Opioid Policy Fellows 2018

3/15/2018

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Health Program

States are leading the way in efforts and innovative policies to address the opioid epidemic, which claimed more than 40,000 lives in 2016.

NCSL is pleased to facilitate the Opioid Policy Fellows program, designed to support legislators who are experienced or emerging leaders on opioid addiction and overdose issues.

The Opioid Policy Fellows Program is focused on health policies and programs being addressed by state legislatures across the country, including legislative trends and action, research and evidence, and other innovative topics and cost-effective strategies. The program is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In its first year, the program accepted 24 legislators, who are chairs of health-related committees in the legislatures of their home states. This page features information about the 2018 Opioid Policy Fellows program.

Representative Ivy Spohnholz, Alaska

Senator David Wilson, Alaska

Representative Heather Carter, Arizona

Representative Joann Ginal, Colorado

Representative David Bentz, Delaware

Representative Sharon Cooper, Georgia

Senator Rosalyn Baker, Hawaii

Representative John Mizuno, Hawaii

Representative Patricia Hymanson, Maine

Delegate Eric Bromwell, Maryland

Representative Denise Garlick, Massachusetts

Representative Joe Schomacker, Minnesota

Representative Keith Frederick, Missouri

Senator Merv Riepe, Nebraska

Assemblyman Michael Sprinkle, Nevada

Assemblyman Herb Conaway, New Jersey

Representative Deborah Armstrong, New Mexico

Senator Judy Lee, North Dakota

Representative Mike Ritze, Oklahoma

Senator Joshua Miller, Rhode Island

Representative Cameron Sexton, Tennessee

Representative Bradley Daw, Utah

Representative Ann Pugh, Vermont

Representative Eileen Cody, Washington

Kickoff Meeting: Building State Leadership

Meeting Location: Hyatt Centric | New Orleans, LA

The Opioid Policy Fellows program is designed to support legislators who are experienced or emerging leaders on opioid addiction and overdose issues. The kickoff meeting will set the stage for the work of the Opioid Policy Fellows and will provide issue content in a peer learning setting. The meeting goals include:

Build knowledge about new research and policy.
Exchange ideas and solutions related to opioid misuse and overdose, and related issues.
Meet and learn from other legislative leaders.
Connect with leading researchers and policy experts.
Identify practical information to use in your state and develop action steps.

Kickoff Meeting Agenda
Friday, Jan. 26, 2018
4-5 p.m.	Welcome This session will welcome the inaugural class of the Opioid Policy Fellows with an overview of the program and introductions of the Fellows. Speakers: Kate Blackman, NCSL Elizabeth Zurick, health policy analyst, Office of Policy and Partnerships, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Dinner Keynote: Setting the Stage The keynote will provide context and “set the stage” for the meeting. It will touch on current landscape of the opioid epidemic, including the history and burden of the crisis, and the misuse and changes in use of prescription drugs, fentanyl and heroin. Speaker: Amy Peeples, deputy director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-12 pages
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018
8-8:30 a.m.	Breakfast and Networking Participants will have the opportunity to informally network and discuss key topics in their home states.
8:30-8:45 a.m.	Welcome and Overview of the Day Kate Blackman, NCSL
8:45-9:45 a.m.	Preventing Opioid Misuse and Overdose This session will focus on strategies to prevent opioid misuse and overdose, including those that show evidence of effectiveness, such as prescription drug monitoring programs, prescribing guidelines and provider education. Moderator Kate Blackman, NCSL Speaker: Sarah Bacon, Ph.D., lead behavioral scientist, Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Team, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-6 pages
10:15 a.m.-Noon	Strategies to Prevent and Intervene Early This session will discuss state policies related to prevention and intervention, highlighting the differences across states as well as state examples of success. Moderator Margaret Wile, NCSL Speaker Sherry Green, CEO and manager, Sherry L. Green & Associates State Respondents Representative Bradley Daw, Utah Representative Denise Garlick, Massachusetts Assemblyman Mike Sprinkle, Nevada
Noon-1 p.m.	Lunch & “Table Talks” Over lunch, Fellows will continue the conversation and explore topics with their peers, asking questions and sharing their state’s successes. NCSL staff and subject matter experts will be available to provide additional information.
1-2:45 p.m.	Improving Access to Treatment & Recovery This session focus on access to care and state policy levers to improve service delivery and coverage across the continuum of care related to treatment and recovery. The conversation will discuss the issues that contribute to a lack of access to care as well programs and policies in the states. Moderator Karmen Hanson, NCSL Speakers Commander Karen Hearod, regional administrator, HHS Region VI, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-11 pages Robert I.L. Morrison, executive director, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-20 pages Kirsten Beronio, senior policy advisor for Behavioral Health Care, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-9 pages
3-3:45 p.m.	State Efforts to Facilitate Access to Services Building on the prior discussion, this session will feature legislators sharing their state’s efforts, successes and challenges to improve treatment and recovery supports. Moderator Kate Blackman, NCSL State Respondents Representative Cameron Sexton, Tennessee Senator Joshua Miller, Rhode Island Assemblyman Herb Conaway, New Jersey
3:45-4:45 p.m.	Federal Update: Considerations for State Policymakers This session will highlight potential federal policy changes and what they may mean for state policymakers. Speakers will discuss recent federal legislation and efforts as they pertain to opioid misuse prevention and treatment. Moderator Margaret Wile, NCSL Speaker Haley Nicholson, NCSL \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-2 pages
4:45-5:15 p.m.	Action Planning, Networking and Debrief
Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018
8-8:30 a.m.	Breakfast and Networking Participants will have the opportunity to informally network and discuss key topics in their home states.
8:30-10 a.m.	“SHO and Tell”: Dialogue with State Health Officials State health officials will discuss some of the efforts that they are taking in their states, including challenges and successes. State health officials and Fellows will have the opportunity to discuss issues in their own states and ask questions of each other. Moderator Karmen Hanson, NCSL Speakers Michael Fraser, Ph.D., executive director, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Dr. Jay Butler, chief medical officer, Department of Health and Human Services, Alaska Dr. Jeffrey D. Howard, Jr., acting commissioner, Department for Public Health, Kentucky Dr. Parham Jaberi, assistant secretary, Department of Health, Louisiana
10:15-11:15 a.m.	Looking Down the Road This session will focus on the opioid epidemic as a part of a larger addiction crisis and the ways that leaders in all sectors can approach and intervene in the crisis. Moderator Margaret Wile, NCSL Speaker Dr. Rochelle Head-Dunham, executive director/medical director, Metropolitan Human Services District, New Orleans
11:15-12:15 p.m.	Lunch, Action Planning and Reflection This session will wrap up with meeting with an opportunity to debrief and reflect, and share Fellows’ action steps to work on in the coming months. We will also discuss NCSL support and topics for upcoming events.

