. He is also frequently requested to provide reactions to breaking news, presidential and mayoral debates, and state of the union and city addresses.

Michael has received numerous awards, including the 2024 Boston Municipal Research Bureau Henry Shattuck City Champion Award, the Disability Policy Center (DPC) 2024 Mary Lou Maloney Award, the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts’ Melvin H. King Community Leadership Award, the National Association of Community Health Centers’ 2024 Norton Wilson State/Regional Leadership Award, and the National NAACP’s 2022 William Montague Cobb Award for “special achievement in healthcare, social justice, and policy advocacy.”

On January 18, 2023, Andrea Joy Campbell was sworn in to be the 45th Attorney General (AG) of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, pledging to build economic prosperity and stability for all residents, prioritize the mental health and well-being of children, stop cycles of incarceration and violence, and ensure the people across the state have access to the AG's Office regardless of their ZIP code, language or ability.

Growing up in Roxbury, Andrea’s life was filled with instability. When Andrea was 8 months old, she lost her mother to a car accident while going to visit her father in prison. She and her brothers bounced around — living with relatives and sometimes in foster care — until her father got out of prison when she was 8 years old, and she met him for the first time.

Andrea and her family relied on public housing and food assistance while her grandmother struggled with alcoholism. Her two brothers sadly cycled in and out of the prison system. She lost her twin brother, Andre, when he passed away while in the custody of the Department of Corrections as a pre-trial detainee.

Through all of this, Andrea persevered. Thanks to loving relatives, community support and a network of teachers who encouraged her, she turned pain into purpose. She graduated from Boston Latin School and then worked her way through college with the help of grants and student loans, graduating from Princeton University and UCLA Law School.

After earning her law degree, she worked as a legal services attorney for the EdLaw project, defending the rights of children and their families — particularly those with disabilities.

Andrea also practiced law at Proskauer LLP as an employment attorney and ultimately left to serve the public as General Counsel at the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, working across 101 cities and towns to address regional challenges like health care access, transportation, affordable housing, and climate change.

Andrea served as legal counsel to Governor Deval Patrick, working to improve our education and transportation systems and move forward an agenda of equity across the state.

In 2015, Andrea successfully ran for the Boston City Council becoming the first woman to represent District 4 on the council. Her first piece of legislation was the Community Preservation Act, which still generates more than $20 million annually for new affordable housing, historical preservation, and parks and open space. In 2018, she was unanimously elected City Council President — the first Black woman to hold the title.

Dr. Alyssa Peterkin is an assistant professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She spends her clinical time working as a direct care hospitalist, attending on the inpatient addiction consult service, and working in Faster Paths, a low-barrier substance use disorder bridge clinic at Boston Medical Center.

She currently serves as director of the Grayken Addiction Medicine Fellowship and co-director of the addiction and health focus area for Learn, Experience, Advocate, Discover and Serve (LEADS), an immersive health equity course for pre-clerkship students at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Dr. Todd Kerensky is the medical director of Addiction Medicine at South Shore Health and Spectrum Weymouth’s Opioid Treatment Program. He is also the immediate-past president of the Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine (MASAM). His clinical interest is in improving access to low-barrier, patient-centered addiction treatment. Dr. Kerensky is also passionate about the intersection of economics, public health policy, and addiction treatment at the population level. He has helped advocate for legislative changes including access to medications for opioid use disorder, especially in jails and prisons, Section 35 reform, and “treatment not imprisonment” reform.

Emery Marcus is a dually-boarded family nurse practitioner and psychiatric nurse practitioner, as well as a certified addictions advanced practice registered nurse. She is currently working as a medical clinician and project manager in the Addictions Research Department at SSTAR, a community health organization in Fall River, Mass.

Prior to her work in research, she was a nurse practitioner in the Medications for Addictions Department and oversaw patient care in a low-barrier bridge clinic. Emery has a master’s in nursing practice from Simmons University and a psychiatric nursing specialization from Regis College.

Jessica Kemp is a certified addictions registered nurse specializing in the treatment of opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. She is program manager of the Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program at The Brien Center, the largest community mental health and substance use outpatient treatment center in Berkshire County, Mass. Under her leadership, the Brien Center's OBAT program has tripled in size and grown to a muti-site, county-wide program.

Jessica has been a frequent speaker about substance use disorders and their treatment and was a champion for the Help End Addiction Long Term (HEAL) Community study in both North Adams and Pittsfield, Mass. Jessica has served as a consultant for Grayken Center for Addiction since 2019. Jessica received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Nyack College and her associate degree in nursing from Berkshire Community College.  

Dr. Alexander Y. Walley is a Professor of Medicine at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and a Primary Care Physician and addiction specialist at Boston Medical Center, focused on the medical complications of substance use, specifically HIV and overdose. He leads research studies on overdose prevention and the integration of addiction specialty care and general medical care. He is a founder of Boston Medical Center’s inpatient Addiction Consult Service and walk-in Substance Use Care Bridge Clinic. Dr. Walley was a founding director of the Grayken Addiction Medicine Fellowship and is the president of the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine. He serves as the medical director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, the Overdose Prevention Program, and the SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline.

Casey Calver is the editorial director at the Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center, where she works on the newsletter Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Health: Current Evidence and the journal Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. Casy also serves as executive officer of the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors. She holds a master’s in English literature from Georgetown University, a master’s in global health policy from the University of Edinburgh, and a doctorate in editorial studies from Boston University.

Dr. Ruth Potee is a board certified Family Physician and Addiction Medicine physician who works in western Massachusetts. She attended Wellesley College, Yale University School of Medicine and did her residency at Boston University where she remained an assistant professor of Family Medicine for eight years. She is currently the Medical Director for Behavioral Health Network and the Franklin County House of Corrections. She oversees 8 OTPs, including the first fully licensed jail OTP in the country. She was named Franklin County Doctor of the Year by the Massachusetts Medical Society in 2015 and has won multiple teaching awards from medical students and residents.

Vella Riley is a Black transgender activist, consultant, and community leader. Her passion for advocacy is deeply personal — shaped by her lived experiences with homelessness, survival sex work, and systemic injustice. Vella founded and currently facilitates S.O.S. (Save Our Selves) — a comprehensive support initiative for current and former transgender sex workers that provides essential services such as housing navigation, harm reduction, peer support, and professional development. For more than a decade, Vella has worked at the forefront of community engagement, housing advocacy, and case management services at AIDS Action Committee, Youth on Fire, and Boston Health Care for the Homeless. She has also served as a housing navigator, ensuring marginalized populations have access to stable housing and essential services. Most recently, Vella launched her own consulting group. Her work is rooted in an unwavering commitment to authenticity, forged through activism, protest, and community organizing.

Logan Puleikis is a member of the Transgender and Gender Expansive (TGE) Community Advisory Board with the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services to promote accessibility of TGE people in substance use disorder treatment. He is the program coordinator at the Stimulant Treatment and Recovery Team (START), treating stimulant use disorder and championing inclusion of individuals left out of care, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community and those who engage in chemsex. At the START clinic, he also facilitates their art group, which uses an open studio exhibition model to provide art as a viable tool for communication and empowerment, and which offers annual exhibition opportunities.

He has received training at the Boston University School of Social Work, and his behavioral health focus is oriented towards healing the relationship with the body for people with physical histories of substance use, whether it’s from gender dysphoria, sexualized drug use, or trauma lived within the body. He also works as a community researcher with Brandeis University on their ECKS-O study to understand the changing landscape of substance use and impacts on social determinants of health.

Andrea (Andi) Macone is the director of community health and equity for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS). Prior to this position, she worked in leadership roles focusing on engagement and equity at UMass Boston and The Phoenix. Andi also contributes to a number of research projects at the intersection of substance use and community impact.

As a member of the harm reduction movement and a person in recovery, Andi’s professional and lived experiences inform her efforts to effect meaningful systems change and to center the most marginalized voices of those impacted by substance use. Andi received her bachelor’s in communications from Boston University, her master’s in American studies from UMass Boston, and completed an emerging leaders fellowship in UMass Boston’s College of Management.

MG Xiong is a Hmong, nonbinary, and queer educator from Anchorage, Alaska, now living in the Boston area. MG is the director of engagement and learning at the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, serves as a community advisory board member for the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, and is an independent consultant on gender equity.

