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2022 Annual Education Conference

Platinum Sponsors





Nursing CEs

This conference is approved for Nursing CE through the California Board of Nursing. CE registrants will receive a Certificate of Completion with CE after completing the conference survey. More details to come...

Meeting Rooms

  • Conference Sessions: Salon F
  • Exhibit Area: Salon E
  • Registration: Salon Foyer
  • Support Group Meetings: Santa Fe

Daily Schedule

Subject to Change; Mountain Time Zone

Time
Monday, May 16
10 - 11:15am
NOAP Board of Directors and Conference Committee Meeting
11:30 - 4pm
Registration & Check-In
12:05 - 12:30pm

Welcome & Opening

  • Myrtle Greene, PhD, LMHC, CAP, ICADC; NOAP President

12:30 - 2pm

CE: 1.50

Moderator:
John Ordiway

Session 1. The Legalization of Marijuana’s Impact on Health Care Professionals

  • Doris C. Gundersen, MD; Medical Director Emeritus, Colorado Physician Health Program; Denver, Colorado
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Become familiar with the cognitive deficits associated with Marijuana use.
  2. Learn why most hospitals are adopting zero tolerance policies.
2 - 2:15pm
Break with Exhibitors

2:15 - 4:15pm

CE: 2.00

Session 2. ATD Program Sharing - Changes Since COVID

  • Moderator: John Ordiway, MS, LPC, LAT, CBIST; Dept. Chair Addiction Studies and Psychology - Casper College; Wyoming Professional Assistance Program - Clinical Director; Casper, Wyoming

Learner Objectives:

  1. Describe the innovative strategies ADT programs used during COVID to maintain a level of continuity in monitoring.
  2. Evaluate the most successful changes and the unsuccessful changes your program made because of COVID.
  3. Discuss changes identified in participants during COVID.
4:30 - 5:15pm
Exhibitor Welcome Reception
  Dinner on your own
7 - 8pm
Support Group Meeting
   
Time Tuesday, May 17
7 - 8am
Support Group Meeting
7:30 - 8:30am
Breakfast with Exhibitors
8:30 - 8:45am
Opening Remarks/Announcements

8:45 - 9:45am

CE: 1.00

Moderator:
Katherine Garcia

Session 3. Mental Health and Wellness Healthcare Workers

  • Abby Migliore, MSN, MBA, RN; Administrative Director for Discipline/Compliance Monitoring, Alabama Board of Nursing; Montgomery, Alabama
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Describe mental health and mental wellness.
  2. Discuss recent studies on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers.
  3. Summarize common healthcare worker mental health concerns that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19.
  4. Discuss the prevalence of suicide among healthcare workers.
9:45 - 10am
Break with Exhibitors

10 - 11:15am

CE: 1.25

Moderator:
Wanda Jones

Session 4. Individual and Organizational Strategies to Foster Resilience in Health Care Professionals

  • Connie Smith-Fassler, DNP, MHA, RN, CNML; Executive Director Ambulatory Surgical Specialties, University of New Mexico Hospitals; Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Steve Nuanez, LCSW; Director Employee Well-Being, University of New Mexico Hospitals; Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Understand 3 individual strategies to foster resilience.
  2. Understand 3 organizational strategies to foster resilience.
11:20 - 1:30pm

Business Meeting & Luncheon - open to all attendees and exhibitors

1:30 - 3pm

CE: 1.50

Moderator:
Shane Moes

Session 5. Boundary Violations: What to look for… and what to do about it

  • Dr. Melissa Pennington, DO, FSAM, CEDS; Medical Director, Sante Center for Healing; Argyle, Texas
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Identify the differences between boundary blurring, boundary crossings, and boundary violations.
  2. Develop an awareness of predisposing and precipitating factors in boundary violations.
  3. Discuss the evaluation and treatment process when a professional is suspected of committing a boundary violation.
3 - 3:15pm
Break with Exhibitors

3:15 - 4:30pm

CE: 1.25

Moderator:
Jean Sullivan

Session 6. Native American Perspectives on Spirituality

  • Joe Garcia, Head Councilman, Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Council; Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Bring awareness to others in the field of services to the Native American Community.
  2. Provide for at least opportunity to bring discussions to the general Well-Being Arena.

