Dr. Paula bloom
Clinical Psychologist, Kaiser Permanente

Paula connects with clients and audiences in an engaging and down-to-earth style and has been described as a compassionate, yet irreverent, truth-teller. She is called on by the media to offer perspective on a wide range of events and topics, including national tragedies such as the Sandy Hook and Parkland shootings, high-profile suicides such as Robin Williams and Anthony Bourdain, international events like the Chilean miner rescue and the death of Osama Bin Laden, and topics such as happiness, parenting, psychiatric illness, relationships, communication, and motivation. She has spoken at Emory School of Medicine and Microsoft, has moderated a PBS webinar with Gretchen Rubin, the best-selling author of The Happiness Project and is a recurring guest on celebrity dog trainer (and star of the international hit “It’s Me or the Dog”) Victoria Stilwell’s Positively podcast. She has contributed blogs to PBS’s This Emotional Life and The Huffington Post and has been featured in Glamour, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Beliefnet, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s blog on CNN.com.

Opening Session

Kim Jones
Georgia Executive Director for the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)

Kim H. Jones is the Executive Director of NAMI Georgia. The NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, dedicated to building better lives for those affected by mental illness. As executive director, Kim H. Jones is responsible for the strategic management and financial operations of NAMI Georgia, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of mental health. NAMI Georgia is responsible for supporting 20 local NAMI Affiliate’s across the state of Georgia, Under her leadership, the organization has grown its annual budget from $180,000 to $2.6 million, and has served up to 30,000 people annually.

Keynote speaker
Luncheon Plenary session - 12:25pm -1:30pm

Jeff Breedlove
Strategic Policy Advisor, Georgia Council for Recovery

Jeff serves as Strategic Policy Advisor for the Georgia Council for Recovery. Jeff serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia School of Addiction Studies and the Regional Advisory Board for the Rx Summit. Jeff was announced as a member of the 2023 Atlanta Business Chronicle Power 10: Health Care List as one of the 10 most powerful health care leaders in Georgia. Jeff was awarded a personal proclamation from Governor Brain Kemp in September 2023 as an outstanding advocate for peer led recovery in Georgia. Jeff was awarded The Erick Allen Recovery Advocate of the Year for Georgia and has received numerous Recovery Leadership Awards.

Closing Session - Keynote speaker

Dr. Merrill Norton Pharm.D., D.Ph., CMAC, CCS

Dr. Merrill Norton is a Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus of the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy with his specialty areas to include psychopharmacology and addiction pharmacy. He has also been a faculty member of the Fairleigh-Dickinson University Postdoctoral Training Program in the Masters of Psychopharmacology, Alliant International University of San Francisco College of Psychology, University of Georgia School of Continuing Education, and Berry College in the areas of Psychopharmacology and Addiction Pharmacy. His area of specialty in addiction pharmacy is the management of chronic pain in the addicted patient.

 In 2017, Dr. Norton received an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; Southeastern Chapter for his work on the Spanish language documentary Prescription Drugs, Legally Dangerous. Another of Dr. Norton’s distinctions is he became one of the first of four inductees into the Georgia Addiction Counselors Association’s (GACA) Hall of Fame by being presented with the Addiction Counselor Emeritus Award. The award honors Dr. Norton’s outstanding contributions over and above the call of duty in furthering the mission of GACA, advocating for clients suffering from substance use disorder, fostering relationships with professional organizations, providing quality care for clients, and upholding with integrity the highest standards of this organization. Dr. Norton’s national reputation as a counselor, pharmacist, educator, and author qualifies him uniquely for this prestigious distinction and that is why the GACA Board of Directors unanimously voted for Dr. Norton to be the first GACA counselor to be inducted to the GACA Hall of Fame. He was honored by the Georgia Addiction Counselors Association’s Board of Directors and Certification Board with being bestowed the first Certified Master Addiction Counselor (CMAC) credential in the state. His book, The Pharmacology of Psychoactive Chemical Use, Abuse, and Dependence, and his DVD series, “The Hijacking of the Brain” have been used to train thousands of mental health professionals nationally; they have become the standards of teaching excellence in the addiction treatment profession. His new books, The Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders and The Practitioners’ Guide to Opioid Use Disorders were released in December 2018 and June 2020.

Since his recent retirement from UGA, Dr. Norton’s primary focus is to provide the latest scientific information to communities, educators, healthcare professionals, prevention specialists, treatment providers, and especially families, on the diseases of substance use disorders.

