A National Event (9/27): From Pain to Promise – Addressing Opioids & Suicide in Communities Across America
Washington, DC (PRWEB) September 25, 2017 -- The United States is experiencing a drop in overall life expectancy for the first time in nearly 25 years, due in part to increases in two of the nation’s most heart-breaking and yet preventable public health challenges: the increasing rate of suicide and the increasing misuse of opioid drugs. This one-of-a-kind event will focus on what can be done on a community level to address these national crises. Public and private sector thought leaders will discuss potential solutions for reducing so-called “deaths of despair” – death by drugs, alcohol and suicide -- restoring hope, and saving lives in communities across the country. Our discussion comes in the wake of the Administration’s call to declare the opioid crisis a “national emergency” and on the eve of delivery of final recommendations of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
WHO:
- Dr. Alex Crosby, Senior Medical Advisor on Suicide Prevention, Division of Violence Prevention (DVP), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Dr. Arthur C. Evans, Chief Executive Officer, American Psychological Association
- Ms. Brooke Feldman, Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Advocate; Blogger, Huffington Post; Voice of Lived Experience
- Mr. Patrick Kennedy, Founder, The Kennedy Forum; Member, President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, Executive Committee Member, Action Alliance
- Mr. Gary Langis, Substance Abuse Prevention Consultant, EDC; Voice of Lived Experience
- Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Dr. Jerry Reed, Senior Vice President, EDC; Executive Committee Member, Action Alliance
- Ms. Kay Warren, Co-founder, Saddleback Church; Executive Committee Member, Action Alliance
WHEN: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 from 3:00-5:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Rotunda, North Tower, 8th Floor
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
RSVP: Media must RSVP to this event by emailing or calling Alison Cohen acohen(at)edc.org and/or Kimberly Torguson ktorguson(at)edc.org.
The event is hosted by Education Development Center (EDC) and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance).
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About The Kennedy Forum
Founded in 2013 by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.), The Kennedy Forum focuses on advancing evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in behavioral health. This is achieved through promoting public discourse in health and addiction issues, ensuring equal access for patients living with mental health and/or substance use disorders; and advancing prevention and treatment throughout the entire continuum of the healthcare delivery system. The Kennedy Forum’s collaborative partnerships help to foster greater provider accountability, integration and coordination, cutting-edge technologies, and brain fitness and health. The nonprofit organization publishes frequent issue briefs and is a repository of other educational resources on behavioral health parity issues. To learn more about The Kennedy Forum’s efforts to eradicate the stigma often associated with behavioral health, or to access related materials, visit http://www.thekennedyforum.org, http://www.paritytrack.org, and http://www.parityregistry.org.
Kim Torguson, The Kennedy Forum, http://www.thekennedyforum.org, +1 410-863-7301, [email protected]
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