MG brings lived, professional, and academic experience in direct service, program management, and learning and development to transgender belonging. They direct, design, and facilitate educational experiences and community programs to create equitable outcomes for transgender and nonbinary people. MG aims to center joy, mutual aid, and cultural curiosity through education and capacity building.

Dr. Safdar Medina is a pediatrician at Tri River Health Center in Uxbridge and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at UMassChan Medical School.  His focus is on the care of adolescents struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.  Dr. Medina has presented to a variety of audiences on this topic, including fellow physicians, schools, parents, and mental health clinicians.  

Angelica Gates is the licensing inspector for the Correctional Facilities at the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Angelica has more than 15 years of experience in the substance use disorder treatment field at multiple different service settings. As a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and licensed school counselor, she is experienced in supporting students with mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorders. Angelica received a bachelor’s in criminology and law from Suffolk University, and a master’s in school counseling from Assumption College.

Dr. Robert Sege is director of the HOPE National Resource Center, within the Center for Community-Engaged Medicine at Tufts Medicine and co-director of the Community and Stakeholder Engagement program at the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute. He is a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the Tufts University School of Medicine and a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, a national, nonprofit public policy, research and technical assistance organization. Dr. Sege is a board-certified general and child abuse pediatrician, leading pediatric primary care at Tufts Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center.

Dr. Sege is nationally known for his research on effective health systems approaches that directly address social determinants of health. His academic work incorporates community engagement at all stages of design, implementation, dissemination, and improvement. Dr. Sege frequently presents keynote addresses on the HOPE framework and the science of positive childhood experiences at national and international conferences.

Dr. Sege holds a degree in medicine from Harvard Medical School, a doctorate in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s in biology from Yale University.

Ed Hayes is an assistant superintendent at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) and serves as administrative director of the FCSO’s opioid treatment program (OTP). During his 10-year tenure as treatment director, FCSO was recognized nationally as a demonstration site by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Bureau of Justice Assistance for its work with incarcerated clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. The FCSO treatment program was the first in Massachusetts and one of the first in the nation to offer a comprehensive treatment approach for incarcerated clients living with opioid use disorder by becoming a fully licensed OTP. Ed was a 2020 National Institute of Health LEAP (Learning Experience to Advance Practice) Scholar and has a background in clinical social work and provision of special education for adult learners.

Danielle Mimitz is a clinical manager II and opioid treatment program (OTP) sponsor at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). She is responsible for the day-to-day leadership within the OTP and provides clinical supervision to all mental health clinicians and oversight of the Evaluation and Stabilization Unit and Mental Health Unit. In her 10 years at HCSO, Danielle has been instrumental in the enhancement of treatment services addressing opioid use disorder and significant mental illness. She has a master's in education from Springfield College and is a licensed mental health counselor. 

Jason W. Faro is the assistant superintendent of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, where he has been employed since 1998. In his current role, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the newly formed Specialized Reentry Services Division. Jason also manages all services that involve medication assisted treatment, offender diversion programming, and pretrial reentry services. He also regularly acts as adjunct faculty at local colleges instructing on the subjects of criminology, corrections, and treatment within correctional settings. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and political science and a master’s in human services. He is a graduate of the Essex County Sheriff’s Department Basic Training Academy and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, U.S. Border Patrol Academy Class 284, Artesia, New Mexico.

Brooke Pessinis is the assistant superintendent and director of the Medication Assisted Treatment Program at the Essex County Sheriff's Department. She is a dual licensed mental health counselor who specializes in addiction and trauma services. She has been at the forefront of developing one of the most comprehensive medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) programs in a correctional setting. Brooke has worked to produce a fully immersive and multidisciplinary treatment model that focuses on patient centered care partnered with personalized medication treatment. She plans to continue promoting and pushing the limits of what correctional MOUD programs are capable of, while teaching others how to accomplish what some think is unobtainable. 

Brittany (Britt) Carney is a clinical nurse educator for Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and a nurse practitioner at Boston Medical Center’s Adolescent Clinic.  She is a board-certified family nurse practitioner whose passion is caring for adolescents and young adults, especially those with substance use disorder.

She has over a decade of experience working in addiction medicine and has published on various topics, including stigma for youth, caring for adolescents with substance use disorders and the role of addiction training for providers.  She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and master's in nursing degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Graduate School of Nursing, and a master's in medical science from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. 

Dr. Alexander Y. Walley is a professor of Medicine at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and a primary care physician and addiction specialist at Boston Medical Center, focused on the medical complications of substance use, specifically HIV and overdose. He leads research studies on overdose prevention and the integration of addiction specialty care and general medical care. He is a founder of Boston Medical Center’s inpatient addiction consult service and walk-in substance use care bridge clinic.

 Dr. Walley was a founding director of the Grayken Addiction Medicine Fellowship and is the president of the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine. He serves as the medical director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, the Overdose Prevention Program, and the SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline.

Amanda Tower is the grant project coordinator for MassAbility for the Beyond Bridges: Brain Injury and Behavioral Health Grant. As part of this work, Amanda oversees the implementation of the online brain injury screening and support system throughout the state. This work includes leading and participating in events to educate professionals about brain injury, potential risk, and co-occurring populations. 

Erika Hensel is a licensed community health worker and harm reduction specialist currently working as the project manager for opioid response at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Prior to this role, Erika was the Springfield community coordinator for the HEALing Community Study, which aimed to reduce opioid-related deaths through evidence-based interventions. Erika previously worked as an overdose engagement coordinator for Tapestry Harm Reduction and was published for her work in naloxone peer distribution.

Erika started in the field as a clinical case manager at Friends of the Homeless in Springfield, where she began championing harm reduction strategies. Erika is an overdose education and naloxone distribution master trainer and has personally reversed more than 50 overdoses in the community. She is currently in long-term recovery and is a strong proponent of medications for opioid use disorder. Erika works toward policy changes and compassionate care for people in recovery, unsheltered individuals, people that exchange sex, and people that use drugs.

Joy has been a national harm reduction trainer for more than 30 years and is currently a national harm reduction trainer for NASTAD, the National Harm Reduction Coalition, and the University of Miami. She is co-founder of the National Black Harm Reduction Network, created to mentor and train new Black Leadership in harm reduction and advocate for policy changes in the medical, criminal, and houseless systems that have negatively impacted Black people.

Joy previously worked for Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), where she was introduced to harm reduction as model of service. and worked with a team to develop the first harm reduction housing training. After leaving CSH, Joy began work as the executive director of the HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County, California, also known as Casa Segura. After ten years in that role, Joy moved to Hawaii and created Housing First programs on the islands of Maui and Honolulu.

Joy also created the Overdose Prevention Center in Austin, Texas, for people who inject drugs. She was one of the founders of the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, which provides education and NARCAN to injectors and helps connect people requesting medicated-assisted treatment and other needed services.

Joy is co-chair of the People with Lived Experienced Research Board and a member of the Harm Reduction Steering Committee for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Oami joined the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA) as Deputy Director in 2022. At MPHA, Oami oversees the organizations legislative and policy priorities, which are focused on local public health infrastructure and investments in the social determinants of health, including public transportation access, environmental justice, housing justice, sustainable food systems, and overdose prevention.

Before coming to MPHA, Oami served as Deputy Legislative Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts, where she led the organization’s legislative work on criminal law reform. Prior to that, she was the Advocacy Director of the ACLU of Maine, where she worked to pass first-in-the-nation privacy laws, expand access to abortion care, and advance public health centered drug policy.

Stephen Murray, MPH, NRP, is an Overdose Researcher, Harm Reduction Program Manager and the Director of the SafeSpot Overdose Hotline at Boston Medical Center. In 2021, he retired as a Lieutenant at a large regional ambulance service in Western Massachusetts, and had served as a first responder since 2013, having worked both as a firefighter and paramedic. He regularly shares for a national audience about his lived experience as a person who used drugs and overdose survivor.

Stephen provides expert technical assistance around the topics of overdose prevention, emergency medical services, workforce and harm reduction to a variety of organizations, county and state governments across the country, including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency, the National Academies of Medicine, and the National Governors Association. He has guest lectured at over a dozen universities including at Harvard University,  University of Southern California,  UMASS Medical School, Georgetown University, and Boston University.

He has research published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, Substance Use & Addiction Journal, American Journal of Public Health and Health Promotion Practice. In September 2023, he was featured in the multiple award-winning Episode 809 ("The Call") on This American Life.

