September 26-27, 2024
Sheraton, West Des Moines

 

   

 

DeAnn Decker has served as Bureau Chief of Substance Abuse for the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) for over 17 years, now the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Her Bureau is made up of approximately 30 FTE staff that specialize in Problem Gambling and Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment.  The Bureau also houses many discretionary grants for prevention, treatment and recovery services.  Prior to coming to the Department of Public Health, she worked as a substance use disorder clinical reviewer for Magellan Behavioral Health for 11 years. Magellan was the first state’s managed care company for mental health and substance use disorder services from 1995- 2016.   Ms. Decker received her Bachelor’s Degree in Family Services from the University of Northern Iowa. She is also a Certified International Alcohol and Drug Counselor.

 

Linda Kalin is the Executive Director of the Iowa Poison Control Center. She has over 25 years of experience in clinical toxicology and poison center activities. Linda began her career as an emergency room nurse and in 1989 became Iowa’s first Certified Specialist in Poison Information.  She was instrumental in the development of the statewide poison control center established in 2000. She is an adjunct faculty member and preceptor for the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Drake College of Pharmacy and was awarded Preceptor of the Year by both universities. Linda has held leadership and service positions in many national and local professional organizations and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. She is a frequent lecturer and speaker on topics involving drugs of abuse and general poison management. Linda has been honored as one of 100 Great Iowa Nurses for 2012.

Kaelee Otto has been a member of Iowa’s Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team for 15 years and her work has been focused on disaster behavioral health and crisis services. This work has included responding in various capacities to many disasters including flooding, tornadoes, derechos, the pandemic, as well as numerous critical incidents. Kaelee is also a member of FEMA/SAMHSA DTAC Cadre of Consultants. This role allows for the opportunity to train both in Iowa and other States during Presidentially declared disasters to implement the FEMA Crisis Counseling Program and offer assistance with grant review and contributing as a subject matter expert in various capacities. Most recently, Kaelee has been utilizing experiences gained to train Iowa’s workforce to manage feeling overwhelmed and preventing or recovering from burnout and compassion fatigue.

 

Ambre Bernards, LMSW (she/her), is an accomplished social worker and educator with over 20 years of experience, including expertise in substance abuse and addiction counseling. Currently serving as the Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Human Services (pre-Social Work) at Kirkwood Community College, Ambre is dedicated to delivering engaging and meaningful content. Prior roles include Dual Diagnosis Counselor at the Area Substance Abuse Council, where she provided comprehensive therapeutic interventions for individuals with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, an Individual/Family Therapist at Foundation 2 and as a School Social Worker at Grant Wood Area Education Agency, where she was awarded the 2015-2016 Iowa School Social Worker of the Year award in recognition of outstanding achievements and accomplishments within the field at State and Local levels.

Ambre has extensive experience in presenting professional development, workshops, and training sessions on topics such as substance abuse, mental health, and educational strategies  equipping educators and professionals with the tools and knowledge to effectively support diverse needs, create positive learning environments and support equitable educational opportunities. Ambre holds a Master of Social Work from St. Ambrose University and an Advanced Studies Certificate in Education Administration from the University of Northern Iowa, underscoring her commitment to innovative practices and professional development in the fields of education and social work. Ambre has embarked on the pursuit of her Doctorate of Social Work at the University of Kentucky.

 

Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Iowa State University. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, including studies on the positive and negative effects of mass media on children in several countries. His most recent books include Game On! Sensible Answers about Video Games and Media Violence, Learning from Video Games (and everything else), and Finding the Freedom to Get Unstuck and be Happier. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He was honored with the Distinguished Lifetime Contributions Award to Media Psychology and Technology by the American Psychological Association, and he was named one of the Top 300 Professors in the United States by the Princeton Review.

Mandy Moody has been working as a social worker in various capacities for fourteen years and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker. Mandy is an alumni of the Muscatine Community College, Iowa Wesleyan University, and the University of Iowa. In her free time, Mandy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, writing, painting, reading, and being in nature. Mandy currently is employed as a Substance Abuse Counselor at UnityPoint Robert Young Center, New Horizons in Muscatine, Iowa.

