Thursday, Oct. 24
7:30 a.m. Registration desk opens
7:30-8:30 a.m. Continental breakfast
8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcome and introductions
- Katherine Reed, director of education and content, AHCJ
8:45-9:45 a.m. Two years of 988: Successes and lessons learned
In July 2022, amid historic rates of mental illness, the Biden administration launched 988 — the new national suicide prevention hotline — to reinvigorate the country’s previous, antiquated network. Since its launch, the White House has invested nearly $1.5 billion into 988, and the hotline has served more than 10 million Americans. But rolling out an entirely new “front door” for mental health state-by-state has been no small endeavor: Differences in approaches, resources, and capabilities have made the implementation a historic exercise in promoting access to care amid an understaffed, overburdened mental health system. In this sense, 988 offers a unique window into some of the thorniest challenges facing U.S. behavioral health care today. This panel will convene experts intimately involved with 988 since its launch to describe successes and lessons learned in ways that offer new angles on the hotline’s ongoing maturation, as well as U.S. mental health more broadly.
- Moderator: Eli Cahan, contributor, Rolling Stone and ABC News
- Tia Dole, Ph.D., chief 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline officer, Vibrant Emotional Health
- Julie Wertheimer, project director, mental health and justice partnerships, The Pew Charitable Trusts
10-11 a.m. Filling gaps in the crisis care continuum
As more and more cities roll out crisis response teams — some with and some without law enforcement involvement — it’s ever more important to determine what different communities may need to be successful at breaking out of the cycles of police interventions, incarceration and hospitalizations. This panel will explore what the crisis care continuum is, why it is essential for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and discuss real-world examples of the continuum with local systems of crisis care.
- Moderator: Josh McGhee, Chicago bureau chief and investigative reporter, MindSite News
- Adrienne Breidenstine, M.S.W., vice president, policy and communications, Behavioral Health System Baltimore
- Joseph Getch, M.S., MBA, CEO, HopeLink Behavioral Health
- Mariana Izraelson, Psy.D., L.C.A.D.C., P.M.P., executive director, Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center
11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Each patient is their own universe: Building cultural competence
Reports of suicide are rising among Black and Hispanic people. But finding care isn’t the only challenge that these communities face. Many people also struggle to connect comfortably with their mental health provider, given the shortage of Black and Hispanic providers, and can’t find providers who understand their individual needs, culture and background. This panel will bring together mental health providers who work with a variety of communities and discuss the importance of cultural competence in meeting the mental health challenge in minority communities.
- Moderator: Renuka Rayasam, senior correspondent, KFF Health News
- Linda Lausell Bryant, Ph.D., clinical professor and associate dean for academic affairs, NYU Silver School of Social Work
- Hector Colon-Rivera, M.D., MBA, M.R.O., F.A.P.A., medical director, Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc. Behavioral Health Program
- Jessica M. Smedley, Psy.D., clinical psychologist, independent practice
12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30-2:30 pm. Using data to make a difference in behavioral health
People in America have long grappled with mental health conditions and substance use, and for many people, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues. The numbers are stark: In 2021, nearly one in four adults had a mental illness; nearly one in three adults had a substance use disorder or mental illness; and more than 12 million adults had serious thoughts of suicide.
The Pew Charitable Trusts pursues data-driven solutions to address some of the most pressing behavioral health issues of our time, including increasing access to evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders, making suicide screening a routine part of health care delivery, and improving crisis care in communities so people in distress can have access to health-focused treatment instead of the first response coming from law enforcement. In this session, you’ll hear directly from Pew experts about their ongoing work and resources for journalists covering behavioral health topics.
- Moderator: Brandee Izquierdo, Ph.D., director, behavioral health programs, The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Kristen Mizzi Angelone, project director, suicide risk reduction, The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Alexandra Duncan, Ph.D., MPH, director, substance use prevention and treatment, The Pew Charitable Trusts
2:30-2:45 p.m. Break
2:45-4:15 p.m. Reporting on alcohol use and alcohol use disorder: Data, disparities, and responsible journalism
This session will provide a comprehensive overview of alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the U.S., including where to find critical data on the prevalence and impact of AUD. Panelists will present research on the disparities in alcohol-related harms, exploring why certain populations are disproportionately affected. The session will also equip journalists with essential tools for covering alcohol use and AUD, focusing on responsible reporting techniques. Attendees will leave with reporting tips and resources and a deeper understanding of the topic.