Dr. Randi Sokol is an associate professor at the Tufts Family Medicine Residency Program and lecturer at Harvard Medical School. At the Tufts program, Dr. Sokol is involved in clinical work, teaching, research, and advocacy, specifically around vulnerable populations that struggle with substance use and mental health issues. She is the program director for the Tufts Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Cambridge Health Alliance. She serves as the director of the pain and addiction curriculum for residents, runs the addiction elective for Tufts medical students, and has developed a national addiction curriculum for family medicine residency programs across the country. 

Dr. Sokol has a special interest in providing group visits as a venue for treating patients with opioid use disorder. She has published numerous research articles on this topic and mentored other clinical sites in implementing this model of care. She previously served as a Providers Clinical Support System instructor and also runs a consultation service that supports primary care providers in caring for patients with pain and addiction. 

Dr. Sokol is board-certified in both family medicine and addiction medicine.  She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and her medical degree and master’s degree in public health from Tulane University She completed family medicine residency at the University of California-Davis, and earned a master’s in medical education through the University of Dundee.

Natrina “Trina” Johnson is a health services researcher at the Grayken Center for Addiction and a postdoctoral scholar at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF. Dr. Johnson has prior experience working as a mental health counselor for adolescents, a substance use counselor for adults, and a house manager in transitional programs for formerly unhoused individuals with co-occurring psychiatric and/or substance use conditions. She has also volunteered with the Berkeley Free Clinic for over 10 years and has held several roles which has included doing outreach to people who may be at elevated risk for viral hepatitis and HIV to offer harm reduction education, screening, and linkage to treatment. Her prior work, research, and volunteer experiences inform her primary research interests which are focused on understanding the impact on trauma and PTSD on syndemic health outcomes and investigating opportunities to mitigate the impact of structural racism on the health and well-being of marginalized populations of color.

Traci Green is an epidemiologist whose research focuses on drug use, opioid use disorder, and drug-related injury. She is a professor and director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, where she oversees research on the drug supply, harm reduction services, and risk mitigation following law enforcement and policy actions. Traci also co-directs the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Opioids and Overdose at Rhode Island Hospital and is an adjunct professor of emergency medicine and epidemiology at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University and the Brown School of Public Health.

Traci created the web app platform “Street Check: Community Drug Checking” to support the growth and excellence of community drug checking. She helped co-found PrescribeToPrevent.org for prescribers and pharmacists and its companion site Prevent & Protect for families, patients, and community organizations to improve naloxone access.

Traci earned a Master of Science in epidemiology and biostatistics from McGill University and a doctorate in epidemiology from Yale University.

Dr. William (Bill) Soares is the director of Harm Reduction Services in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. and an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at the UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate. He is a practicing emergency and addiction medicine physician researcher, who has spent the past 10 years focused on expanding medication treatments and harm reduction services for emergency department patients with opioid use disorder. In his current role at Baystate Medical Center, Dr. Soares oversees take-home Narcan, harm reduction, safer supply distribution, and buprenorphine and methadone induction programs throughout the four emergency departments in the Baystate Health System.

Dr. Soares’ research focuses on clinical decision-making in the emergency department. He has completed a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) K08 project evaluating provider decisions to prescribe discharge opioid medications to patients presenting with an acutely painful condition. He currently has federal grants from NIDA, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration focused on expanding medication treatment and harm reduction for people with substance use disorders. He has also led efforts to create a comprehensive inpatient addiction consultation service for the three Baystate community hospitals through a state-level opioid settlement fund grant administered through the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance use and Addiction Services.

Joe Silcox, PhD, MA, is a Research Associate II (project manager) with the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University. He obtained his undergraduate degree in sociology from Saint Anselm College and earned his master's degree in Applied Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston). Joe also earned his PhD in sociology from UMass Boston, where his research focused on access to substance use treatment, stigma, housing, and social control.

Abby Edelmann is a research assistant and drug checking technician at the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. Abby earned a bachelor's in neuroscience from Saint Michael's College, with minors in chemistry and Spanish. She is currently studying cheminformatics at Brandeis University.

Charlie Summers is a graduate research assistant at the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. They earned a bachelor's in epidemiology and medical anthropology at Hampshire College, where they focused their research on government responses to HIV transmission. Charlie is currently earning a master's degree in anthropology at Brandeis, focusing their research on ethnographic depictions of substance use and harm reduction. Their passion for harm reduction is rooted in personal experience and a deep love for their community.

Ivy Sabal is a research assistant and drug checking technician at the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. They previously worked as a harm reduction counselor and lead drug checking technician at Tapestry Health, Inc. Ivy actively embodies and embraces social justice work on drug use to end the War on Drugs. Their work is deeply informed by lived experience. Ivy received a bachelor’s in environmental justice at Hampshire College, where they began their harm reduction and drug checking journey by distributing fentanyl test strips and providing reagent testing for their peers.

Jamie Davis is the program manager for the Community Engagement and Harm Reduction Program at the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. Their background is in harm reduction with a focus on communications, operations, and program development in community-based healthcare settings. Jamie is also involved in advocating for equitable drug policy and legislation that is grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights. Jamie has a bachelor’s from Westfield State College.

Shanna Person-Johnson conducts street outreach activities in Dorchester, Lower Mills, and Ashmont Station. She engages individuals using motivational interviewing to assess their most urgent needs and refers them to the most appropriate resources. She provides toiletry items, harm reduction supplies, and a compassionate ear to unhoused individuals and conducts needs assessments to more stable individuals and refers them to appropriate resources. Her goal is to support those who struggle with life’s circumstances, addiction, recovery, and mental health. She does this work with unconditional support, and no judgement, with the hope that she can help and support more people. Her life experiences have shown her that compassion and respect are the two main ingredients that are absent from our communities.

Claire Hoffman is the senior public health planner for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). She works with municipalities to develop strategies to prevent and respond to substance use. Her work includes conducting assessments, promoting regional conversations, and providing technical assistance related to the opioid settlement funds. Claire previously served as the manager of substance use initiatives at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. She also worked at the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, building a coalition of harm reduction practitioners across Central Appalachia. She received a master’s in public health from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and holds a bachelor’s in community health and international relations from Tufts University.

Oami Amarasingham has served as the deputy director of the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA) since 2022. In this role, Oami oversees the organization’s legislative and policy priorities, which are focused on local public health infrastructure and investments in social determinants of health, including public transportation access, environmental justice, housing justice, sustainable food systems, and overdose prevention. Before joining MPHA, Oami served as deputy legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts, where she led the organization’s legislative work on criminal law reform. Prior to that, she was the advocacy director of the ACLU of Maine, where she worked to pass first-in-the-nation privacy laws, expand access to abortion care, and advance public health-centered drug policy. Oami earned her JD from Northeastern University School of Law.

Alisha Kumar is community outreach coordinator at the Springfield Comprehensive Treatment Center. Prior to this position, she worked as a mental health counselor for adolescents, giving her a comprehensive approach to patient care. Alisha holds a bachelor’s degree in psychological sciences from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University.

Jen Tracey is the chief program officer at RIZE. In this position, she manages the strategic growth and implementation of RIZE’s programmatic initiatives, focusing on grants administration, community building, and thought leadership. Jen has more than 25 years of public and private experience in health and human services in diverse settings and disciplines. In various roles, she has served at the federal, state, and local government levels, and at community-based non-profit organizations.

Before joining RIZE, Jen served as the director of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services (ORS), the first municipal substance use recovery office in the United States. In this role, she oversaw all substance use recovery policy and initiatives for the City of Boston. In this capacity, she also served on the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Advisory Council and was instrumental in developing recommendations for the expenditure of the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Trust Fund to mitigate impacts of the opioid epidemic in the state. Prior to her time at the ORS, Jen served as the director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Services with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.

Dr. Chatterjee is a primary care and addiction medicine physician at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and an assistant professor at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. His research interests include innovative models for addiction treatment among people experiencing homelessness, and the role of structural racism in addition treatment and outcomes.

Tom Regan is the coordinated entry system manager for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. Tom has worked at the crossroads of homelessness and public health in housing, shelter, and syringe access program settings in both Boston and Seattle. He earned a master’s in public health from the Boston University School of Public Health.

Gregory Grays-Thomas is a seasoned and dedicated public health and social work professional with more than 15 years of experience in the field. He has a strong track record of success in developing and managing programs that support vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness and those living with HIV, substance abuse, and mental health challenges. He is a skilled leader with a deep understanding of the social work landscape and a passion for making a difference in the lives of others.

