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You are invited to join your peers for the 2025 National Forum on Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) on February 11–12, 2025, in Portland, Oregon, as multidisciplinary partners highlight the advances that OFRs and communities have made in collaborating to prevent substance misuse and future overdose deaths. This 1½-day, in-person convening will allow OFR peers who participate in, lead, support, or are interested in OFRs to connect directly with colleagues from different backgrounds to discuss relevant issues and trends, share ideas, exchange resources, and gain new skills to improve programs.
Contributions from OFR peers throughout the country will be presented in a mix of general-interest plenary sessions, workshops for those new to OFR, and skills trainings to strengthen existing OFRs. Participants at any level of experience are encouraged to attend.
Stay Connected: To stay in the loop to receive the latest updates, check this page often!
What to Expect: Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing all the logistical details you need to know, including guidelines for hotel reservations. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out through our Contact Us page anytime.
See you in February!
Need a justification letter?
We encourage you to download our 2025 National Forum justification letter template as a tool. This letter will help you pinpoint and highlight the advantages of attending our national forum and how it will benefit your project, team, organization, and/or mission overall.
Zachary McElgunn
Proven Quality Practices
Zach McElgunn has experience in behavioral health research, including poster presentations, statistical analysis, and behavioral health narrative analysis through his work as a research assistant at the University of Virginia. He has worked with a number of associations in the healthcare and behavioral health spaces to maintain/pursue accreditations and certifications in their respective fields, to organize and hold conferences centered on continuing education, and to achieve quality standards in their delivery of care. Currently, his work sits at the intersection of implementation science, organizational culture, and third-party evaluation of systems of practice (i.e. accreditation in healthcare and behavioral health).
Peggy McElgunn, Esq.
Proven Quality Practices
Peggy McElgunn has worked over fifty national and international nonprofit organizations over 30 years providing management support and guidance at all levels. Peggy leads Proven Quality Practices in their work to close the research to reality gap in human services through implementation of Evidence-Based practices. Peggy holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY where she received a Certificate in International Relations simultaneously. She also holds a Juris Doctorate degree from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA and is a member of the Virginia State Bar and is licensed to practice law before all Virginia State Courts and Federal Courts in the Fourth District.
Samantha Mishne, MSW
Bellefaire JCB
Samantha Mishne is currently the clinical director at Bellefaire JCB a 150 year old organization that services youth and families. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Case Western Reserve University where for the past 14 years she has taught mental health policy, cognitive behavioral interventions and adult development.
Samantha Quigneaux, LMFT
Newport Healthcare
Samantha Quigneaux is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with extensive experience treating adolescents and families, working from a family systems perspective throughout her career. Samantha is the National Director of Family Therapy Services for Newport Healthcare and manages all clinical family programming and development at adolescent and young adult residential and intensive outpatient programs. Samantha ensures model fidelity to Attachment Based Family Therapy to best support families throughout the treatment process. Before joining Newport in 2016, Samantha worked with adolescents and adults who have experienced trauma, and abuse and expertise working with the LGBTQIA+ community.
Barbara Nosal, Ph.D., LMFT
Newport Healthcare
Dr. Barbara Nosal has held various clinical and leadership positions in behavioral health care for almost 30 years. She has worked with adolescents, young adults and families struggling with mental health issues and co-occurring disorders in a variety of treatment settings. In 2009 Dr. Nosal joined Newport Healthcare as the founding Clinical Director and is currently their Chief Clinical Officer. She holds a Doctorate in Transpersonal Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and Master of Science in Human Services with a Concentration in Alcohol and Drug Studies. She is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist and Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor. Dr. Nosal specializes in family systems and attachment theories to improve communication and deepen the family relationships.
Janet Grauberg
Janet Grauberg is a UK organisational learning consultant, focusing on facilitating the spread of good practice and innovation in children’s services, particularly services for young people leaving care. Previous roles include senior policy and strategy positions in children’s services, including as a Deputy Director in the Department for Education and Director of Strategy at two large children’s not-for-profit organisations.
Steve Hulme
Steve has 12 years of experience working in the children and young people sector having undertaken roles across education, health and social care. Currently, as Project Development Manager at Break Charity he supports the running and development of a pilot ‘Staying Close’ service that supports young people transition from care into independent adult life. As part of his role, he is sharing the learning and innovation with a region in England to help enhance their leaving care offer and to understand the complexities of scaling the Staying Close innovation. In addition, he is a committee member
Guy Diamond, Ph.D.