 

Theodore Hostikka has been in the addictions field for over 15 years both as a clinician in inpatient and outpatient, and as a Director of Residential Services. Prior to COVID, T. D. taught at the collegiate level teaching Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. T.D. joined Rosecrance Jackson in December 2020 as Director of Residential Services.  In addiction services, T. D. specializes in methamphetamine specific treatment and stimulant use disorders, developing long-term programs and training residential facilities and counselors to provide specialized services.  He was hired by the Performance Institute out of Washington D.C. to speak and present his findings on methamphetamine specific programming at conferences throughout the United States. T. D. has also developed and facilitated a co-existing group for both the recovering addict and their significant other.  T. D. spent 2 years working with adult and adolescent sex offenders at the Minnesota State Hospital in St. Peter, Minnesota, he helped to develop the Rock / Nobles County Drug Court and was the primary addiction therapist for 3 years for that Drug Court, part of that time T. D. served on a board of directors developing two sober living homes in southwest Minnesota.  T. D. was born and raised in the state of Washington but has called the upper Midwest home since 1991.  T. D. earned his B.S. in Social Science from Washington State University, his M.S. in Behavioral/Mental Health from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN, he also earned a post graduate certificate in Contemporary Counseling of Addictive Behaviors from Capella University. T. D. is currently writing chapter 4 of his dissertation for his PhD in Forensic Psychology at Walden University.

 Todd Noack, PRS, is the Executive Director of Life Connections Peer Recovery Services, a peer-run non-profit. He directs Iowa’s only peer-run respite house, and is one of two advanced level Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Facilitators in Iowa. Todd’s volunteer & advocacy experience includes serving as a Board Member for the Iowa Advocates for Mental Health Recovery and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Iowa Peer & Family Peer Support Training Program. Todd is now actively involved in all aspects of Mental Health Recovery, by overseeing and facilitating support groups, public relations, and business management. He keeps up-to -date with the latest developments in Peer Support Recovery movements and ongoing changes in state and local capacities involving individuals, their family members, and children.

 

Lorene Mein, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, is a Family Nurse Practitioner currently working for Primary Health Care, Inc. She received her Master’s from the University of Minnesota and her Doctorate from the University of Iowa. She has a personal passion in addressing tobacco addiction, treatment, and prevention.

Angela Harbour, Area Substance Abuse Council

 

BobbiJo Hare is an Iowa and US Air Force Veteran with 17 years of experience in Behavioral Health and Social/Human services. She holds her Bachelor’s in Social Science and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology with extensive continued education and training. BobbiJo possesses various credentials both internationally and throughout multiple states. She is a Registered Psychotherapist, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, 300 Hour Yoga/Trauma Yoga/Meditation Instruction, Second-Degree Reiki Practitioner, and Advanced Level W.R.A.P. Facilitator. BobbiJo found her true passion in Crisis Intervention, Disaster Behavioral Health Responses and Critical Incident Stress Management. When she is not supporting individuals in the immediate aftermath of disaster, terrorism, or personal crisis, she is more than likely to be facilitating a group or training. She founded “Breathe with BobbiJo” Yoga/Guided Meditation and “Beats with BobbiJo” Group Drumming. These opportunities have honed her own personal lifelong experience with mental health and addiction. BobbiJo is an avid animal rescuer who enjoys roller skating, reading books, and sipping tea in as many locations as possible.

 

Sharaine Webster, LISW, IADC, is a dedicated professional in the field of mental health and social work. As the owner of her own mental health practice and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa School of Social Work, she brings a wealth of expertise to her roles. Sharaine’s clinical interests encompass a wide range of areas, including clinical mental health, addictions, sexual health, and wellness. She provides therapy to individuals, couples, and individuals in polyamorous relationships, demonstrating her commitment to inclusivity and diversity in her practice.

In addition to her clinical work and teaching responsibilities, Sharaine plays an active role in providing clinical trainings for fellow professionals in the field. She also serves on various boards and committees, including the Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), where she holds the position of Central Branch Chair. Additionally, she represents Iowa in the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and contributes her expertise to the training and ethic committees of the Iowa Board of Certification (IBC). Sharaine’s dedication to professional development and advocacy reflects her commitment to advancing the field of social work and promoting the well-being of individuals and communities in Iowa and beyond.

Julie Furne is an Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist who has been working in Prevention for 10 years. The coalition Julie has coordinated has worked on environmental strategies for 15 years and has seen the needle move on youth alcohol and marijuana. In 2022 the coalition was selected for Coalition of the Year as they were able to demonstrate long term outcomes reducing alcohol use by more that 50%. This is Julie’s second year as a CADCA coalition development support coach. Julie is passionate about building capacity, especially in rural communities, to grow and sustain coalitions. Prior to working in Prevention, Julie worked in the child welfare system, working with families to mitigate the effects of substance use across generational misuse. Moving to prevention was a great Aha! Moment, let’s prevent the problems instead of trying to “fix” them later. Hailing from Maquoketa Iowa, rural communities and the unique challenges they face are near and dear to her heart.