Dinner on your own
   
Time Wednesday, May 18
7 - 8am
Support Group Meeting
7:30 - 8:30am
Breakfast with Exhibitors
8:30 - 8:45am
Opening Remarks/Announcements

8:45 - 10:15am

CE: 1.50

Moderator:
Myrtle Greene

Session 7. Through the Looking Glass: The Legacy of Florence Nightingale in the Time of Covid: Vaccine Mandates, Exemptions, Termination, Staffing Shortages, Diverson and Criminal Prosecutions

  • Ansley S. Westbrook, II, Esq; OGC Law LLC; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Consider the nurse in recovery who most reflects the Florence Nightingale Pledge, yet is abandoned by the very healthcare system she seeks to serve.
  2. Consider the legal and regulatory systems that create staffing shortages through termination, criminal prosecution, vaccine mandates, rejection of exemptions and failure to accommodate.
10:15 - 10:30am
Break with Exhibitors

10:30 - 12:30pm

CE. 2.00

Session 8. MRO Toxicology Panel

  • Moderator: Myrtle Greene, PhD, LMHC, CAP, ICADC
  • Joe Jones, PhD, USDTL; Des Plaines, Illinois
  • Donna Smith, PhD, EdD; RecoveryTrek; Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • James Ferguson, DO, DFASAM, C-MRO; FSSolutions; Chalfont, Pennsylvania
  • Barry Lubin, MD, FASAM, MRO; Affinity Online Solutions; Vienna, Virginia
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Describe the latest methodology and technology in drug testing.
12:30 - 1:30pm
Lunch with Exhibitors

Dinner on your own
   
Time Thursday, May 19
7 - 8am
Support Group Meeting
7:30 - 8:30am
Breakfast with Exhibitors
8:30 - 8:45am
Opening Remarks/Announcements

8:45 - 9:45am

CE: 1.00

Moderator:
John Furman

Session 9. An Unlikely Addict – One Nurse’s Story Through Substance Use Disorder

  • Kristin Waite-Labott, RN, BSN, CARN; Veritus Solutions; Hales Corners, Wisconsin
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Develop compassion for nurses with SUD and become willing to direct them to helpful resources.
  2. Experience decreased internal stigma related to nurses with SUD.

9:50 - 11:50am

CE: 2.00

Session 10. Treatment Provider Panel - Treatment in COVID Times

  • Moderator: Abby Migliore, MSN, MBA, RN; Montgomery, Alabama
  • Presentation

Learner Objectives:

  1. Describe changes treatment providers made during the pandemic.
  2. Discuss the pros and cons of changes made during the pandemic.
11:50 - 12noon Conference Closing
12:15pm
NOAP Board of Directors and Conference Committee Meeting

Faculty Bios

Anthony Costantino, PhD, F-ABFT; Costantino Consulting Services, Inc.; Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Dr. Costantino is a board certified forensic toxicologist and has almost 40 years of experience in the fields of forensic and analytical toxicology.Dr. Costantino is considered a thought leader in the field of toxicology and has authored over 30 scientific publications. He has served on numerous corporate and advisory boards and has served the SAMHSA Center for Drug Abuse Prevention’s Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB). The SAMHSA program often sets the precedent for other testing in the field of toxicology. He is a former President of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, Inc. (SOFT), an organization composed of practicing forensic toxicologists that are interested in the discipline of promoting and developing forensic toxicology. Dr. Costantino is also a Fellow of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT).He was most recently and from 2008-2020 the President, CEO and Laboratory Director of DRUGSCAN, Inc.Prior to DRUGSCAN, Dr. Costantino was Vice President of Operations at NMS Labs, a national reference toxicology laboratory. From 1991 to 2002, he was Senior Vice President and Director of Toxicology with American Medical Laboratories (AML), now Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, where he was responsible for the SAMHSA certified laboratory, as well as the forensic and clinical toxicology and industrial hygiene laboratories. Dr. Costantino is currently adjunct faculty at Thomas Jefferson University where he teaches a graduate level course in Interpretative Forensic Toxicology and is the President of Costantino Consulting Services, Inc.