Dallas Clark is the founder and director of Cultivating Better Minds. He is also a certified addiction recovery coach, has completed the Black addiction counselor education program, and is working on his community health worker certification. Dallas is also a volunteer mentor for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department. He comes with lived experience of the lifestyle of the streets. Dallas's transformation started once he gave his life to God.

After Dallas was released from jail in 2017, he became active in his community, supporting others in the challenges and barriers he once faced and overcame. In 2023, he started Cultivating Better Minds, where he continues to serve others in the community. He also leads the prison ministry of Restoration City Church in Springfield, Mass., where he has been teaching a 12-week curriculum since 2022 called “Freedom” in the jail where he was once a resident. Dallas is also the founder of Men with Purpose, an outreach program. He is currently pursuing a bachelor's in human services and hopes to earn a master’s in social work.

Pedro Alvarez is the director of operations for harm reduction services at Tapestry Health. Pedro is passionate about community education and awareness around harm reduction and the intersection of healthcare and innovation. Pedro serves as board president for The Consortium, which works to create conditions in which people with lived experience can fully participate in decision-making processes related to their needs and the needs of their community. Pedro is a member of the Department of Public Health’s LatinX Advisory Group, the Harm Reduction Advisory Council, and the Brandeis University Drug Checking Advisory Group. Pedro holds a bachelor’s in sociology from Boston University.

Mark Jachym is a program manager and harm reduction coordinator for Clinical and Support Options, a non-profit in western Massachusetts. He specializes in harm reduction and street outreach, using his personal experience as a person in recovery from substance use disorder to support and empower others. He is a passionate advocate for the rights of individuals who use substances, public health initiatives, social justice causes, and the importance of low-barrier housing. Through his work, he strives to make a positive impact in his community and promote a more inclusive and compassionate society by reducing the stigmatization and marginalization associated with substance use. 

Nico Alicea is the western Massachusetts regional coordinator for the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR). He has been in recovery since December 24, 2015. He has worked as a recovery coach, recovery coach supervisor, and a member of the Massachusetts Recovery Coach Commission. In his work with MOAR, Nico continues to advocate for recovery and community empowerment.

Nico has embraced the belief, “If you want to go fast, go alone — but if you want to go far, go together.” Known by his positive affirmation name, Nice Nico, he is a passionate voice for the message: Recovery is possible! La recuperación es posible!

Maria Quinn is the director of Addiction Treatment and Recovery Support Services at Holyoke Medical Center (HMC). She led the development and implementation of the addiction consult service at HMC and worked to integrate recovery coaches into the clinical setting, where they are now invaluable assets to the care team at HMC. She is a seasoned bilingual, bicultural psychiatric nurse practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in the field of mental health and substance use disorders.

Maria has a strong background in crafting and executing multidisciplinary strategies to address substance use in various settings. Recognizing health disparities in substance use, she continues to lead efforts to address stigma within healthcare settings and the greater community. Her approach to patient care is driven by delivering quality, compassionate care. Maria received a master’s in nursing from Regis College, a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s in psychology from Westfield State College.

Ashley Perry is the deputy director of Project Weber/RENEW, Rhode Island's largest peer based harm reduction and recovery organization. As a person with lived experience, she is a fierce harm reductionist and advocate, who believes and fights for the rights of people who use drugs. Ashley has developed many of the programs at Project Weber/RENEW including launching the Pawtucket site during COVID-19 that currently serves over 3,000 people a year. She was a leader in advocating for legislation to pass the pilot of the nation’s first-regulated Overdose Prevention Center.

She has also led many initiatives focusing on supporting sex workers and leads the State’s International Overdose Awareness Day annual statewide naloxone distribution. Additionally, she is the founding member of the Rhode Island drug user advisory board and is committed to using her voice to dismantle systematic barriers and inequities that affect both her and the people she serves.

Noel Vest, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. His research interests include mental health, substance use disorders, and addiction recovery. As a formerly incarcerated scholar, Dr. Vest is an advocate for social justice issues and public policy concerning substance use disorder recovery and prison reentry.

He received his PhD in Experimental Psychology from Washington State University. He completed a NIDA T32 postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pain Medicine at Stanford University.

Paul Alves is the Founder of Choice Recovery Coaching, Inc, a non profit organization dedicated to Coaching Recovery across the continuum of care and systems alike. He has been developing the Peer Recovery Workforce  across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond focusing on Wellness Recovery Oriented Systems (WROS) in order to diminish stigma while enhancing systems efforts and multiplying community wellness.

Mr. Alves is a person in Recovery from Substance Use Disorder, Food Addiction and Mental Health affliction. With a positive attitude and contemporary perspective, he believes that all individuals have the ability to recover as they define it.

For over two decades, Ramona Rivera-Reno has been a driving force in supporting the reintegration of justice-involved individuals. As the Executive Director of Reentry and Recovery Programs at MassHire Holyoke, a career center serving Hampden County in Western Massachusetts, she has spearheaded innovative initiatives by fostering strong partnerships with the criminal justice system, community organizations, and employers.

Ramona launched the Recovery Ready Workplace (RRW) initiative in Western Massachusetts, aiming to expand its reach across the state. The RRW program provides employers with essential resources and education to support employees in recovery from substance use disorders. She also developed the Recovery Ready Employment

Specialist (RRES) training, a comprehensive program that equips professionals with the expertise needed to assist individuals navigating the complexities of recovery and employment.

Ramona holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice and is a certified Offender Workforce Development Specialist (O.W.D.S.). Her commitment to creating pathways to employment and fostering recovery has made a lasting impact on communities across Massachusetts.

Charmaine Lastimoso is a Certified Addictions RN - Advanced Practice and Nurse Practitioner practicing at the DFCI Adult Palliative Care outpatient clinics. Her previous addiction clinical practice was focused on transitional care at Faster Paths to Treatment, BMC's urgent care center expediting access to medications to support recovery. She is passionate about exploring the intersections between palliative care and addiction medicine to broaden the scope of her practice, utilizing skillsets from both disciplines, to improve patient access to and experience of oncologic treatment and Palliative Care.

Calla Harrington is a public health social worker specializing in clinical social work and social epidemiology.  She is a clinical supervisor at Behavioral Health Network’s Opioid Treatment Programs in Greenfield and Orange, Mass., where she enjoys facilitating inclusive and meaningful reflection with clients and staff to improve functioning and better align behaviors with values.

Amanda Tower is the Grant Project Coordinator for MassAbility for the Beyond Bridges: Brain Injury and Behavioral Health Grant. As part of this work, Amanda oversees the implementation of the online brain injury screening and support system throughout the state. This work includes leading and participating in events to educate professionals about brain injury, potential risk, and co-occurring populations. 

Al Ortiz is a man in recovery and a certified recovery coach with seven years of experience working in the addiction field. As the program manager of Recovery Support Services at the Holyoke Health Center, he is privileged to work in the same community in which he lives, and to identify himself as part of the population he serves. As a father and advocate for his community, he is passionate about educating others, and considers it a gift to wake up each day excited to support and inspire change within his community.

Jon Soske is the systems of care fellow of the Rhode Island School of Design Center for Complexity and a research associate at the Brown University Health Division of Addiction Medicine. Jon is also a person in long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. He utilizes ethnography and community-engaged research strategies to understand the unfolding systems crisis in the fields of mental health and substance use disorder treatment. His research has appeared in Health & Justice, JAMA Network Open, International Journal of Drug Policy, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, and Progress in Community Health Partnerships. He is currently the co-investigator and senior qualitative researcher on a Centers for Disease Control-funded study of the Rhode Island Hospital Community Health Worker/Peer Specialist Emergency Department program.

Previously, Jon served as director of research for the Rhode Island Transitions Clinic, part of a national network of primary care clinics that support formerly incarcerated patients. He also worked on the team that opened Rhode Island's first drop-in substance use disorder clinic, Addiction Care Today. He has delivered trainings on stigma, harm reduction, peer recovery support, and recovery science at many schools, universities, and organizations. Jon has also worked as a peer recovery specialist in numerous settings and collaborated with College Unbound to develop a degree track for peer recovery specialists that grants college credits for professional and lived experience.

