April 25, 2023

OAA and the Virginia Institute of Government Announce Abatement Academy Speaker Series

The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) and the Virginia Institute of Government (VIG) are pleased to announce the launch of the new “Abatement Academy” for 2023. The Academy is composed of a series of FREE, bi-weekly webinars to highlight examples programs that align with nationally recognized principles for the use of funds from opioid litigation. The intended audience includes local government representatives, state agency professionals, and groups or individuals who provide services or support to people suffering from opioid use disorders.

The Abatement Academy will also include one-day in-person workshops on September 7 (Abingdon) and October 19 (Charlottesville).

The first webinar in the series will be held on Thursday, April 27 and will feature Ms. Ginny Lovitt from the Chris Atwood Foundation (CAF). Ginny will tell the story of how her brother’s death from an overdose led her to create one of the leading harm-reduction programs in Virginia. The CAF is a peer-driven community organization in Northern Virginia providing free harm reduction and recovery support services and advocacy for people impacted by substance use.

Registration is now open for the first three sessions.

https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eezifr8JFAUpiBg

Future webinars will be held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month starting on May 25 and ending on December 14. The sessions will be broken down based on the following nationally recognized five principles:

Principle 1: Spend the Money to Save Lives

April 27 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar, Ginny Lovitt from Chris Atwood Foundation

May 25 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

June 8 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Principle 2: Use Evidence to Guide Spending

June 22 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

July 13 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

July 27 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Principle 3: Invest in Youth Prevention      

Aug 10 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Aug 24 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Sept 14 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Principle 4: Focus on Racial Equity

Sept 28 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Oct 12 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Oct 26 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Principle 5: Develop a Fair and Transparent Process for Deciding Where to Spend the Funding

Nov 9 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

Dec 14 10:30-11:30 Virtual Webinar

 

The OAA is actively coordinating with the following speakers to present during these webinars. The details of each session (including topics and speakers) will be refreshed and updated regularly.

• How our Community is Saving Lives Through Targeted Harm Reduction (slated for June 8)

                   Tammy Bise, Mt. Rogers Health District & Daniel Hunsucker, Lenowisco Health District

• How a Fire/EMS Agency is Connecting People to Treatment After an Overdose

                                Dr. Allen Yee & Batt. Chief Justin Adams, Chesterfield County Fire & EMS

• Measuring the Effectiveness of Certified Recovery Homes in Virginia

                              Anthony Grimes, Virginia Association of Recovery Residences

• Serving Diverse Individuals in a Peer-Led Recovery Community Organization

                            Honesty Liller, McShin Foundation

• How Local Governments Can Create or Expand Recovery Courts and Alternative Dockets

                            Anna Powers, Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia

• Identifying Gaps and Measuring Your Impact – An Overview of the Framework for Addiction Analysis and Community Transformation (FAACT)

                      Leslie Egen, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services

Register now for FREE Abatement Academy sessions.