The 27th Annual MARTI Summer Conference will include the following speakers...
Robert J. Ackerman, PhD
Robert Ackerman is formerly a professor and program director of sociology, University of South Carolina at Beaufort, and a professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a former editor of Counselor, the Magazine for Addiction and Behavioral Health Professionals. Ackerman is the founder and previous director of the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Research and Training Institute (MARTI) in Indiana, Pennsylvania. He is a cofounder of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and the author of 13 books, including Perfect Daughters and Silent Sons.
Ryan Brannon
Ryan Brannon is the executive director of My New Leaf, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit he founded in 2015. He has won numerous awards for his work with his addiction recovery app, including first place in the IUP "Sharktank" contest, first place in the Pennsylvania System of Higher Education Business Plan contest, and the Audience Choice Award for the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown PITCHfest contest. Ryan was selected to attend the prestigious 2015 Fellowship Summit in San Francisco, California. He was recently honored by being a presenter at the Central Pennsylvania Addiction Conference and the University of Pittsburgh's Addiction Technology Conference.
Dennis C. Daley, PhD
Dennis Daley is senior clinical director of Substance Use Services at UPMC Health Plan and professor of psychiatry and social work and served for 14 years as the chief of Addiction Medicine Services at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is involved in clinical care, teaching, research, and dissemination activities. Daley previously was the director of the Appalachian Tri-State Node of the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Clinical Trials Network and was involved in multi-site clinical trials and dissemination of science-based findings to providers, individuals, and families. He is a member of the Mental Illness, Research, Education, and Clinical Care project in the Pittsburgh VA HealthCare System. Daley has hundreds of publications and has presented his work throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, and Asia. His publications include several books andrecovery guides on relapse and co-occurring disorders. Daley's materials have been translated to several languages.
Antoine B. Douaihy, MD
Antoine Douaihy is professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, senior academic director of Addiction Medicine Services at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and director of the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at WPIC. His academic interests include addiction, HIV/AIDS, motivational interviewing and the psychology of behavioral change, and dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments for addiction to medical trainees and health-care practitioners.
Craig Faish, BSN
Craig Faish is the lead staff supervisor at the Open Door/Armstrong-Indiana Crisis and former coordinator for Crisis Hotline and Walk-in services. He is also a member of the Indiana County as well as the Armstrong County suicide task forces, Armstrong County Human Resource Council, Indiana County Health and Human Services Disaster Response Subcommittee, on the board of directors for Evergreen Boys and Girls Club, as well as a member/attendant of several other organizations, committees, work groups, and task forces.
Mary Alice Fisher, PhD
Mary Fisher has a private clinical practice in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is a member of the adjunct clinical faculty at the University of Virginia. She is the founding executive director of the Center for Ethical Practice, which provides ethics training and consultation for mental health professionals. She has specialized in confidentiality ethics, with a focus on the ethical complications of "conditional" confidentiality, which is the only level of confidentiality that mental health clinicians are now legally free to offer. She has written numerous manuals, books, and journal articles. In 2016 she received an award from the American Psychological Association for "Outstanding Contributions to Ethics Education."
Lucy Garrighan
Lucy Garrigham is the chief executive officer and founder of JADE Wellness Center, a premiere outpatient substance abuse treatment program with locations both east and north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Robin Horston Spencer, MBA, MHS, MSPL, OWDS, RCAT
Robin Horston Spencer is executive director of Message Carriers of Pennsylvania. The mission of Message Carriers of Pennsylvania is to provide advocacy and recovery related services to individuals and family members impacted by addiction and/or mental health disorders.
Richard Jones, MA, MBA
Richard Jones is executive director of Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) in Greenville, South Carolina. Rich is the CEO of the Wellness Partners Group; director of Preventions at ePreventions; a licensed clinical addiction specialist, a certified clinical supervisor; a certified employee assistance professional, and a certified arise interventionist. He is also chairman of the board of Faces and Voices of Recovery in South Carolina.