Drexel University
Guy Diamond Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Family Intervention Science at Drexel University. His primary work has been in the area of youth suicide prevention and treatment research. As a prevention scientist, he has created a program of training, screening and triage for non-behavioral health settings. As an intervention scientist, he and his colleagues have developed and tested Attachment-based Family Therapy, with a focus on youth suicide treatment.
Serena Atallah
Child and Parent Resource Institute
Serena Atallah is a Research Coordinator at the Child and Parent Resource Institute (CPRI) and a psychology undergraduate student at Brock University. Her research interests center around child and youth mental health, with a specific focus on the impacts of early life adversity.
Leticia Galyean, LCSW
Seneca Family of Agencies
Gina Peck-Sobolewski, LMFT
Sycamores
Nicole Klasey, Psy.D
Nicole Klasey Consulting, LLC
Alisa Matheson
Gaelin Elmore
Lisa Cherry
Tenecia Waddell-Pyle
MyPath
John Soderberg
MyPath
Jon Jelley
Boys Town
Sarah Gauvin
Boys Town
Ryan Dempsey, MSW
Strive Community Care, AUS
Daisy Dempsey, BSW
Strive Community Care, AUS
Rachel Taylor
Strive Community Care, AUS
Dave Paxton, LISW-S
The Village Network
Kara Sabalauskas, MSW
The Home
Meredith Mello Rapoza, LMHC
JRI
Cheryl Peltier, LSW
Plummer Youth Promise
Noreen Dolan, MSW, LCSW
Bridges Homeward
Amanda Nosel, LLM
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
Hannah Ferguson
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
Rachel Suarez LeBeau
The Cathedral Home
Katherine Ratigan
The Cathedral Home
Teresa Arens
The Cathedral Home
Tiffany Lindsey, EdD, LPC-MHSP
University of KY
Jordan Constantine
University of KY
Jeannette Paules, MSW
WI Deptartment of Children and Families
Jamie Gennrich, MSW, CAPSW
WI Deptartment of Children and Families
Shea Hutchins, LCSW
Canopy Children's Solutions
Kim Jordan, RN, BSN, MHSA
Canopy Children's Solutions
Nikki Goos, LMHC
Tanager
Brooke Mohs
Tanager
Jennie Null, LMFT
Tanager
Melissa LaRocque, MSCJ
Dover Children's Home
Renee Touhey-Childress, MSW, LICSW
Dover Children's Home
Rebecca Smith
The Home
Michelle Berton, LMHC
The Home
Donelle Hauser, LMSW
Lad Lake
Tracy Frizzell, MS
Economic Awareness Council
Constance Alberts
Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin, Inc.
Bob Lieberman, LPC
BBI
Nancy Pierce
BBI
Mark Nickell
BBI
Sara Fox
Office of Child Welfare, OR
Tekoah Boatner
Youth Oasis
Andrew Catalano, MSRS
Hillsides
Samira Vishra, LCSW
Hillsides
Myles Williams
Hillsides
Jennifer Flowers
Accreditation Guru
Kelly Barkley Mane
Social Current
Leslie Ellis-Lang, LMFT
CARF Internation
Emily Robbearts
EAGLE Accreditation
Melinda Lehman
The Joint Commission
Pete Myers, Psy.D.
YellowBrick
Jonathan Huefner, Ph.D.
Boys Town
Savarra Howry, MSW
Florida State University
Vivian Mills, Ph.D., MSW
Florida State University
Hilary Hogdon, Ph.D.
JRI
Corey Muerer
JRI
Lia Martin, Ph.D.
JRI
Yolanda Graham, MD
Devereux Behavioral Health
Kelsey Lawson, JD
Devereux Behavioral Health
Dustin Tibbitts, LMFT
Embark
Kevin Roach, MCHS
Family of Services
Sharnell Myles, Pys.D, LPC
Embark
Dr. Sharnell Myles, Psy. D. LPC, CPCS, CCTP is a licensed psychotherapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional who specializes in the treatment of complex trauma. Her dedication to serving children, youth, and adults has spanned over 23-years with a focus on trauma responsive mental health treatment, program development, and social justice advocacy.
Dr. Myles is the Vice President of Embark Behavioral Health’s Georgia region where she leads strategic growth efforts and daily operations. Embark Behavioral Health operates an exceptional network of treatment programs across the United States, and specializes in preteens, teens, and young adults, struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health and substance use issues. Dr. Myles successfully led the opening of Embark at Atlanta North and Embark at Buckhead which offers a full continuum of care that includes Intensive Outpatient Treatment, Partial Hospitalization Treatment, Outpatient, Psychiatry, and Nursing. It’s Big Empathetic Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is to lower the all-time high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide to all-time lows by 2028.
