Discover Recovery introducing interactive elements at 3rd annual symposium
Anyone can be a first responder to someone experiencing an overdose, said the executive director of The Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center.
At the center’s free third annual Discovery Recovery symposium Wednesday, March 12, addiction experts will explain how to deliver harm-reducing care and celebrate the first responders with new interactive elements.
This year’s symposium will bring together the public, doctors and first responders to arm the community with the knowledge and means to see the signs and respond quickly to an overdose. Free Narcan and lunch will be provided at Butler County Community College’s Founders Hall along with the keynote and breakout speeches.
Members of the public can register for the event on BC3’s website.
Mahoney said the Butler County Canine Unit will also attend, and a Lifeflight helicopter will be available to tour.
“We’re very excited to be in our third year of offering this sort of education with the community,” executive director Joe Mahoney said.
Dr. C. Thomas Brophy, a double-board-certified physician in emergency and addiction medicine, will present the keynote speech on harm reduction and the phases of change in patients suffering from addiction. Brophy, who serves as the medical director for The Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center, said some of his earliest memories include seeing his brother enter rehab for addiction treatment, but his passion for helping addiction patients started when his two fields began crossing more heavily in 2010.
Brophy’s speech will review the neuroscience behind addiction, explaining why behaviors commonly associated with addiction occur, understanding the frustration first responders face giving Narcan to patients with patterns of substance use and why doctors in some case will use harm-reduction practices instead of direct treatment.
“Education is how you reduce stigma,” Brophy said.
Three breakout sessions will follow the keynote. These sessions will be led by Tim Fennell, chief detective of the Butler County Drug Task Force, Donna Jenereski, director of the Butler County Human Services Drug and Alcohol Program and Mahoney.
Fennell will present new drug trends in the county, Jenereski will speak on how to engage with county staff and EMS, and Mahoney will speak on identifying burnout in first responders and prioritizing self-care. A question-and-answer session and lunch will follow.
Brophy and Mahoney said hosting a Discover Recovery symposium every year keeps addiction education in the public eye and helps reduce stigma surrounding it.
New studies and medications are available each year that provide something new to talk about, Brophy said. Previous symposiums honed in on the neuroscience behind addiction and how families can support a loved one with an addiction.
The center has partnered with BC3 to deliver its program all three years. Mahoney said the college has also helped the center connect with other groups working in the addiction space.