Johnny Franchio is a leader within his recovery community and serves as a certified peer specialist and a recovery coach at Riverside Community Care. His lived experience with long-term substance use and mental health recovery allows him to genuinely connect with and support those in his professional and personal life. Through his experiences working with peers at various stages of recovery, and through his commitment to continuous learning, Johnny fosters holistic support for those he cares for. Johnny is a dedicated husband, father, and member of his community. 

Heidi DiRoberto is the regional executive director for Spectrum Health Systems’ Outpatient Division. Heidi oversees the central region, which includes Spectrum’s largest opioid treatment program (OTP), Spectrum’s first mobile unit, as well their rapid access Hub and Spoke program. Along with her team, Heidi has operationalized methadone delivery to skilled nursing facilities in the Worcester area and developed pharmacy access and delivery of naloxone in the OTP. Heidi specializes in substance use disordered treatment, grief and loss, trauma informed care, and cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapies.

Ryan Walker is the assistant director of quality assurance and licensing at the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS). He has been vital in the development of the licensing process for mobile opioid treatment programs in Massachusetts. Ryan has been with the Department of Public Health for 10 years. He has previously served as the director of the Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration, as a quality improvement analyst with the Board of Health Professions Licensure, and as a program specialist with the Massachusetts Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.

Ryan holds a master’s in public administration from UMass Boston and a bachelor’s from Westfield State University.

Jeff Baxter, MD is a physician board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Spectrum Health Systems, Inc.

Deirdre Calvert has been the director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services since April 2019. Prior to that, she worked for more than 25 years as a clinical director and social worker in the Massachusetts substance use disorder system, including opiate treatment programs, residential treatment programs, and office-based opioid treatment programs. Deirdre is also a teaching associate at Boston University School of Social Work and School of Public Health. She holds a master’s in social work from Boston University.

John Sánchez is an artist and recovery coach dedicated to exploring themes of resilience, identity, and community. John brings a unique perspective to creative work, using both photography and drawing to shed light on marginalized voices. With a deep commitment to healing and transformation, he supports individuals in recovery while continuing to push artistic boundaries. John is a graduate of Tufts University.

Claudia Muradian-Brubach is the total rewards director at Behavioral Health Network (BHN). In this role, she oversees benefits, compensation, and the Human Resources Service Center, which is the team responsible for running Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) for new hires, transfers, and when offenses have been reported. The HR Service Center runs about 700 CORIs per year at BHN.

Claudia has worked in the human resources field for nearly 30 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in human resources from the University of Massachusetts and a master’s in management from American International College. She has held her certification as a professional in human resources since 1997.

Audrey Clairmont serves as the chief operating officer of North Suffolk Community Services. In this role, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization and oversees all clinical programming, including behavioral health, substance use, developmental disabilities and recovery services for individuals of all ages. Audrey served in direct care with adults and youth with substance use disorders, mental health issues, and disabilities for more than 10 years before moving into leadership roles. 

She earned a master’s in social work from the University of New Hampshire and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Keene State University. Audrey is also a graduate of the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Program.

Alexandria Kearns has served as a program coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) since 1999. Alex is the business lead for the BSAS’s eLicensing System, the system of record for licensed substance use disorder programs and alcohol and drug counselors. She oversees the Quality Assurance and Licensing (QAAL) Unit’s Alcohol and Drug Counselor Licensing Unit, reviews and approves the addiction education programs that provide license-eligible educational hours to those on their path to licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) eligibility, and routinely interfaces with the BSAS’s workforce unit to identify potential training needs. 

In addition to this work, Alex reviews new substance use disorder organization suitability submissions, works with the QAAL compliance team on LADC complaint investigations, and participates on the development of recovery coach licensure regulations.  Alex has also been part of the DPH’s hiring review committee for more than 10 years and is committed to ensuring that candidates are reviewed fairly and with respect to ensure the best possible outcomes for those receiving substance use disorder services in Massachusetts. Alex holds with a legal studies degree from the University of Massachusetts.

Jen Miller is the director of grants and innovation at the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She has more than a decade of experience in substance use disorder treatment, mental health counseling, and harm reduction.  As a Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Jen is dedicated to advocating for Indigenous cultural practices around substance use disorders and mental health care to be accepted and integrated into Western medicine.  Jen received her master’s in mental health counseling and behavioral medicine from the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Kristin Parent is the program director of the Stimulant Treatment and Recovery Team (START) clinic at Boston Medical Center, which provides treatment for patients with stimulant use disorder. As a licensed mental health counselor, she also provides group therapy to patients involved in the program. As part of the Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance team, she provides training and technical assistance to three other programs in Massachusetts implementing the START model into their sites. Kristin earned a master’s in mental health counseling and behavioral medicine from the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and a bachelor’s in psychology from The Pennsylvania State University.

Megan Hudson is a clinical nurse educator with Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Boston Medical Center. She previously worked as a nurse care manager in the Stimulant Treatment and Recovery Clinic (START) clinic at Boston Medical Center, integrating harm reduction, infectious disease treatment, medical addiction groups, and co-management of stimulant use disorders and mental health conditions.

Her clinical expertise includes harm reduction, low barrier treatment, complex care management, and early identification and management of acute and persistent stimulant-induced psychosis.  She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s in nursing from Regis College.

Justin is a clinical nurse educator with Boston Medical Center's (BMC) Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance, a Family Nurse Practitioner in General Internal Medicine at BMC, and co-medical director of BMC’s Stimulant Treatment and Recovery Team (START) clinic. Justin earned a master’s in nursing from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, a Post-Master's Family Nurse Practitioner certificate from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and is certified as a Certified Addiction Registered Nurse through the Addictions Nursing Certification Board.

Gabriel Quaglia is the direct service provider program coordinator at Support After a Death by Overdose, delivering support, such as training and support groups, to direct service providers experiencing grief and loss. Gabriel is also the servant director for Folding Chair Project, an organization that seeks to empower people and engage in advocacy and education within their community.

Gabriel has worked since 2016 as a certified community health worker in service delivery, program development, harm reduction, substance use disorder treatment programs, and peer grief support. As a person in long term recovery, they have worked for more than 12 years in advocacy and direct action. Gabriel has also worked as a labor organizer, bargaining committee member, and union steward, and is currently a proud member of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Richard Zombeck is a person in long-term recovery and has worked in the recovery field for more than a decade. He is a recovery coach, supervisor, and program manager at Bridgewell, Mass General Brigham, and Lynn Community Health Center. Richard created and curates the RecoveryBinder.com website and hosts the “Buds with Suds” podcast. In a past life, Richard was a published journalist and worked in the tech industry. He continues to write and advocate for people in recovery, the recovery curious, and those working in the field

Dallas Clark is the founder and director of Cultivating Better Minds. He is also a certified addiction recovery coach, has completed the Black addiction counselor education program, and is working on his community health worker certification. Dallas is also a volunteer mentor for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department. He comes with lived experience of the lifestyle of the streets. Dallas's transformation started once he gave his life to God.

After Dallas was released from jail in 2017, he became active in his community, supporting others in the challenges and barriers he once faced and overcame. In 2023, he started Cultivating Better Minds, where he continues to serve others in the community. He also leads the prison ministry of Restoration City Church in Springfield, Mass., where he has been teaching a 12-week curriculum since 2022 called “Freedom” in the jail where he was once a resident. Dallas is also the founder of Men with Purpose, an outreach program. He is currently pursuing a bachelor's in human services and hopes to earn a master’s in social work.

Edwin Suarez is a system navigator and housing specialist for the Crossroads 2 Program in Palmer, Mass. Edwin is a person in long-term recovery and became a recovery coach in 2018. He is a recovery coach for a Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) team in Worcester and a recovery coach professional facilitator. Edwin is also a member of the peer steering committee for the Recovery Education Collaborative. Previously, he was a member of the Springfield Public Health Council for the City of Springfield, Mass. Edwin has been part of the opiate task force for both western and central Massachusetts and is part of the lived experience group in Worcester. He is a graduate of the Latinx American Substance Abuse Counselor Education Program and was selected to be part of the LEAP 8 for the Board of Governors Stepping Up Initiative.

Athena Haddon is the executive director of peer services and recovery supports at Spectrum Health Systems. She has more than 30 years of lived experience in addiction recovery and is a dedicated advocate for individuals in recovery. In her current role, Athena leads initiatives designed to empower those in recovery by providing the essential resources and support they need to rebuild their lives and achieve lasting wellness. Athena remains deeply committed to the power of peer support and the creation of inclusive, supportive recovery communities.

