NAADAC's Executive Director, Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, was invited to speak at the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) National Stakeholder Meeting on July 11, 2018. The meeting brought together stakeholders from both public and private sectors to discuss expanding screening, access to treatment, and adoption of evidence-based practices.
After a welcome by Jon Rice, Deputy Director of ONDCP, Office of Policy, Research and Budget (OPRB) and Charmaine Yoest, Director of External Affairs, ONDCP, Office of External Affairs (OEA), June Sivelli, Division Chief, Public Health and Public Safety, ONDCP, Office of Policy, Research and Budget (OPRB) discussed ongoing ONDCP initiatives.
Moreno Tuohy was one of three stakeholders invited to present to the assembled group, and she spoke about the work that NAADAC is doing and how NAADAC can collaborate with other stakeholders. She discussed the importance of expanding the ability of substance use disorder counselors to screen, such as through standardized training and “Trainer the Trainer” programs. Moreno Tuohy also explained why building national credentials for transportability through NAADAC’s National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC AP) and building a sustainable workforce is in the best interest of both the addiction professionals and those they serve.
Moreno Tuohy discussed the importance of access to quality care, such as through telehealth and the availability of qualified practitioners, and used the opportunity to speak about how to build and strengthen the addiction workforce. She explained the importance of reaching out to high school and college students, such as through the SAMHSA-NAADAC Workforce Forum Initiative, and the efforts being made to provide evidence-based continuing education opportunities for practicing counselors, such as through state, regional and national conferences, NAADAC webinars available on demand, and NAADAC desk guides, study materials and home study products.
Moreno Tuohy also addressed NAADAC’s professional standards, including the SAMHSA/NAADAC National Scopes of Practice and national model licensure bill for addiction counselors, initiatives that will be moving forward in the coming months.
"It was exciting to present at ONDCP to many national organizations regarding NAADAC’s initiatives," said Moreno Tuohy. "It was also an honor to meet the ONDCP Deputy Director, Jim Carroll, and I look forward to another meeting in the near future."
Patrice Harris, MD, American Medical Association (AMA) President Elect and Chair of AMA Opioid Task Force, and Allie Hunter McDade, Executive Director of the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI), also spoke about their respective organizations and ongoing initiatives.
After an open discussion among stakeholders facilitated by Sivilli, Nataki MacMurray, Policy Analyst, Public Health and Public Safety, ONDCP, Office of Policy, Research and Budget (OPRB) discussed the next steps for the stakeholders to take to further their missions.
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