Session 1: 9:15am - 10:30am - Pharmacy of the Streets Part 1
Session 2: 10:45am - 12:00pm - Pharmacy of the Streets Part 2

Gabriel Kuperminc Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and Public Health, Georgia state university

Gabriel Kuperminc, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology and Public Health at Georgia State University where he directs the doctoral program in community psychology and chairs the university’s interdisciplinary Resilient Youth (ResY) initiative. Dr. Kuperminc co-leads (With Rebekah Hudgins) the statewide evaluation team for the Georgia Family Connection Partnership. He is author or co-author of more than 90 publications and has received funding from the CDC, SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, NIH, and numerous other agencies. He has conducted large- and small-scale evaluations of prevention and health promotion interventions focused on community health and youth development. He consults on youth mentoring and youth development as well as prevention of violence and substance abuse with various organizations including MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, MENTOR Georgia, the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, and The National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities. He is Associate Chair of the federally funded National Mentoring Resource Center’s Research Board and serves on the Advisory Board for MENTOR Georgia. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Community Research and Action, and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

SESSION 2 - 10:45am - 12:00pm
Roles of Schools and Communities in Promoting Youth Resilience

Michael Mumper
Executive Director, Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy
President, Georgia Alcohol Policy Alliance

Michael is Executive Director of Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy, and the Board President of the Georgia Alcohol Policy Alliance.  Michael served on the American Heart Association’s Georgia Advocacy Steering Committee from 2020 to 2024.  He was named “Advocate of the Year” for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America in 2022.  Michael earned an MBA from Emory University, and led business management teams at GE Capital, Random House and Turner Broadcasting before shifting to prevention, coalition building, and policy.

session 1 - 9:15am - 10:30am
Current Marijuana Policies for Elected Officials and Community Stakeholders

Ben Song
Community Development Director, City of Johns Creek

Ben Song has over 15 years of extensive local government, planning, zoning administration and land use experience. He is currently, the Community Development Director for the City of Johns Creek overseeing zoning, land use, building and construction, code enforcement and land development. The City of Johns Creek is one of the top cities to reside in the U.S. based on its premier neighborhoods, high achieving schools, abundance of recreational amenities, and diverse population of more than 82,000 residents.

Ben has held supervisory roles overseeing community development and real estate in Gwinnett County Government and in the cities of Peachtree Corners and Brookhaven. Prior to joining Johns Creek, he served as the Division Director of Real Estate and Records Management for Gwinnett County, operating a multi-million dollar budget overseeing land acquisition projects and the purchase and disposition of county property. He also previously worked for the City of Brookhaven as the Community Development Director.

Ben is an active member of the American Planning Association and the Georgia Planning Association. He earned his bachelor’s from the University of Toronto and has a master’s in Public Administration from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.

Session 2 - 10:45am - 12:00pm
Leveraging Local Policy: Tackling Addiction and Substance Use In Our Community Through Zoning

Astrid Prudent
Associate Project Director, Center of Excellence for Children’s Behavioral Health the Georgia Health Policy Center - Georgia State University

Astrid Prudent is an associate project director for the Center of Excellence for Children’s Behavioral Health team at the Georgia Health Policy Center. She co-leads the COE’s workforce development practice area. Her areas of expertise include program implementation, curriculum development, and technical assistance with an emphasis on program sustainability. Prudent is a national Mental Health First Aid trainer and certified instructor in various models including Sources of Strength, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Trauma Informed Care, High Fidelity Wraparound. She is also a licensed clinician with an emphasis on children and adolescents with a history of exposure to trauma.

Session 1 - 9:15am - 10:30am
Secondary traumatic Stress

Carissa dingwall, lpc
Supervisor, behavioral health Services northside-cherokee hospital

Carissa is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Master of Science in Professional Counseling, and has over 20 years of experience in healthcare as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Carissa currently has supervisory responsibility for the behavioral health services team at Northside Cherokee Hospital. In addition, she is a private practice clinician who specializes in the treatment of adolescents and adults with mental health and substance misuse issues.

Carissa has extensive experience both as a provider and as an administrator for hospital-based psychiatric consult liaison services. She understands the short term and long term impact of trauma, and how to initiate treatment to persons with severe traumatic injuries in a hospital setting. Carissa has lead multi-disciplinary teams that provided trauma informed treatment in the community, specifically for Georgia’s most vulnerable populations affected by behavioral health issues.

Her commitment to compassionate, trauma-informed and evidence-based interventions extends both within the hospital setting and into the broader community. Carissa believes that mental health issues, substance misuse and trauma are interconnected, and she advocates for raising awareness of these links as a means to promote early intervention that lead to better outcomes for our patients and saves lives.