Athena has been recognized with several awards for her leadership, including the SAMHSA Voice Consumer Peer Leader Award, the Worcester Woman of Consequence Award, and the Association for Behavioral Health (ABH) Moe Armstrong Award for Peer Leadership. Athena has a bachelor’s degree from Springfield College.

Sarah Lotsfoff works with the Tufts Harm Reduction Education for Alcohol and Drugs (THREAD) initiative and is a Collegiate Recovery Leadership Academy fellow with the Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic (SAFE) Project. Sarah is a senior at Tufts University studying philosophy and Italian.

Drew Corcoran has been sober since July 20, 2023. He is a member of the recovery community at Boston College, where he is junior.

After a 15-year hiatus from educational pursuits, Johnny Smith rediscovered his passion for learning and education and is now a doctoral student in sociology at Harvard University. While at the University of California, Berkeley, Johnny became empowered by his own lived experience of being incarcerated to research mass incarceration, mass probation, and, specifically, the occupational duality among probation officers.

Danielle O’Brien is the director of recovery services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. She leads the Recovery Support Services Unit and supports the integration of recovery services throughout the substance continuum of care and beyond. She has played a crucial role in the strategic planning, expansion and implementation of recovery support services throughout Massachusetts, including the statewide network of 39 peer recovery support centers.

Danielle previously worked at the Gavin Foundation in South Boston, where she supported the development of the Devine Recovery Center and served in many roles. Danielle is guided by a mission to ensure all communities throughout the commonwealth have access to quality recovery services, a well-trained peer support workforce, and a strong, vibrant recovery community. Danielle holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Suffolk University and completed the addiction counselor education program at the University of Massachusetts.

Bruce Curliss (also known as Star) is a proud citizen of the Hasanamisco Nipmuc Band. He serves as the Community Advocate for the Hasanamisco Band’s “Nukkone Mayash” (the old ways) and the Waterways Advocate. A lifelong learner, observer, writer, and public speaker, his approach is rooted in Eastern Woodland traditions, blending ancestral knowledge with modern expression.

With over 30 years of experience in tribal governance, youth development, and economic initiatives, Bruce serves on several boards that benefit various causes, from youth programs to water protection, and is a strong advocate for Blue Mind, promoting the healing power of water.

Tania DiDuca is currently the chief of staff at South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) with over 20 years of experience in housing and human services.  She was previously the director for the Rental Assistance Program at SMOC, where she managed federal and state rental vouchers for individuals and families. 

 Specializing in affordable housing, Tania uses her experience to create and implement innovative programs that address the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis in Massachusetts.  Under Tania’s leadership, SMOC recently launched a medical respite program and in July, SMOC will open its second modular housing development.  Both programs are located in Worcester and are specifically targeted for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Andrea is a longstanding member of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band and currently resides in Cranston, Rhode Island. Andrea is an accomplished registered nurse with over 35 years of leadership experience in long term care, short term rehabilitation, and labor, and delivery. She is currently employed as a nursing staff educator and support infection preventionist. She has certification in Gerontology, Infection Prevention, Wound Care, and Dementia Care Training. She has presented at the Leading Age National Conference on a non-pharmacological approach to help prevent urinary tract infections. Andrea also was a founder of the Sickle Cell Family Support Group at Rhode Island Hospital, giving families a voice in the treatment of their loved ones.

Andrea believes that disparities in health care should not exist, that Nipmucs and other minorities have a seat at the table. Thus, an area of focus in her teaching is person centered care and cultural sensitivity and the difference it makes in the healing process. Andrea is currently the coordinator for Squaonipmug Waantook Women’s Group and is on the board for the Nipmuc Cultural Preservation. Her area of responsibility as a sub-chief is Tribal Health & Wellness.

Jodie Chapdelaine's extensive career in nursing, particularly in postpartum care, highlights her commitment to supporting families during some of the most significant moments of their lives. Additionally, her advocacy work for people with disabilities as well as a focus on literacy reflects a deep passion for equity and empowerment, while her involvement in the Worcester Elementary Schools Library Coalition showcases her dedication to education and community growth.

Elizabeth Addison is an award winning multi-hyphenate whose work exists at the intersection of recovery and the performing arts. She has written three musicals inspired by her recovery journey, one of which, “Chasing Grace,” is set to have an Off-Broadway run in 2025/26.

Elizabeth is a creative recovery coach, story coach and trauma informed facilitator with The Meghann Perry Group where she facilitates Recovery Storytelling, Embodied Storytelling and Embodied Songwriting workshops.  She is also a consultant for The Opioid Response Network (ORN) and The Grayken Center at Boston Medical Center where she is also their Resident Artist.

Elizabeth travels the world giving talks on the role creativity, play, music and theatre has in recovery, and as a person who understands the power of the Arts to heal, connect, empower and change hearts and minds, Elizabeth is thrilled to present some of her musical, “This is Treatment,” at the “Together For Hope” conference. Follow Elizabeth’s journey at Elizabethspeaks.com

Stacey Lynch, is the Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Services at BSAS with over 18 years of experience serving youth and families with mental health and substance use disorders. Stacey earned her Bachelor’s in Social Work at the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s in Social Work at Simmon’s University.

In the years prior to joining BSAS, Stacey worked at non-profit organizations providing case management to children in Intensive Foster Care; Therapeutic Mentoring for the Child Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI); providing clinical services and eventually becoming the Program Director at a youth detoxification and stabilization unit; and finally, overseeing statewide Youth and Young Adult Training and Capacity building and outpatient Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA) treatment for youth and families.

Stacey is most proud of her work reducing barriers youth and families experience in accessing co-occurring treatment, working to start a CBHI Program for youth in need of SUD specific care, growing community -based intervention and treatment programs for underserved youth, and participating on a team to develop a drug education curriculum called iDECIDE.

Dr. Randi Schuster is an associate professor at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and the Director of School-Based Research and Program Development at the MGH Center for Addiction Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and has published and presented widely on adolescent substance use and its co-morbidities.

Dr. Schuster’s current program of research focuses on explicating the course of neurocognitive recovery following cannabis discontinuation, defining risk for adverse drug effects among adolescents with co-occurring psychopathology, elucidating the acute and residual effects of cannabis and other substance use on depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and evaluating the efficacy of novel behavioral and pharmacotherapy treatment options for adolescent substance use.

Through her program of state- and federally-funded school-based prevention research, she is also active in collaborative work to develop and test best practice school-level early interventions to minimize the population-level impact of substance use on student health and well-being. Her training in community-based research is reflected in extensive ties with over 400 middle and high schools across Massachusetts, including annual mental health surveillance of nearly 100,000 students across the Commonwealth most recently published this year in JAMA Pediatrics.

Rebecca Butler, MSc, MSW, LCSW, is a leader in adolescent behavioral health policy with extensive expertise in program development, financing, and system redesign. Currently serving as the Associate Director of School-Based Research and Program Development at the MGH Center for Addiction Medicine, she directs high-impact projects to improve behavioral health in school and community settings, focusing on increasing access for minoritized populations.

Previously, as Deputy Director of Youth & Family Services at MassHealth, the state Medicaid authority, Rebecca led initiatives that enhanced access to mental health services for children and families. Her career highlights include managing a $19M portfolio at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where she expanded adolescent substance use intervention sites from 4 to 47 statewide. A champion for equity, Rebecca founded the Racial Equity Advisory Board at MADPH BSAS, and a Green Care Advisory Board to integrate innovative therapeutic approaches, including care farming, outdoor behavioral health, and equine-facilitated therapy.

Rebecca presents nationally, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration expert panel on adolescent substance use prevention policy and opioid use among adolescents. Recognized with the 2023 Medicaid Directors Award for fostering inclusive team cultures, Rebecca remains dedicated to driving transformative change in behavioral health through her unwavering commitment to equity, evidence-based practices, and innovative solutions

Amie Shei is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, a health conversion foundation based in Worcester. The Health Foundation’s mission is to improve the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts, with a focus on vulnerable populations and unmet needs.  Through its grantmaking, advocacy, and thought leadership, The Health Foundation seeks to advance health equity in the Central Massachusetts region and beyond.  Amie also serves on the board of the Children’s Trust, Health Care for All, Health Equity Compact, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Philanthropy Massachusetts, and the Worcester Regional Research Bureau.

