Check in for the conference at the designated table in the Harless Auditorium at Marshall University Medical Center. Masks will be required to enter the event.

Nashville-based author and speaker Trish Healy Luna co-wrote the nationally recognized children’s book, Timbi Talks about Addiction, which has been named a ‘promising practice’ by the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (NADEC). Trish wrote the first draft of this story more than 30 years ago for her then very young children, Nick, and Sami, as their father struggled with substance use disorder (SUD). A struggle that eventually took his life. Trish knows first-hand the shame, stigma, trauma, and chaos that comes from dealing with a loved one’s addiction which can impact generations to come. Trish holds a master’s degree in philosophy and ethics from Vanderbilt University and has a diverse professional background, but “Timbi Talks About Addiction” represents her life’s work.

Dr. Carol M. Smith is a nationally board certified Licensed Professional Counselor. She holds terminal degrees in Counselor education and in Biomedical Ethics. As Professor of Counseling, she coordinates Marshall University's Violence, Loss, and Trauma Certificate of Advanced Studies. She serves as Vice-President of the West Virginia ACES Coalition. She is Founding President of the International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling (IARTC). She has presented at the state, regional, national, and international levels since 1996. Her major research interests include grief, loss, and trauma counseling; the neurobiology of traumatic stress; creativity and resilience; and the intersection of biomedical ethics and the mental health needs of those navigating health care dilemmas.

Todd Davies, PhD, is the Associate Director of Research for the Division of Addiction Sciences at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Dr. Davies' background is diverse and includes time in the military, the creation and development of medical technology start-up companies (predominantly Pharmaceutical and Healthcare IT) before running a start-up himself, ADS Biotechnology, as its CEO. Eventually specializing in addiction research in Huntington, WV, his current research centers on identification of novel withdrawal symptoms in neonates and the links between maternal care and the consequences of in utero exposure to neuroactive substances. In particular, his research is centered on in utero exposure and trauma, as well as developing functional outcome measures for success in recovery from addiction. This research has led to the development of a community data platform with partners from across the Huntington, WV Tristate area, the West Virginia Community Addiction Data System (WV CAD), that links identifiable patient data from HIPAA and FERPA protected sources to provide a more comprehensive view of public health within the community. He has been instrumental in forming a number of community coalitions focused on addiction recovery and has experience in the development and implementation of clinical research trials of various sizes and design: with particular expertise in recruiting patients in Appalachia with substance use disorder.

Media/Press Event

Lunch on your own.

There will be three breakout sessions for attendees to choose from:

1) Birth To Three

2) School-Age Interventions

3) Mentoring Adolescents