James Ferguson, DO, DFASAM, C-MRO; FSSolutions; Chalfont, Pennsylvania
Dr. Ferguson is the Medical Director of FSSolutions (formerly FirstLab) Recovery Management Services and has held this position since March 2011. He serves as Chairman of the Medical Review Officer Certification Council Advisory Committee in collaboration with Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and is a former member of the SAMHSA Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB). Dr. Ferguson was Course Director for the American Society of Addiction Medicine Comprehensive MRO training program from 2003-2013 and continues to direct MRO Training through the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine (AOCOPM). He is also a member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) MRO Training faculty. Dr. Ferguson is the author of "The MRO Team Manual," co-author of the "MRO chapters of the Principles of Addiction Medicine" and the "Handbook of Workplace Drug Testing." He is a consultant to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Division of Workplace Programs (DWP).

Joseph A. Garcia
Joseph was born and raised in Ohkay Owingeh, NM, and continues to serve his community in traditional, educational, tribal government, and economic development efforts. He has been actively involved in the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) since 1995 and served two 2-year terms as the First Vice President of NCAI prior to being elected President in November 2005. Mr. Garcia completed his third term (January 2005 to December 2006) as Governor of Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo), located in northern New Mexico. After his term as Governor, Mr. Garcia was elected Chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, an organization formed in 1598 which serves the 19 pueblos of New Mexico. He served as Chairman from 2007 to 2010. Mr. Garcia is an electrical engineer by profession, earning an electrical engineering degree from the University of New Mexico. In June 2003, he retired from the Los Alamos National Laboratory after 25 years of service. He then started his own firm, MistyLake Consulting Services. Mr. Garcia has been recognized for his service to his Tribe as well as to the State of New Mexico and the U.S. His awards include numerous local, state, and national awards for his work and service. In 2007, Mr. Garcia was honored to be asked to swear in Governor Richardson as Governor of New Mexico. Later, Governor Richardson proclaimed October 15, 2009, as President Joe Garcia Day in the State of New Mexico, presenting Mr. Garcia with the New Mexico State flag, which was flown over the State Capitol on October 9, 2009.

Myrtle Greene, PhD, LMHC, CAP, ICADC; Intervention Project for Nurses; Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Myrtle serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) with the Florida Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN). She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Certified Addiction Professional (CAP) as well as an International Certified Addiction Counselor (ICADC). Myrtle facilitates workshops and trainings on "Workplace Impairment" to healthcare and nursing organizations also has authored professional publications on addiction in healthcare settings. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology and Master of Arts degrees in Counseling Psychology, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Philosophy. Her doctoral research focused on the effectiveness of training tools to improve nurses’ competency when addressing impairment in the workplace. Myrtle currently serves as President of the National Organization of Alternative Programs (NOAP). She is an advisory member of the Florida State College of Jacksonville (FSCJ) Nursing Education Advisory Committee. Other memberships include the Florida Quality and Unity in Nursing Council (QUIN), American Psychological Association (APA),National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Florida Mental Health Association (FMHA).

Doris C. Gundersen, MD; Medical Director Emeritus, Colorado Physician Health Program; Denver, Colorado
Dr. Gundersen is a psychiatrist practicing in Denver, Colorado. She maintains a private practice in general adult psychiatry as well as a forensic practice in which she conducts independent medical evaluations and fitness-for-duty evaluations on professionals. She is also a medical director emeritus at the Colorado Physician Health Program where she evaluates and monitors physicians with potentially impairing illnesses. Finally, Dr. Gundersen is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado where she teaches medical students and residents.