Karen Kinzle Zegel, MA
Karen Kinzle Zegel is president of the Patrick Risha CTE Awareness Foundation. Along with the information website StopCTE.org and media pages, the foundation works to provide parents of school-age children (who have very susceptible brains) with information about the dangers of sports which involve head trauma. The foundation also works to open the avenues of brain donations for research and awareness. The foundation is also striving to increase awareness of the prevalence of CTE in our society in ex-athletes, veterans, and victims of domestic abuse.
Mike Krafick, CRS Supervisor
Mike Krafick is a certified recovery specialist at the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission since March 2010. He is also certified as a CCAR recovery coach, CCAR recovery coach trainer, a trainer for the Science of Addiction and Recovery, and a PRO-A trainer for the CRS Training Series. Krafick was promoted to CRS supervisor in 2012 and is responsible for direct supervision of five CRS staff in Armstrong, Indiana, and Clarion counties. He currently serves as president of the Advocacy Group. TAG aims to educate families and the community about addiction, successful treatment strategies, and recovery. Working as a CRS has given Krafick the opportunity to give back and help others achieve recovery.
Belinda Lambie, MA
Belinda Lambie is in her 15th year as a guidance counselor at Purchase Line Junior-Senior High School, located in Northern Indiana County and serving students and families in Indiana and Clearfield counties. Lambie also represents her school district on the Indiana County Suicide Task Force. Prior to working at Purchase Line, she was an education specialist at the Alice Paul House, a domestic violence/rape-crisis center. She has a master's degree in Education in Secondary School Counseling along with certifications in other educational areas.
Erick J. Lauber, PhD
Erick Lauber is an associate professor in the Journalism and Public Relations Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the director of Leadership Training and Research at MARTI-CBH. His scholarship has appeared in over 100 magazines, journals, and book chapters, and he has recently authored a book on teamwork and leadership titled Don't Break the Rope! He is currently working with the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission on designing and delivering prevention messages. His educational media products have won over 20 national awards.
Ralph May, PsyD
Ralph May is a Pennsylvania-licensed psychologist who has practiced for over 29 years in the community-based setting, specializing in high-risk consumers with serious mental illness. He is the chief clinical officer of the Community Guidance Center, Indiana, Pennsylvania; the co-chair of the Indiana County Suicide Task Force; the clinical director of the Indiana County Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team; and a founding member of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee of the Indiana County Joint Disaster/Terrorism Task Force.
Kristen Morrow
Kristen Morrow is currently an IUP student studying nutrition/dietetics and psychology to earn a dual degree. Morrow became involved with the Suicide Task Force after struggling herself and losing a close friend to suicide. Morrow was awarded the Suicide Task Force's Angel on Earth in 2016 for her outstanding work for the Suicide Task Force. She has told her story at the third and fourth annual Walk for a Wonderful Life as well as to multiple groups in Indiana County.
Jerry Overman, Jr.
Jerry Overman, Jr. has an ample amount of expertise and serves as the co-chair of the Suicide Task Force of Indiana County since 2013 and was elected in 2014 as the Indiana County coroner. He has achieved countless accomplishments and is involved in an ample amount of organizations locally, nationally, and internationally.
Gary Owen
Gary Owen has been entertaining American audiences for more than a decade with his side-splitting comedy. Having performed to sold-out audiences in all the major comedy clubs and theaters across the country, he is one of America's most beloved comedians, having been proclaimed by Ebony magazine as Black America's "Favorite White Comedian." In addition to his breadth of comedic work in films, television, and standup, Gary works closely with the nonprofit Facing Addiction, an organization dedicated to finding solutions to the addiction crisis in America. Having lost his own brother to heroin addiction, he regularly speaks and performs to raise awareness and support for the organization's mission.