- Moderator: Naseem Miller, senior health editor, The Journalist’s Resource
- Jordan Gass-Pooré, podcast producer and investigative journalist
- Nasim Maleki, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
- Patricia A. Powell, Ph.D., deputy director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Friday, Oct. 25
7:30 a.m. Registration desk opens
7:30-8:30 a.m. Continental breakfast
8:45-9:30 a.m. Emerging federal priorities on substance use policy
What is the appetite in Congress for addressing the overdose crisis and combating drug trafficking, especially the flow of fentanyl, into the U.S.? This panel will focus on 2024-2025 legislative and regulatory priorities related to substance use. Experts will talk about what policy roadblocks to expect and how priorities related to substance use policy could change in the next Congress and under a new administration.
- Moderator: Sandhya Raman, reporter, CQ Roll Call
- Rob Kent, president, Kent Strategic Advisors
- Regina LaBelle, director of the Addiction and Public Policy Initiative, O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center
- Maia Szalavitz, author & independent journalist
9:30-9:45 a.m. Break
9:45-11 a.m. Building prevention into your reporting on veterans suicide and mental health
This expert panel will explore strategies to reduce suicide among veterans, with a particular focus on National Guard members. The panel will discuss risk factors unique to Guard members, including challenges transitioning between civilian and military life, potential isolation from military support systems and barriers to accessing mental health care. Hear about the latest research on evidence-based interventions, insights on systemic changes needed within the military to better support service members’ mental health, and a moving personal story of struggle and recovery. The discussion aims to provide journalists with a comprehensive understanding of this critical issue and highlight approaches to suicide prevention among veterans.
- Moderator: Lara Salahi, AHCJ Health Beat leader for health equity
- Thomas Campbell, retired U.S. Army command sergeant major, current senior training specialist, Army Center for Initial Military Training
- Philip Held, Ph.D., research director, The Road Home Program: National Center of Excellence for Veterans and their Families at RUSH, RUSH University Medical Center
- Allyson Solomon, retired brigadier general, former assistant adjutant general for air, Maryland Air National Guard
11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sounding the alarm: Physicians’ role in talking to patients about firearm access and suicide risk
Firearm suicide rates among children continue to climb with Black youth suicide rates surpassing that of their white peers. Some physicians are taking a more active role in speaking to their patients — especially young patients and their parents — about safe storage of firearms, but these are tricky waters to navigate. This panel will explore best practices for having these sensitive conversations and what physicians have learned from their work that journalists should know about firearms violence prevention and reducing the risk of suicide.
- Moderator: Cara Anthony, KFF Health News
- Jill Harkavy-Friedman, Ph.D., senior vice president of research, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Lois Lee, M.D., M.P.H., Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
1:45-3 p.m. Fall summit field trip will offer close look at a D.C. program for sex workers, drug users
There are roughly 1 million sex workers in the U.S., but there is “scarce investment” in services for those who aren’t street-based, according to a recent Lancet study. Honoring Individual Power & Strength (HIPS), a harm reduction community-based organization in Washington, D.C., came into being in 1993 to help improve health care access for drug users and sex workers. HIPS emphasizes providing “non-judgmental harm reduction services, advocacy, and community engagement led by those with lived experience.”
Last year, HIPS provided more than 10,000 services to sex workers and drug users at the organization’s sites and on the streets. According to its 2022 impact report, HIPS has worked in recent years to provide equitable access to mpox and COVID vaccines.
On the free field trip, participants will hear more about the wide variety of services HIPS provides these often stigmatized communities including, education, clinical care, housing support, harm reduction counseling, peer support groups, shower facilities, community lunch, substance use treatment, and more.
Lunch will be provided to field trip attendees. A separate sign-up will be available.
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