Dr. Myles has successfully developed behavioral health companies and provided consultancy for systems of care in the development of trauma informed policies and therapeutic programming. In 2000, Dr. Myles founded the JoyUs Beginnings Child & Family Wellness Center and The Urban Trauma Positive Impact Center, Inc. which is an exclusive trauma-informed treatment and advocacy center located in Atlanta, Georgia. Services include trauma informed therapies, trauma assessments, group treatments, gender specific social justice initiatives for girls of color and PeriCare a 2-Gen maternal fetal behavioral health treatment and advocacy initiatives. JoyUs Beginnings also serves as a training hub for therapists to develop trauma informed therapy skills and clinical practice development. Dr. Myles was instrumental in developing the trauma informed protocol for a nonprofit organization serving vulnerable youth who experienced exploitation, abuse, and other victimizations within the Fulton County Juvenile Court (FCJC), the largest juvenile court in the southeast region.
Throughout her career, Dr. Myles has consulted with various states, systems of care, and urban school districts such as East Cleveland’s MyCom, Inc. and Minnesota’s Robbinsdale Area Schools, to provide training and develop trauma-informed programming. In addition, she is a sought-after consultant who transforms organizations in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Myles is also a subject matter expert in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) and has worked on the front line of this issue for over twenty years. In December 2018, Dr. Myles coauthored the first DMST Protocol for schools in the state of Georgia and has trained hundreds of school social workers, nationally, to effectively identify, respond, and support students impacted by DMST. In addition, she has trained over ten thousand individuals which includes Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, corporations, law enforcement, mental health providers, educators, lawyers, governmental officials, and community members in the area of DMST and the impact of trauma on young children, youth, and families.
Dr. Myles has accepted many leadership positions throughout her career. She is the current Advisory Board Chair for the DeKalb County Juvenile Court Mental Health Court - Journey Program, a member of the Georgia Statewide Multi-Disciplinary Team for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Board Chair for Breaking the Cycle, Inc (Philadelphia), and was the Vice Chair of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Taskforce Survivors Supported and Protected workgroup. Dr. Myles is a subject matter expert and provides expert testimony in legal cases involving child and adolescent trauma. She has presented at various conferences and has experience in vast settings such as clinical, juvenile justice, Department of Defense, and community-based settings.
Dr. Myles’ non-profit, The Social Justice Café for Girls, Inc., was founded in 2016 and is a prevention program dedicated to serving girls in the areas of social justice, wellness, international affairs, and girl empowerment. Since its inception in 2016, the program has touched the lives of over 500 girls through mentoring, social justice cafés, wellness and empowerment seminars, international travel and service, and advocacy services. (www.socialjusticecafeforgirls.org )
Dr. Myles has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and Master’s degree in Community and Clinical Psychology from Norfolk State University, and a Master's degree and Doctor of Psychology degree from Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Myles has been named a 2019 Servant Leader for her work in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and has received numerous awards: Atlanta Board of Commissioners Proclamation, State Senate Resolution, The President Barack Obama Lifetime Service Award, Our Children’s Keeper Community Leadership Award, House of Hope Public Service Award, ACHI Magazine Mental Health Advocate Award, to name a few.
Lena Wilson, JD
Vista Del Mar Child and Family Service
Lena Wilson has worked in the field of child welfare for over 30 years, currently serving as CEO/ President of Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services. Over the course of Ms. Wilson’s career, she has worked in various capacities within the child welfare system, including as a foster care program manager, an administrator of the Salvation Army Denby Center, an 85-bed residential treatment center and Executive Director of Lutheran Adoption Service the largest non-profit adoption agency in the state of Michigan. Prior to coming to Vista, Ms. Wilson served as the Vice President of Samaritas Child and Family division, a Michigan based statewide health and human service organization.
Lena is passionate about working with at-risk children and their families empowering them to reach their highest potential. Her initial calling to the field was as a youth specialist in a small residential setting. She grew up with the guiding principle, to always look back to see whose hand you can take as you move forward.
“I’m here to give the community everything I’ve got. Kids facing trauma and neglect need a safe place and strong support to heal. These kids are ‘ours’ – the kid who sits next to your child at school or the kid who lives down the street. With every child we support, we raise up our community.”
Lena serves on the board of directors of the Association of Community Human Service Agencies, where she chairs the residential committee. Ms. Wilson is also and currently a member of the Building Bridges Leader of Color initiative and provides consultation to other residential providers to increase the use of best practices around youth voice and choice.
Ms. Wilson is a native of Michigan and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy. She has two daughters, Maya and Olivia. Maya graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Business, and Olivia is at San Diego State University pursing a bachelor's degree in public health.