Second Meeting: Evidence and Innovations

Meeting Location: Warwick Hotel | Denver, Colorado

The Opioid Policy Fellows program is designed to support legislators who are experienced or emerging leaders on opioid addiction and overdose issues. The second meeting will continue the work of the Opioid Policy Fellows and will build learning in a peer setting. The meeting goals include:

Build knowledge about new research, policy and innovations.
Exchange ideas and solutions with other legislative leaders related to opioid misuse and overdose, and related issues.
Connect with leading researchers and policy experts.
Identify practical information to use in your state and expand or develop new action steps.

**Meeting Agenda**
Wednesday, June 13
1-1:45 p.m.	Lunch & Networking Over lunch, Fellows will reconnect with each other and discuss news, priority issues and state action with their peers.
1:45-2 p.m.	Welcome Speakers Kate Blackman, NCSL Martha King, NCSL Elizabeth Zurick, Office of Policy and Partnerships, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2-3 p.m.	Fellows Report Out This session will provide an opportunity for Fellows to share their challenges and successes since the last meeting. Fellows will provide updates on their action plans and share new developments in their states.
3-5:15 p.m.	Non-Traditional Partners: Criminal Justice System This session will focus on strategies with law enforcement and the criminal justice system, such as diversion and deflection, and innovations connecting health and criminal justice, as well as medication-assisted treatment and community resources for those facing addiction. Speakers Amber Widgery, NCSL \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-13 pages Senator Whitney Westerfield, Kentucky Craig Hannah, Opiate Intervention Court, New York \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-18 pages Respondents Senator Judy Lee, North Dakota Representative Eileen Cody, Washington Representative Brad Daw, Utah
6:15-8 p.m.	Dinner and Keynote: Brain Science & Addiction Over dinner, the keynote speaker will discuss the science behind addiction and participants will have the opportunity to explore the implications for policymakers. Moderator Kate Blackman, NCSL Speaker Joe Sakai, M.D., University of Colorado School of Medicine \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-21 pages
Thursday, June 14
8:30-8:45 a.m.	Welcome & Overview of the Day
8:45-10 a.m.	Creative Collaborations This session will feature Colorado’s collaborations across sectors with health, law enforcement and others. Speakers will share how they used data to focus efforts, and the successes and lessons learned. Moderator Karmen Hanson, NCSL Speakers Representative Joann Ginal, Colorado Robert Valuck, Ph.D., Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-20 pages José Esquibel, Office of Community Engagement, Office of the Attorney General, Colorado
10:15-11 a.m.	New Ideas, Next Steps & Networking This session will provide an opportunity for Fellows to share innovations in their states, and discuss ideas learned at the meeting as well as next steps.
11 a.m.-Noon	Opportunities & Possibilities This session will wrap up the meeting with a story of recovery and hope. Moderator Margaret Wile, NCSL Speaker Cortney Lovell, WRise Consulting \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-5 pages
12:15-1:30 p.m.	Optional Networking Lunch Fellows may choose to enjoy lunch together to continue the peer dialogue.
1:45 p.m.	Transition to National Meeting of State HHS Committee Chairs

Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 | 2 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. CT/ Noon MT/ 11 a.m. PT

Contact Kate Blackman for more informaiton.

Opioids & Early Adversity: Connecting Childhood Trauma and Addiction

Friday, April 6 | 2 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. CT/ Noon MT/ 11 a.m. PT

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events, such as abuse or neglect, that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being. This webinar will explore the connection between ACEs and the opioid epidemic. Speakers will discuss how ACEs can affect later substance misuse, including the intergenerational impacts on families. Experts and legislators will highlight potential policy options and innovative state strategies.