John bringuel
Prevention and Intervention Program Manager
The Council on alcohol and Drugs

John Bringuel has spent 37 years working in the field of mental health. He has worked across the prevention continuum and provided training to thousands of social service and mental health providers, professionals, and the public about how to make meetings work, shifting the conversation to emotional intelligence as an innovative approach to prevention, and other topics.

Session 2 - 10:45 - 12:00pm
Shifting the Conversation: Emotional Intelligence an Innovative Approach to Prevention

wanda wiggins
community outreach specialist, Drug Enforcement administration

Wanda is responsible for conducting drug prevention awareness training within three states Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Prior to taking this role in 2023, she was an Alcohol and Drug Control Officer with the United States Army from 2007-2023 where she oversaw and implemented prevention initiatives and drug testing at the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. From 2000-2007 she held the position as the Family Outreach Coordinator with the United States Air force at Yokota AB Japan. Where she worked hand in hand with family members and the surrounding community addressing needs and finding resources.
1993-2000 she worked with the Department of Social Services as a Youth at Risk counselor.
1983-1993 she worked with the City of North Charleston, Police Department.
Wanda earned her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Charleston Southern University and a master’s degree from Troy State University in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources

session 2 - 10:45 - 12:00pm
One Pill Can Kill: FENTANYL/XYLAZINE

michael Davis
Associate executive director, Guide inc.

Michael is responsible for oversight of all GUIDE’s prevention strategies, activities and campaigns. Michael’s career background was focused mainly on college students, serving in several roles in housing, financial aid and the Dean of Students office at four different universities. In his last role at Iowa State University, he served as interim coordinator for prevention services during the university restructure. In that role and with his work at the Chi Phi Fraternity, Michael frequently presented on alcohol risk reduction, bystander intervention, consent and health relationships education, power based violence prevention and social justice issues.

session 2 - 1:45pm - 3:00pm
Taking Care of Your Mental Wellness

Ester Lopez
Project Director, Voices for Prevention

Ester Lopez is the Assistant Director of the Prevention / Intervention Division of the Council on Alcohol and Drugs. Ester also serves as the Project Director for Voice for Prevention, Project Director for the Partners in Prevention Project for Banks, Habersham, and Franklin Counties, and as the Program Director for the Gordon Prevention Initiative, a Drug-Free Communities grantee.

Ester has worked for the Council for 14 years and has worked in the prevention field for over 25 years. In 2022, Ester was awarded the Ray Avant Excellence in Prevention award. Her undergraduate degree is in Applied Behavioral Sciences, and she completed a Master's in Prevention Science in 2020.

Ester has two adult children and has been happily married for 23 years. Approximately 25 years ago, Ester began a Christmas Village collection for her children that has now grown to well over 300 pieces with trains, mountains, buildings, and even a baseball field. To relax, Ester enjoys hand-knitting chunky blankets while watching documentaries.

Carmen Caldwell
Founder and Ceo, life fulfilled coaching & consulting

Carmen is the founder and CEO of Life Fulfilled Coaching & Consulting and the creator of LoveP.O.W.E.R.® which is defined as your ability to show up in the full expression of God working in and through your life. As an ordained minister, faith and empowerment speaker, trainer, author, and coach, Carmen engages audiences of all sizes on topics related to personal leadership, spiritual growth, diversity, and organizational effectiveness. In addition, Carmen has a background in youth development and substance use prevention. Her stage presence, radiant personality, and ability to think quickly on her feet make her a dynamic event host, MC, and moderator. Carmen has a unique blend of expertise, energy, and empathy which makes her a true leader and inspiration to all who know her.

session 3 - 1:45pm - 3:00pm
risk and protective factors impacting substance use - Co-Presenter

Corey Ashmore
veterans adminisrtation Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator Suicide Prevention Atlanta VA Medical Center

Corey Ashmore is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an accomplished professional with a rich background in social work and community engagement. Originally from New Jersey and raised as an army brat, Mr. Ashmore pursued his passion for helping others by earning an undergraduate degree in History from Morgan State University in Baltimore, followed by a Master's in Social Work from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.