Julie Burns is the founding executive of RIZE Massachusetts. She leads the foundation’s work researching, investing in, and expanding evidence-based treatment solutions, as well as building coalitions across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors to end the opioid overdose epidemic in Massachusetts.

Previously, Julie was a Senior Director at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation overseeing communication strategy, strategic planning, and administration. Prior to this work, Julie worked for former Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino in several key roles. Julie also served as a member of the City of Boston’s Office of Recovery Services Substance Use Prevention Advisory Board under former Mayor Marty Walsh and was appointed as a member of the Commission on Methamphetamine Use by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker in October 2021. She also serves her community on several nonprofit boards and commissions.

Julie received her Bachelor’s in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, has a graduate certificate in public relations from Emerson College, and has completed senior executive programs at Babson University, Bentley University, and the Harvard Kennedy School. 

Megan MacDavey is a Program Officer at the Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation, where she brings her background in nonprofit programming, management, and fundraising to her role. Megan is passionate about incorporating the perspectives and feedback of grant partners and young people into the foundation’s work. This includes supporting a diversity, equity, and inclusion learning network and a participatory grantmaking initiative that places young people with lived experiences in decision-making roles.

  Megan received her master’s in social administration with a focus on community development from Case Western Reserve University, and her bachelor’s in sociology from the State University of New York College at Geneseo. 

Dr. Jessie Calihan is a pediatrician who specializes in the care of adolescents with concerning substance use. She attended medical school at Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons before completing the Urban Health Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and fellowships in pediatric addiction medicine and adolescent medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is now a General Academic Pediatrics Fellow at Boston Medical Center, where she sees adolescent patients for primary and substance use care.  

Dr. Abita Raj is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the UMass Chan Medical school/ UMass Memorial Medical Center. She received her medical degree from ROSS University School of Medicine, completed her general psychiatry residency training, and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UMass Chan Medical School. She is board-certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry.  She is the Medical Director of UMASS Memorial Health- Community Healthlink, child division and the Director of UMASS Chan Medical School Student Counseling Services.  Dr. Raj has a strong interest in providing addiction treatment to adolescents.  She is focused on collaboration nationally and locally to help create and support systems of care for families and children struggling with substance abuse.  Additionally, in her role as the Director of Student Counseling she is focused on providing inclusive care and partnering with the school to improve students’ wellbeing.

Cedric Woods is a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He combines more than a decade of tribal government experience with a research background and has served as the director of the Institute for New England Native American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston since 2009. The institute's purpose is to connect Native New England tribes with university research, innovation, and education. In his role as director, Cedric is working on projects with tribes in the areas of tribal government capacity building, Indian education, economic development, and chronic disease prevention.

Prior to this work, Cedric completed a study on the evolution of tribal government among the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and served in a variety of capacities for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Cedric has also served as a consultant for the National Museum of the American Indian, the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina, and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Plimoth Plantation, in Plymouth, Mass. Cedric has a doctorate degree from the University of Connecticut.

Teri Aronowitz is a professor and associate dean of Research & Innovation in the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School. Her seminal contribution has been to advance the science of evidence-based care for sexual health promotion and healthy adolescent development. Teri has completed more than a dozen community-based participatory action projects, collaborating with African American, Asian American, and Native American families to promote health and adolescent development free of negative risk behaviors. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of the violence prevention expert panel.

Dr. Davida M. Schiff is a general academic pediatrician, addiction medicine physician, and health services researcher focused on improving care for families impacted by substance use disorder (SUD). She is the director of Perinatal and Family-based SUDs Care at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and is an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. In her role at MGH, she founded the HOPE Clinic, a multidisciplinary program caring for pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorder and their families from the time of conception through the first two years postpartum.

Dr. Schiff completed her undergraduate training at Columbia University, medical training at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, pediatrics residency in the Boston Combined Residency Program at Boston Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital, general pediatrics research fellowship at Boston Medical Center, and master’s program in health services research from the Boston University School of Public Health. Her research has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Addiction.

Autaquay Peters-Mosquera is enrolled in the PhD nursing program at the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School. She was awarded a Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing pre-doctoral minority fellowship. Her research focuses on missing and murdered indigenous women and violence prevention. Autaquay holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in business administration.

Chyla Bingham-Hendriks is enrolled in the PhD nursing program at the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School. She was awarded a Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing pre-doctoral minority fellowship. Her research focus is substance misuse and corresponding policies related to treatment focusing on the Native American population. Chyla holds a bachelor’s in nursing from UMass Boston.

Laura Sternberger is the director of Pregnant and Parenting Women’s Services at the Institute for Health and Recovery, and director of the Massachusetts Moms Do Care program. Moms Do Care is a statewide program designed to provide multidisciplinary, peer-led, recovery-oriented, wraparound support for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting people with a history of substance use.

Laura is a seasoned clinician with more than 36 years in the field working with individuals, families, and children. She is also a nationally known public health leader who specializes in the planning, development and implementation of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented health care initiatives designed to support both clients and providers.

Telyia Prescott is the communications and provider support coordinator for the Institute for Health and Recovery and the Massachusetts Moms Do Care program. She has been working in the human services field for more than 13 years, and joined the Institute for Health and Recovery and Moms Do Care in 2017. Her work with Moms Do Care is focused on improving connections and collaboration among the 11 program sites, and on developing strategies to improve the impact and accessibility of the model in communities of color.

Telyia began her career providing direct service, working with adults with intellectual disability in several residential settings and providing case management and housing support to people experiencing homelessness at a shelter program in Virginia. Telyia also works as a private consultant for educators around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Marie Kiely was the manager of the chronic disease epidemiology and injury prevention programs, as well as the manager of several maternal and child health projects over her 25-year career in the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services. Marie’s son attended four rehab facilities that unfortunately did not provide evidence-based alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment and she and her family received outdated and harmful “tough love” advice from alcohol and drug counselors and rehabs. She believes her son would be alive if she had known then what she has learned since his death about AUD and treatment.

Marie believes providers have a role in helping families of patients with AUD to understand stigma, the seriousness of AUD, and that there is effective evidence-based treatment available beyond 12-step approaches. She advocates to improve AUD treatment and educate the public.

Cheryl is the proud mom of three sons: Robert, Sean, and Corey. In 2011, Corey died of an overdose at age 23. At the time, Cheryl didn’t know anyone with a child who had died, let alone from an overdose. For the next two and a half years, she and her family grieved alone. Then she received an invitation to meet other mothers who had lost a child from an overdose. It was then that she knew how much grieving parents—parents whose child had died from substance use disorder—needed one another. In 2015, Cheryl founded Team Sharing - MA, a support group where parents meet and support one another. She has since started chapters in 25 other states that do the same, including the national chapter, TEAM SHARING.  

Cheryl’s grief, though it does not define her, has inspired her to reach every family that is grieving from the loss of their child through addiction. In 2021, Cheryl also lost her son Sean to the disease of addiction. Cheryl has dedicated her life’s work to raising awareness about the disease of addiction and helping end the stigma that comes with it.

Annmarie Pagliano is the associate program officer at RIZE Massachusetts Foundation. In this role, she manages grantmaking and programmatic activities spanning RIZE’s diverse portfolios, including facilitating learning initiatives and engaging community partners, subject matter experts, and people with lived experience. Annmarie previously worked with Disability Rights Fund, Tides Foundation, and The Atlantic Philanthropies, spearheading grant programs seeking criminal justice reform and protecting human rights.

Annmarie was also part of the team at Social Change Initiative in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she designed and directed a multimillion-dollar grantmaking program to enhance the communications capacity of NGOs welcoming migrants across Europe. She is committed to uniting diverse stakeholders around common goals, forging partnerships across sectors, and applying learning. Before her career in philanthropy, she was a performing artist and teacher. Annmarie holds a bachelor’s from Middlebury College and an MFA from The New School in New York City.

Magda Colon currently serves as regional manager at Learn to Cope, supporting Spanish-speaking communities affected by substance use disorders. She is a master overdose prevention trainer, and she developed a specialized overdose prevention training incorporating CPR and first aid for families. Magda has lived experience as a loved one of someone affected by addiction and mental illness, fostering her deep commitment to compassionate, evidence-based solutions. Magda has a bachelor’s degree in multicultural community health education and is a certified CPR and first aid Instructor.

