Community Drug Awareness Day: Bridging Public Health and Safety

As the overdose epidemic persists, comprehensive solutions are needed. Access to drug treatment and related services is improving, but many still go without receiving needed care. Barriers to treatment are especially acute for individuals lacking health insurance, reliable transportation, or a strong support network.

In the Greater Houston area, there are many dedicated professionals who successfully deliver patient care despite navigating these challenges daily. This conference brought together behavioral health providers, public health officials, law enforcement, and those with lived experience to discuss how to effectively bridge service delivery gaps and reduce drug-related harms in our community.

Against the backdrop of the national opioid settlement agreements, which guarantee substantial payments to the state of Texas and its localities, participants had the opportunity to explore these agreements’ implications and strategies for effectively utilizing resources to combat the overdose epidemic.

This conference was co-sponsored by the Baker Institute Drug Policy Program and the Houston Harris County Office of Drug Policy, and supported by the Houston Mayor’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, PaRC Prevention and Recovery Center, and Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse.

It was free and open to the public.

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Agenda

9:00 am	Welcome Remarks Johnny Bravo Master of Ceremony
9:05 am	Opening Remarks The Honorable David M. Satterfield Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy; Former Ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey The Honorable Julian Ramirez Council Member, At-Large Position 1, City of Houston The Honorable Brian Middleton District Attorney, Fort Bend County
9:30 am	Presentation — Drug Trends in The Greater Houston Area Daniel Comeaux Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration
10:30 am	Break
10:45 am	Presentation — Overdose Prevention Strategies Joy Alonzo, PharmD Clinical Assistant Professor, Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy
11:45 am	Lunch & Community Survey Katrina Gary-Forte, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer, Trade It In; Program Director, Houston Community College Dashiel Geyen, Ph.D. HHCODP Chair
12:45 pm	Panel I —Medically Assisted Treatment: Overcoming Barriers to Access Moderated by: Michael Weaver, M.D., Medical Director, Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction, UT McGovern Medical School Andrea Yatsco, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston; Associate Director, Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES) Kristen M. Clancy, PharmD Director, Houston Recovery Initiative; Opioid Abatement Strategist, Houston Recovery Center Alicia Kowalchuk, D.O. Medical Director, Santa Maria Hostel; Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
1:45 pm	Panel II — Treatment for Diverse Populations: Addressing Unique Patient Needs Moderated by: Katharine Neill Harris, Ph.D., Baker Institute for Public Policy Drew Dutton Chief Executive Officer, Phoenix House Texas Charlene Flash, M.D. President and CEO, Avenue360 Daryl Shorter, M.D. Medical Director, Menninger; Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
2:45 pm	Break
3:00 pm	Panel III — Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Integrated Response Strategies Moderated by: Lara Offenburger, Regional CEO - Texas Substance Use Division, Discovery Behavioral Health Deborah Drake Clinical Director, The Heights Treatment Sergeant Michael Pulido Mental Health Division, Houston Police Department
4:00 pm	Presentation — Texas Opioid Abatement Funds: Current Initiatives and Updates Doug Thornton, PharmD Associate Professor, University of Houston College of Pharmacy; Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
4:30 pm	Closing Remarks Helena Washington Market Access Director, Indivior; Immediate Past President, Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAAP) Houston Chapter Dashiel Geyen, Ph.D. HHCODP Chair