His career has spanned various critical roles, including work in Child Protective Services, Discharge Planning for a Level 1 Trauma hospital, Crisis Intervention and Management with the Veterans Crisis Line, and ongoing Individual Therapy using CBT/DBT techniques. Currently, Mr. Ashmore is deeply involved in suicide prevention efforts at the local, state, and national levels. His future goals include continuing to educate, research, identify gaps, and implement effective physical and mental health strategies for communities facing social barriers.

session 3 - 1:45pm - 3:00pm
Social Determinants and Risk Factors contributing to Veteran Suicide

Amy Leatherman
Human Resource administrator, Universal Alloy Corporation

Amy Leatherman, HR Administrator at Universal Alloy Corporation, has a diverse and impressive career background in various fields, including HR administration, economic development, education, and mental health. With valuable experience spanning roles such as TANF Program Coordinator, Director of Operations, Workforce Development Specialist, and Outreach Counselor, Amy has showcased a commitment to helping others and making a difference. Her educational background in psychology from Florida State University, coupled with training as a Global Career Development Facilitator, further highlights her dedication to personal and professional growth. Currently, Amy serves as a Board Member for Cherokee FOCUS, demonstrating her ongoing involvement in community initiatives.  Amy’s personal experiences with family members who have faced challenges with substance abuse and depression have fueled her passion for mental health advocacy and drive her commitment to ensuring that individuals have access to supportive resources without fear of judgment or stigma. This empathy and dedication to promoting mental health awareness and resources reflect Amy's compassionate and caring nature, both in her professional and personal life.

session 3 - 1:45pm - 3:00pm
Think Outside the Couch, with Corporate Counseling:  Universal Alloy Corporation’s Proactive Mental Health Initiative - Co-Presenter

Christy Cushing
Counselor, price counseling center

Christy obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from Kennesaw State University in 1999 and her Masters in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University in 2004. She has worked in private practice at the Price Counseling Center for 21 years and she thoroughly enjoys her job. Christy has been married for 25 years and has two children. She chose a career to help those impacted by addiction because it has devastating effects on the family. She believes that there is so much more to a person than his/her addiction. Currently Christy is also partnering with Universal Alloy Corporation to provide counseling for their employees. A innovative partnership that reduces the barrier of transportation and increases the ease of access to counseling on-site, should they have a need.

session 3 - 1:45pm - 3:00pm
Think Outside the Couch, with Corporate Counseling:  Universal Alloy Corporation’s Proactive Mental Health Initiative - Co-Presenter

Nadine Psareas
founder/ceo hopedealers worldwide, inc.

Born in New York, now a resident of Georgia since 1985 and a graduate of Lassiter High School in Marietta, Nadine, the mother of 3, grandmother of 2, received her BSED degree at the University of Georgia & served as an educator for a few years in Cherokee County schools. She now wears many hats including: Board Certified Addictions Counselor, Integrative Behavioral Health Professional and Licensed Brain Health Trainer through the Amen Clinics. In 2016, she piloted an out-of-the-box therapeutic recovery project bringing those recovering from substance use disorder to build schools in impoverished communities in Guatemala.  In 2017, she founded Hopedealers Worldwide, a non-profit serving those in the community whose lives have been touched by the disease of addiction by providing immediate crisis intervention, education, referral, and assistance to families in need. In 2018, Nadine became the first recipient of the prestigious “Rudy” Award, given by the football inspiration, Rudy Ruettiger and nominated by her peers and community for exemplifying the “4 C’s” (character, commitment, contribution, and courage). In 2019, Nadine was a Legacy Award Nominee for Aurea McGarry’s Legacy’s Summit for her dedication to helping people suffering from addiction and her supporting their families in the process. She also achieved #1 International Best-Selling Author of Hope Dealers: The Calling, The Struggles, The Breakthroughs, and The Community of Believers. In 2020, along with her team, co-founded the Recovery Organization of Cherokee County which serves as a safe, supportive clubhouse for those maintaining recovery. Hopedealers Worldwide, including The ROCC community center has served over 11,000 people in our community to date.

closing Plenary session - 3:15pm - 4:15pm
Opening remarks and introduction

britt parramore
founder, pathlight counseling

Britt Parramore has served in the addiction and mental health treatment field for 11 years.  During this time, he has worked for state agencies, treatment courts, universities, and in private practice. Britt currently serves as the Executive Director of PathLight Counseling in Woodstock, GA. PathLight began in 2017 with one mission in mind; to help the hurting and see people set free.

Britt holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and is currently working on his doctorate. He is credentialed by the State of Georgia as a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Britt is a member of The American Counseling Association, The American Association of Christian Counselors, and The Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia.  Britt lives in Hickory Flat with his wife and two young sons. Britt enjoys a wide range of outdoor sports, and is a Master SCUBA instructor. He is also an active member of the Canton Rotary Club.