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BIDDEFORD, Maine

51С»Æ³µhosts opioid education panel as part of the Brain, Body and Wellness Fair

51С»Æ³µOpioid Panel

On April 8, 2016, the University of 51С»Æ³µ will present a community forum on Maine’s opioid crisis. The discussion will take place from 6-8 p.m. at the Harold Alfond Forum on UNE’s Biddeford Campus. It will be hosted by the Maine Opiate Collaborative and is part of UNE’s Brain, Body and Wellness Fair.

The panel presentation will address the impact of opiate and heroin use in our communities, with the intent of opening up a two-way conversation about what is happening across the state currently, as well as action plans to help address the issue going forward. A facilitated discussion will follow the presentation, allowing community members to share their experiences and observations, reflect on challenges and share feedback with the Maine Opiate Collaborative.

The panel will be moderated by Carol Kelly of Pivot Point, Inc. and the Maine Opiate Collaborative. Panelists include:

  •  Michael W. Wardrop, Maine US DEA Resident Agent in Charge and Maine Opiate Collaborative Law Enforcement Task Force member
  • Aaron Steps, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent (SSRA) from the FBI Maine Resident Agency
  • William King Jr., York County Sheriff, and Maine Opiate Collaborative – Law Enforcement Task Force member
  • William L. Paterson, substance abuse prevention director and prevention specialist of the Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition (CHCC)/UNE, co-chair of Maine Opiate Collaborative – Prevention/Harm Reduction Task Force
  • Matt Braun, chapter lead of Young People in Recovery – Biddeford, youth and parent consultant of CHCC/Project Alliance, member of Maine Opiate Collaborative – Prevention/Harm Reduction Task Force
  • Jeremy Ray, superintendent of Biddeford Public Schools
  • Jim Godbout, Red Ribbon Committee with Saco/Biddeford Rotary
  • Curtis Brown RN, BSN,CNML nurse manager of Southern Maine Healthcare Partial Hospitalization Program

This presentation is geared toward parents, community leaders, prevention and treatment specialists, school staff and administrators, law enforcement officials and older teenagers/young adults.

  

51С»Æ³µ the University of 51С»Æ³µ

The University of 51С»Æ³µ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.