Michael D. Parkinson, MD, MPH, FACPM
Michael Parkinson is the senior medical director overseeing employer health and productivity strategies for UPMC Health Plan and WorkPartners. As principal of P3 Health, LLC, he consults with leading employers, health systems, and innovation companies to accelerate health, care value, and workplace performance. Following his retirement after a career in the US Air Force, Mike was a principal founder of Lumenos, a pioneer in consumer-directed, account-based health plans acquired by Wellpoint. He received an AB from Cornell, Maryland, from George Washington, and trained in family medicine at UCLA and preventive medicine at Johns Hopkins. He is a past president of the American College of Preventive Medicine and currently serves on numerous national advisory panels and the editorial boards of the American Journal of Medical Quality and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Nicole Salvo, BS, CDCORP
Nicole Salvo is the program director of the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission, supervising the Case Management and Recovery Support Department. She currently supervises a total of 12 case managers, one CRS supervisor, and five CRS staff that provide services in Armstrong, Indiana, and Clarion counties. Since her hire in 2010, she has become involved in the human services systems of Armstrong, Indiana, and Clarion counties. Salvo monitors client progress, financial approvals for treatment, coordinates training for staff and interns, assists with DDAP and MCO quality assurance reviews, monitors providers applicable reporting at local, county, and state levels, and represents theSingle County Authority to collaborate with local human service providers. She is also a certified trainer for the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy and Ethics for Recovery Coaches.
Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC
Mark Sanders is an international speaker in the behavioral health fields whose presentations have reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean Islands. He is coauthor of Recovery Management and author of Relationship Detox: How to Have Healthy Relationships in Recovery. He has had two stories published in the New York Times' best-selling book series Chicken Soup for the Soul. His most recent book is titled Slipping through the Cracks: Intervention Strategies for Clients with Multiple Addictions and Disorders. He is a lecturer at the University of Chicago.
Joseph A. Schwartz, DC
Joseph Schwartz has 31 years experience as a practicing chiropractor with an emphasis on neurology, rehabilitation, nutrition, strength, and conditioning. His mission is to empower others so they may exceed their expectations for vibrant health and well-being.
Michelle Seaman
Michelle Seaman is the regional director with Peerstar LLC, a leading provider of mental health recovery, certified peer support services, and forensic peer support services in Pennsylvania. She has been in the mental health field for 32 years.
Ann Sesti, MA, NCC, LPC
Ann Sesti is the director of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has served in this position for the past 25 years and, previous to that, was employed at St. Francis Hospital in their Drug and Alcohol unit. She holds her master's in counseling and is a professional licensed counselor in Pennsylvania. She is a certified BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention with College Students) trainer.
Adrienne Smith, BSBA, CRS
Adrienne Smith is a certified recovery specialist at Message Carriers of Pennsylvania.
Robert T. Truscello
Robert Truscello is the supervisor of Special Education at the ARIN Intermediate unit and has served as ARIN's crisis prevention and intervention instructor since 1992.
Karen Vadino, MSW, LPCC, OCPC II
Karen Vadino is a motivational speaker, humorist, trainer, and consultant. In her 30-plus years as a human service professional, most of Karen's experience has been in the field of chemical dependency, both as a licensed clinician and as a certified prevention specialist. She has considerable experience working with children and families, having served as a clinician and supervisor in Children's Services group homes and a children's psychiatric hospital. Karen also has been a part-time instructor in social work, sociology, juvenile justice, and human development at Youngstown State University, Penn State University, and Westminster College. She draws from her extensive and varied experience to form the foundation of her unique and distinctively humorous approach to life and work. For the past 18 years, she has been a nationally recognized speaker and trainer sharing her inimitable insights with thousands of peopleadults and youtheach year. Karen has been described as "one of those rare people who can make you laugh and cry in the same moment."
Ajay D. Wasan, MD, MSc
Ajay Wasan is the vice chair for Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a professor of anesthesiology and psychiatry in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is board certified in pain medicine and completed fellowship training in interventional pain medicine in the Anesthesiology Department at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He is also board certified in psychiatry and completed a residency in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins.