Dauphin County Addictions Conference 2021 | Penn State Harrisburg

Social Connectedness in the Atmosphere of Social Distancing

May 11-12,2021
9:00 am - 3:45 pm
Location: Virtual via Zoom

PRESENTED BY

Dauphin County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services
Commissioners Jeff Haste, Mike Pries & George P. Hartwick III
AND
Penn State Harrisburg Continuing Education
Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research

Conference Schedule

*The workshops will be 1 hour and the plenary sessions will be 1.25 hours*

Day 1: May 11th, 2021
9:00–9:15am	Welcome and Opening Remarks (WHOLE GROUP) Kristin Varner, Director, Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol John M. Mason, Jr., PhD, Chancellor, Penn State Harrisburg Jeff Haste, Mike Pries, George J. Hartwick III, Dauphin County Commissioners
9:15–9:30am	Vendors – (WHOLE GROUP)
9:30–10:45am	Plenary Session (WHOLE GROUP) Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Overview Robert Rounce, Grace Kindt & Gail Yoder, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs This session will focus on providing attendees with an understanding of current programs and services provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Recovery and Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic Kristin Varner, Director, Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Programs This session will focus on providing an understanding of increased isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on those in recovery and treatment, and how to support social connectedness moving forward.
10:45–11:00am	BREAK
11:00–12:00pm	Workshop Session #1 The Pathway of an Epidemic: Current Drug Trends Vince Mercuri M.Ed., CADC, LPC, Executive Director, The Open Door of Indiana PA This session is focused on awareness of the current opiate epidemic from a current and historical perspective, as well as other current drug trends. Social Media and Vaping Kar-Hai Chu, PhD, Associate Professor, Center for Social Dynamics and Community Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh This session is focused on understanding the latest prevalence data on youth vaping, recognizing new vaping products, and identifying marketing tactics applied by vaping companies. Unintended Consequences of Criminalizing Substance Use During Pregnancy Sung W. Choi, PhD, Assistance Professor of Health Administration, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg This session is focused on exploring variation in state responses related to substance use during pregnancy, the impact of the Tennessee Fetal Assault Law on the number of out of state childbirths among Tennessee residents, and the unintended policy consequences of criminalizing substance use during pregnancy.
12:00–1:00pm	Lunch
1:00–1:15pm	Vendors (WHOLE GROUP)
1:15–2:15pm	Workshop Session #2 Gambling, Gaming and the Impact of COVID-19 Josh Ercole, Executive Director, Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc. This session is focused on understanding the factors included in the development of problematic gambling and gaming, prevalence rates and risk factors of disordered gambling, warning signs and how to address the issues, awareness of available local resources, the potential risks and overlap between gambling and gaming, and the impact the pandemic has had on gambling and gaming. Tobacco Control Public Policy: Become and Advocate Molly Pisciottano, MHA, Director of Advocacy for Pennsylvania & West Virginia, American Lung Association This discussion will focus on understanding current public policy related to tobacco control and e-cigarettes, how to be a tobacco control advocate and recognizing the necessity of linking policy and prevention efforts.
2:15–2:30pm	BREAK
2:30–3:30pm	Workshop Session #3 A Digital World: Youth, Technology, Social Media and Mental Health Ryan Klingensmith, LPC, NCC, Founder of Shape The Sky: Creating Responsible Kids on Smartphones This session is focused on understanding popular social media platforms and trends that are popular with youth, identifying behavioral uses of technology and social media that may be hidden from adults but that are actively being used by youth, and prevention practices and how to work with youth as a parent, educator or provider. Drugs of Abuse as False Messengers: The Opioids Kent E. Vrana, PhD, FAAAS, Elliot S. Vesell Professor & Chair of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine This session is focused on the relationship between drugs of abuse and natural brain messengers, how drugs of abuse change brain structure and function and understanding how addiction is a brain disease.
3:30–3:45pm	Closing

Day 2: May 12th, 2021
9:00–9:15am	Welcome and Opening Remarks (WHOLE GROUP) Kristin Varner, Director, Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Programs Jeff Haste, Mike Pries, George J. Hartwick III, Dauphin County Commissioners
9:15– 9:30am	Vendors – (WHOLE GROUP)
9:30–10:45am	Plenary Session (WHOLE GROUP) Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Programs Overview Kristin Varner, Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Programs This session will focus on providing attendees with an understanding of current programs and services provided by the Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Programs. Criminal Justice Advisory Board – Treatment Programs Update Catharine Kilgore, BA, Criminal Justice Advisory Board Administrator/Drug & Veterans Court Supervisor This session will focus on understanding the mission of the Dauphin County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, recent additions to treatment related programming and criminal justice case processing and veterans and drug court programs.
10:45–11:00am	BREAK
11:00–12:00pm	Workshop Session #4 Stigma in our State: Regional Results from a Statewide Opioid Stigma Survey Övgü Kaynak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology & Christopher Whipple, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Penn State Harrisburg This session is focused on the current state of opioid-related stigma (e.g., public, work, and stigma related to harm reduction strategies) and regional and state-wide strategies to address opioid-specific stigma. Gambling Disorder and Available Resources in PA Elizabeth Lanza, Director, Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board This session is focused on recognize signs and symptoms of Gambling Disorder, how to direct individuals with gambling problems to the PA helpline number and understanding the resources available in PA for individuals who have a gambling disorder.
12:00–1:00pm	Lunch
1:00–1:15pm	Vendors – (WHOLE GROUP)
1:15–2:15pm	Workshop Session #5 Open the Door to Recovery & Life Unites Us: Understanding Stigma Reduction Campaigns Weston Kensinger, PhD, CHES, Director, Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research, Associate Teaching Professor of Health Education, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Penn State Harrisburg & Kristin Varner, Director, Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Programs The discussion will focus on evidence-based practice surrounding reducing substance use disorder stigma and understanding effective components of two stigma reduction campaigns in PA. VAPE TALK/Facts About Tobacco Eric Rothermel, Program Director/PA-CCHW, Harrisburg Area YMCA Center for Healthy Living The discussion will focus on vaping and tobacco use. This includes new vaping and tobacco products on the market and tobacco control resources and programs available in PA.
2:15–2:30pm	BREAK
2:30–3:45pm	Plenary Session & Closing (WHOLE GROUP) What is Your Legacy? Frederick Shegog, Founder/CEO, The Message LLC As K-12 schools, institutions of higher learning, and communities find themselves impacted by the current drug and opioid epidemic, research provides an opportunity to equip educators, policymakers, and advocates with the necessary tools to use. This solution-oriented workshop emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and equity to address this growing mental health crisis. Closing Kristin Varner, Director, Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Programs

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