Mira Jourdan, Ph.D.
Mira Krishnan, LLC
Christopher Bellonci, MD
Baker Children’s Center
Kayla Herbell, Ph.D., RN
Ohio State University
Cynthia Williams
Sycamores
Millie Sweeney, MS
FREDLA
Barry McGrady
Allambi Care
Shannon CrossBear
Strongheart Resource Development
Chrissie Veerkamp
Nexus Family Healing
Deb Nass
Nexus Family Healing
Joanna Dye
Nexus Family Healing
Jeff Friedman, Ph.D., LCSW
Warwick Family Services
Edwina Poynton, MsS
TransformAction Outcomes
Shane Murdoch
TransformAction Outcomes
Jennie Null, LMFT
Tanager
Camela Hughes, Ph.D.
LaSalle School
Dr. Camela Hughes has been on LaSalle’s staff since 2012. Her research interests include evidence-based practice, trauma informed care, and the linkages between client characteristics, treatment interventions, and outcomes for youth. Dr. Hughes is the Co-Principal Investigator of Service Outcomes Action Research (SOAR), a University/agency partnership designed to aid LaSalle School in the development and testing of a theory of change to help determine what methods work best with which clients. She is also the Co-Chair of the Association of Children’s Residential Centers Research Committee and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice for the College of St. Rose.
Erin Flood, LCSW
LaSalle School
Christopher Delap, LMLP, BCBA
Lakemary
Chris Delap earned his B.S. degree in Psychology at the University of Kansas in 2002, a M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Pittsburg State University in 2006. As a teaching assistant in graduate school, he taught undergraduate Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) courses. While working at Lakemary Center as a program therapist he incorporated his passion of ABA in his therapeutic approach and went on to earn his certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst through the University of Western Florida in 2016. Currently, the Director of Behavioral Services at Lakemary Center, Chris oversees the training department along with the campus wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system while incorporating an Organizational Behavioral Management (OBM) focus in systems development for the organization.
April Wall-Parker, MS
Pressley Ridge
Michael Valenti, Ph.D.
Pressley Ridge
Teeh Tinsley, LMSW
Pressley Ridge
Patti McCloud
Pressley Ridge
Alisa Matheson
Power of Story
Gaelin Elmore
Bob Lieberman, LPC
BBI
Nancy Pierce
BBI
Cynthia Williams
Sycamores
Millie Sweeney, MS
FREDLA
Patricia Wilcox, MSW, LCSW
Klingberg Family Centers
Aminah Ali, LMSW
Klingberg Family Centers
Penny Russell
Wayside Youth and Family Support Network
Verona Pointdujour
Wayside Youth and Family Support Network
Suellen Rizzo, LICSW
St. Mary's Home for Children
Patty Olney Murphy
St. Mary's Home for Children
Cassa Sierra-Patev
St. Mary's Home for Children
Katie Rodriguez, LMSW
JCCA
Barry McGrady
Allambi Care
Glen Simpson
Allambi Care
Sally Sutton
Allambi Care
Tineal Corrigan
Allambi Care
Nekia Stewart
Allambi Care
Rebecca Shiels-Earl
Allambi Care
Dr Paul Baker
Allambi Care
Karen Johnson, MSW, LCSW
Social Current
Stacy Heltemes
Pillsbury United Communities
Chanelle Gordon, Ph.D.
Boys Town
Patrick Tyler, Ph.D., LIMPH, LPC
Boys Town
Amber Rand, LMHC
Orchard Place
Staci Mease, CADC
Orchard Place
Ivy Medeiros, LICSW
Stevens Treatment Programs
Sarah Gauvin
Stevens Treatment Programs
Will Clawson
Stevens Treatment Programs
Lisa Cherry
Daniel Dawes, JD
Coming soon!
The Bureau of Justice Assistance's Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) Overdose Fatality Review Training and Technical Assistance Program is a collaborative effort of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-21-GK-01074-MUMU awarded by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). Points of view or opinions are those of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Yes, registration is free and very easy! Click HERE to register and save your spot today.
There will not be a virtual option for the 2025 National Forum on Overdose Fatality Review, but select presentations will be posted on the OFRtools.org national forum page. Presentation slides will be posted as PDFs on the website.
No, this forum is open to those who participate in, lead, support, or are interested in overdose fatality reviews regardless of funding source.
There is no travel sponsorship or funding available to support travel or related costs for the national forum. If you receive grant funding, we encourage you to connect with your grant manager to see whether there is the ability to use some funds to travel to the national forum.