Joe Jones, PhD, USDTL; Des Plaines, Illinois
Joseph has worked in the clinical forensic toxicology field for over 30 years for large workplace drug testing laboratories and boutique forensic laboratories that specialize in testing alternative specimen types. Jones holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a MS in Chemistry from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina and has earned a PhD in Public Health-Epidemiology at Walden University. Jones has worked in every area of the clinical forensic laboratory. Jones serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for United States Drug Testing Laboratories (USDTL). While at USDTL, Jones has developed over 50 bioanalytical assays that are part of the unique offerings of the laboratory. Jones has provided drug testing expert testimony on behalf of LabCorp and USDTL for over 15 years in a number of venues including union arbitration, unemployment hearings, family court child custody, child abuse/neglect and capital murder cases. Jones has contributed to over 25 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and conducted over 20 workshops or presentations in the field of urine adulteration, newborn toxicology, long-term alcohol biomarkers and drugs of abuse testing in hair. In addition, Jones has served as the project manager for over 7 National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded grants. Jones is a member of 9 scientific professional societies and has been certified by the National Registry of Certified Chemists at a Toxicological Chemist.

Barry Lubin, MD, FASAM, MRO; Affinity Online Solutions; Vienna, Virginia
Barry graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers University in 1970 with a Bachelor's Degree with highest honors in biological sciences. He then received his MD degree from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia in 1974. He completed a 3 year residency in Internal Medicine in 1977 at Jackson Memorial/University of Miami Hospitals and engaged in a successful practice of Internal Medicine in Broward County, Florida until 1989. Dr. Lubin became certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a Diplomat of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He is a certified Medical Review Officer. He was employed for 7 years at Talbott Recovery Center. He has also worked at Sante Center for Healing. He has been the Medical Director and Medical Review Officer at Affinity eHealth for the last 13 years.

Abby Migliore, MSN, MBA, RN; Administrative Director for Discipline/Compliance Monitoring, Alabama Board of Nursing; Montgomery, Alabama
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Abby Migliore is a graduate the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Following graduation, she decided to pursue her passion – professional nursing - ultimately earning Associate of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and a Master of Business Administration degrees. Since completing her education, Abby has enjoyed a distinguished career as a primary care and emergency department RN in facilities in Omaha, Nebraska and Montgomery, Alabama, most recently serving in a primary care facility at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery. Over the course of more than a decade in nursing, she has earned recognition for a steadfast commitment to patient safety and preserving the integrity of the nursing profession. That commitment serves her well in her present role as the Administrative Director for Discipline/Compliance Monitoring with the Alabama Board of Nursing (ABN), where she has served since 2015. Abby oversees the ABN’s Voluntary Discipline Alternative Program (VDAP), which monitors nurses with admitted substance abuse, mental health or physical health concerns that may impede professional performance, and the Probation Department, which monitors nurses who have received probation as a condition of discipline against their licenses. She also supervises four Compliance Nurses, who apply professional nursing judgement to alleged violations of the Alabama Nurse Practice Act. Abby and her husband, Tony, live in Montgomery, with their dog, Giz.

Steve Nuanez, LCSW; Director Employee Well-Being, University of New Mexico Hospitals; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Steve Nuanez is a bicultural native New Mexican with over 30 years of professional social work services. He served 10 years as the CEO of Outcomes a multi-program social services agency that provided services to individuals and teams with issues of stress, burnout, conflict and exhaustion. He currently is the Director of Employee Well-Being, responsible for development and implementation of programs to serve the diverse UNM Hospitals employees. Steve focuses on organizational initiatives that address stress and burnout to promote a culture of well-being.

John Ordiway, MS, LPC, LAT, CBIST; Dept. Chair Addiction Studies and Psychology - Casper College; Wyoming Professional Assistance Program - Clinical Director; Casper, Wyoming
John is currently the Department Chair for Addiction Studies and Psychology at Casper College.  He is also the Clinical Director for the Wyoming Professional Assistance Program.  He has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2009 and worked with multiple agencies to implement MI into their organizations. John holds a Master’s of Science in Counselor Education and a Master’s of Science in Psychology. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Therapist.

