Join us for a free professional development conference exploring the impact of opioid use and misuse on older adults. This conference will provide three clock hours of continuing education units for Ohio social workers and nurses.
This half-day conference features two workshops led by nationally respected experts who will provide practical knowledge and understanding of the complexity of opioid use in the older adult population and discuss the relationship between chronic pain and addiction.
Conference Details
Cost and Registration:
Free – Click to register
Continental breakfast provided
Continuing Education:
Earn three (3) Social Work* CEUs – registrants must attend both workshops to receive CEUs – partial credit will not be given. CEU certificates will be provided at the end of the conference.
*any continuing education activity that has been approved by the Ohio Board of Social Workers is accepted by the Ohio Board of Nursing for all nurses in the State of Ohio
Date and Time:
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
8:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Location:
Manor House
7440 S. Mason-Montgomery Road
Mason, Ohio 45040
Event Schedule:
- 8:30 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast
- 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Workshop A – Supporting older adults amid the addiction crisis: Insights from the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition
- 10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break
- 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Workshop B – Chronic pain management and opioid misuse
Questions:
Amy Leonhardt
aleonhardt@help4seniors.org
(513) 345-3367
Conference Workshops
Workshop A: Supporting older adults amid the addiction crisis: Insights from the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition
Speakers:
- Meagan Guthrie, Director, Hamilton County Office of Addiction Response
- Thomas Synan Jr., Chief of Police, Newtown Police Department and co-founder of the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition
Join Meagan Guthrie and Chief Synan for a comprehensive overview of the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition and its crucial work in addressing substance misuse and supporting older adults affected by addiction. This session aims to empower professionals with the tools and knowledge necessary to make a meaningful impact in the lives of aging adults facing addiction-related challenges. Discussion topics include drug trends; signs and symptoms of drug use; safety protocols for disposal and storage of medications; and practical approaches to community support.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the role and initiatives of the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition.
- Identify current drug trends and recognize the signs and symptoms of substance misuse in older adults.
- Implement safer medication disposal and storage practices to prevent substance misuse.
- Support older adults impacted by family addiction through effective community partnerships and resources.
Workshop B: Chronic pain management and opioid misuse
Speaker: Jennifer Haywood, LISW-S, LICDC-CS; Owner, Haywood Counseling
Jennifer Haywood leads this workshop focusing on how chronic pain can lead to addiction. She will address the differences between someone with chronic pain who is addicted to opioids and someone with chronic pain who is physiologically tolerant. Haywood will discuss the transition from DSM IV TR to DSM 5, focusing on how opioid substances were changed to better meet the needs of individuals with chronic pain. Haywood will provide assessment tools and techniques to treat clients with chronic pain.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will gain an understanding of what leads a chronic pain client to overuse.
- Participants will gain an understanding of the differences between the chronic pain addict and the person with a tolerance to medication.
- Participants will review assessment tools that differentiate between a chronic pain addict and the tolerance client, and treatment tools that offer techniques to treat chronic pain clients.
Conference Presenters
Meagan Guthrie, Director, Hamilton County Office of Addiction Response
Guthrie is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day work of the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition and its 20-member steering committee. The mission of the Office of Addiction Response is to address the addiction crisis in Hamilton County by connecting individuals to the right resources and treatments, breaking down barriers and implementing comprehensive solutions. The coalition is a collective force of community members, leaders, advocates, and experts dedicated to saving lives, strengthening families, and fighting addiction for the health and wellness of all.
Guthrie is a graduate of Xavier University and is grateful to be a part of an organization and community focused on innovative and collaborative strategies to assist individuals and their families on their journey to long-term recovery.
Thomas Synan Jr., Chief of Police, Newtown Police Department
Chief Synan is the chief of police for the city of Newtown. He has over 30 years’ experience in law enforcement, including as a SWAT Team tactical team leader. Chief Synan is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
Chief Synan’s tenure as chief has been marked by a strong commitment to address the opioid epidemic. This commitment stems from his family’s experience with addiction – losing two family members to heroin and fentanyl. This experience led him and others in Hamilton County’s law enforcement community to form the Hamilton County Heroin Task Force (now the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition). He serves on the coalition’s steering committee and is co-chair of the interdiction committee. Chief Synan has testified before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee on synthetic opiates, and his work with the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition has been cited by national and international media outlets.
Jennifer Haywood, LISW-S, LICDC-CS; Owner, Haywood Counseling
For over 25 years, Jennifer Haywood has provided professional training for educators, social workers, businesses and organizations. A past presenter at Council on Aging’s Forum on Aging conference, Haywood is a clinical social worker and addiction specialist with a private practice providing individual counseling services focusing on addiction and chemical dependency. In addition, Haywood teaches bachelor’s and master’s level social work classes at The Ohio State University, with a special focus on diagnosis, theory, mental health and addiction practice.
Haywood has been a clinical social worker and addiction specialist since 1996. She received her master’s in social work from The Ohio State University and her chemical dependency specialty through her internship at the Addiction Recovery Center at Harding Hospital in Worthington, Ohio. Haywood also holds a BA in psychology from the University of Maryland.
Funding for this conference was made possible in part by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Heath and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.