Miriam King has lived through the devastation of addiction. Her husband struggled with alcohol use disorder and died of alcohol-related causes at 49. She has also watched other family members struggle with addiction. King, formerly a public educator, decided to use her heartbreaking life experience to become a recovery coach. “This is truly a calling, not a job,” she said. “I have seen what the disease does to those addicted and their families, and I know how important it is to have an ally to say, ‘There is help for you. You are a beautiful, worthy human being and you are not alone. I am on your side, and I am here for you.’ Maybe if I had heard those words said to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t have suffered as much.”

Drawing from their own experience, strength and hope, recovery coaches help those in recovery navigate their journey and support them in making the next best steps. King underwent hundreds of hours of training and preparation for her state exam to become a certified addictions recovery coach through the Massachusetts Board of Substance Abuse Counselor Certification. She is also a Massachusetts certified peer specialist

Dr. Christopher Shanahan is a board-certified primary care physician in internal and addiction medicine. He currently serves as the medical director of the Massachusetts Consultation Service for Treatment of Addiction and Pain, while his additional roles include Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Formerly the medical director of Mattapan Community Health Center, he has practiced as a primary care internist for more than 30 years.

Dr. Shanahan has over 20 years of experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator, focusing on substance use disorders (SUDs), particularly opioid addiction. He has treated SUD patients in various settings, including outpatient, inpatient consults, and methadone maintenance programs. Dr. Shanahan is experienced in the ambulatory treatment of chronic pain with evidence-based opioid prescribing. He has significant expertise in clinical and research information technology to enhance SUD treatment systems.

Jonna Hopwood is an experienced clinician with more than 30 years of professional experience at a variety of community-based organizations, with a focus on the treatment of substance use and co-occurring disorders. She has been passionate about advocating for and protecting client rights throughout her career. Jonna currently serves as the vice president for Addiction Treatment Services at the Association for Behavioral Healthcare. Most recently, she was the Compliance and Privacy Officer for Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services, where she managed all aspects of the compliance and privacy program and effectively promoted a culture of integrity.

Previously, she was the director of Addiction Services at Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) where she served as the subject matter expert related to addiction and worked collaboratively with stakeholders including MassHealth, the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, and treatment providers to ensure the ongoing implementation of evidence based treatments, to expand access to services, and to support care coordination and improved integration with primary care. She received her MSW from Boston College and her JD from New England School of Law.

Mae Fuller is an Apprentice OB Nurse, and the Doula Service Navigator for Moms Do Care EMPOWER (MDC-E) at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, MA. 

MDC-E is a pioneering program that provides peer-based, trauma-informed perinatal support for women with substance use disorder. MDC-E provides nonjudgmental care while working to address the systemic barriers facing rural families. In her role, she supports pregnant and postpartum women with home visiting, birth support, and care coordination alongside an interdisciplinary team. Mae is passionate about community-rooted solutions and ensuring that women in recovery are met with dignity and respect throughout the perinatal period. She is a future midwife and a proud advocate for harm reduction and woman-centered care. 

Elizabeth Quinn, MD, is board certified in family and addiction medicine. Liz is director of Addiction Services at Lynn Community Health Center in Lynn, MA where she also runs Marigold Team—an integrated primary care and addiction medicine team. In 2018, Liz helped to establish the Lynn Community Health Center Moms Do Care (MDC) program, a statewide DPH administered program that focuses on caring for pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorder.

MDC provides peer support services, prenatal care, addiction treatment, pediatric care, therapy and psychiatric treatment to pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders. The care is trauma informed, whole person, and comprehensive. The program's goal is to nurture healthy families and enhance our participants’ autonomy. To that end, Liz has facilitated clinic-community partnerships with legal partners as well as local early intervention and childcare providers. Liz is a full spectrum family doctor, meaning she attends births and rounds on newborns at MGB-Salem Hospital, where she is also the Chair of Family Medicine. At Tufts Medical School, Liz's teaching focuses on trauma informed care, structural competency, and physician advocacy.

Her most amazing role is as a mom—she has learned so much while parenting two young daughters!

Julia Reddy is a subject matter expert for the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and an affiliated researcher at the Children’s Data Network. She recently successfully defended her dissertation in the Maternal and Child Health Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School for International Public Health. Her dissertation, for which she was awarded an F31 fellowship from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, evaluated the performance of a discretionary child protection reporting policy for substance exposed births. Her research interests include families impacted by substance use disorders and intersections between families and public systems.

Previously, Julia served as the Women and Families Service Coordinator for BSAS at MDPH; in that role she focused on improving the structural design of addiction treatment and community-based service systems to better serve women, perinatal individuals, and families.

Juliana Scherer is a clinical social worker in the CATALYST Clinic at Boston Medical Center, where she provides treatment, case management and harm reduction services to adolescents and young adults who use substances. As a public health social worker, her work has focused on providing accessible, culturally responsive and trauma-informed care for youth and families who are under-served in traditional care models. She is a graduate of Boston University's Schools of Social Work and Public Health and completed her undergraduate education at Oberlin College.

Ashley Dortch is a clinical social worker in the CATALYST Clinic at Boston Medical Center, where she provides treatment, case management and harm reduction services to adolescents and young adults who use substances. Prior to working with CATALYST, she was the mental health court clinician with the BMC Jail Diversion Program. She graduated from Simmons University School of Social Work and has a master's in criminology from Florida State University.

Sarah Courtney is a state opioid response grant program coordinator at MDPH/BSAS and works with the funded Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Parenting programs among other projects. Her background includes training, residential substance use, outpatient substance use and inpatient psychiatric treatment. She is passionate about creating greater access to drug user health services, treatment, recovery, and healthcare for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting folks.

Josefa Scherer seeks to find inroads for critical public health approaches in her life and work. She engages with this as a member of her local and regional boards of public health, as a full-spectrum doula, and as part of a family farm in central Massachusetts. Josefa comes to us today as the program director for Moms Do Care-EMPOWER at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. An essential element of her role is supporting the work of full spectrum peer mentor doulas.

Additionally, she engages in regular outreach and training with various hospital and community partners and works on research and policy projects within Baystate Health/BFMC and across MDC sites. Josefa considers it a blessing and a challenge to bring her lived experience of being a parent in recovery to this role, and seeks to always maintain an MDC site with peer wisdom and the principles of recovery at its center.

With 14 years of experience in nursing, Lauren has spent her career focusing on supporting families in her community, taking special interest in families impacted by substance exposure. In 2015 Lauren joined the Substance Exposed Newborn Committee, taking on the role of facilitator in 2016 and expanding the group into what is now known as SENSE (Substance Exposed Newborns Southeast) Collaborative, bringing providers together across the region to improve the care of families impacted by substances. In 2019 Lauren joined Southcoast Health’s New Beginnings Program to pilot the role of Postpartum Care Coordinator, expanding services to mothers throughout 12 months postpartum.

Taking on the role of team leader in 2021, Lauren managed the Health Policy Commission’s C4SEN grant which allowed further expansion of the care team. New Beginnings became a Moms Do Care site in 2023, expanding services to support pregnant and parenting people impacted by all substances up to 3 years postpartum. Lauren was the recipient of the Eagle Leadership award in 2023 and her team was the honored to be recipients of the Perinatal Quality Improvement Network Hospital Team Award in 2024. Most recently Lauren saw her passion project come to life as she led the thoughtful design of the New Beginnings Moms Do Care’s first ever clinical location. This space now offers a cozy, welcoming atmosphere to host moms and their littles ones for casual Monday morning coffee breaks and weekly drop-in hours in addition to serving as the primary location for more formal meetings with participants and their care team.

Alicia is the director of Special Projects and Research for Boston Medical Center's (BMC) Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance program and BMC's Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program, overseeing all research and evaluation activities for both programs. Alicia has over 15 years of experience conducting public health and clinical research. She has spent the last decade focused exclusively on research, evaluation, and program development related to mitigating the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use, including the impact on affected family members.

Alicia is currently Principal Investigator of a qualitative study investigating the experience of affected family members. She is also Co-Investigator on a mixed-methods study examining perspectives of addiction treatment providers on working with family members. Alicia directs a harm reduction-focused educational program for family members affected by a loved one's substance use. She provides training and technical assistance to healthcare organizations on integration of the family into routine addiction care and is a board member of the Addiction and the Family International Network. Alicia has published on various topics, including reproductive health, HIV, alcohol, and drug use, and family members impacted by substance use. Alicia received her Master's in Community Public Health from New York University.