Dr. Melissa Pennington, DO, FSAM, CEDS; Medical Director, Sante Center for Healing; Argyle, Texas
Dr. Melissa Pennington is the Medical Director of Sante Center for Healing in Argyle, TX. She is a board-certified psychiatrist, a board-certified addictionologist, and a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. Since joining the team at Sante, she has also completed advanced training in the treatment of problematic sexual behavior. She recently completed her second term as medical liaison for the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. Prior to joining Santé, she served as Medical Director of the Eating Disorders Program at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas from 2010-2015. She attended medical school at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and completed her psychiatric residency at John Peter Smith Hospital, where she was awarded intern of the year and served as chief resident for two consecutive years.

Donna Smith, PhD, EdD; RecoveryTrek; Virginia Beach, Virginia
Dr. Smith is the Quality Assurance Officer for Recovery Trek, LLC. As one of the principal authors and architects of the drug and alcohol testing regulations for U.S. military personnel, federal employees, and U.S. Department of Transportation(DOT)regulated employees, Dr. Smith has expertise and experience in forensic standards for specimen collection, laboratory analysis and review and interpretation of drug and alcohol test results.She has served on the faculties of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) developing and teaching Medical Review Officer(MRO) courses. She has co-authored MRO Manuals and Guidebooks. Dr. Smith has served on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Federal Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB), the Board of Directors of the Substance Abuse Program Administrators’ Association (SAPAA), and the Governing Board of the Drug-Free America Foundation.

Connie Smith-Fassler, DNP, MHA, RN, CNML; Executive Director Ambulatory Surgical Specialties, University of New Mexico Hospitals; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Connie Smith-Fassler is a continuous learner with over 35 years of nursing experience. Her career reflects success in nursing leadership and a passion for access to care for underserved communities. She is proud of her previous work with Project ECHO and the NM Department of Health to improve access to care for rural NM. Connie currently serves as the Executive Director for UNM Hospitals Ambulatory Specialties, works as part time faculty for UNM College of Nursing and volunteers with the NM Board of Nursing’s Diversion Program.

Kristin Waite-Labott, RN, BSN, CARN; Veritus Solutions; Hales Corners, Wisconsin
Kristin has been a RN since 1991. After losing much to alcohol and opioid use disorders, she found recovery in 2005. She now works as a coach with nurses who have similar struggles, founded WisPAN (Wisconsin Peer Alliance for Nurses) a peer support organization for nurses with substance use issues, is an emergency room nurse, and has published a book, “An Unlikely Addict”, about her story of recovery. She has appeared locally in news stories about opioid use disorder and on “The Doctors” for an episode on healthcare workers and substance use disorder.

Ansley S. Westbrook, II, Esq; OGC Law LLC; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Ansley is a member of OGC Law, LLC, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ansley is a lawyer who represents licensed professionals in a variety of state and federal venues including disciplinary actions in administrative tribunals and white-collar criminal charges arising out of the diversion of narcotics from the workplace. He has successfully litigated cases before the Pennsylvania Medical, Dental, Nursing and Pharmacy Boards. He has 25 years of litigation and trial experience including more than a decade as a partner at a full-service national law firm and occupying a position as an ethics and loss prevention partner within the office of general counsel. He served for six years as a Hearing Committee Member with the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Ansley began his legal career as a prosecutor at the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office trying over a hundred cases to verdict. While in law school he clerked for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office in Denver and the Native American Rights Fund in Boulder. He is a volunteer with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, a non-profit organization that assists lawyers, judges and law students struggling with problematic alcohol use, substance use disorders and other emotional and mental health concerns. Ansley received his law degree in 1995 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and his B.S. in Health Services Administration from Ohio University in 1990. Sarah is a paralegal at OGC Law, LLC, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Duquesne University in 1999. She has been working in the legal field since 2003. More recently, she has been representing unvaccinated individuals in submitting vaccine exemption requests and seeking workplace accommodations based upon medical objections, and religious and philosophical beliefs. Working with counsel, Sarah has obtained exemptions for engineers, pilots, physician assistants, and nurses.

Note: Conference attendees are required to follow CDC and/or New Mexico Dept of Health guidelines regarding masking, social distancing, and/or other health/Covid-19 related guidelines.

National Organization of Alternative Programs - NOAP

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