Speaker: Rachel P. Winograd, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Date: June 5, 2023, noon-1p.m.

Three ways to attend:

• In person at University of Missouri-St. Louis, Millennium Student Center, Century Room A (lunch provided)
• In person via Zoom at University of Missouri-Columbia, Tom and Linda Atkins Family Seminar Room, Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building (lunch provided)
• Virtual – Register to receive a Zoom link

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Description

This talk will describe the recent landscape of drug use and overdose deaths in Missouri, including the ever-expanding role of fentanyl in our drug supply and the increase in deaths involving stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine. Though many ongoing programming and research initiatives have understandably continued to focus on increasing access to medical treatments for Opioid Use Disorder and opioid-related harm reduction initiatives, the necessity of greater implementation and evaluation of stimulant-focused intervention strategies is clear. Additional attention will be paid to the wide racial disparities between Black and white Missourians regarding addiction treatment outcomes and overdose fatalities, including highlights of what is being done at the state and local levels to reduce deaths among those at highest-risk. Strategies for data-driven drug policy, funding and community engagement will be highlighted. 

About the Speaker

Rachel Winograd, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and an associate professor within the Department of Psychological Sciences and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Her clinical, research and program development interests revolve around interventions to save and improve the lives of people who use drugs. Currently, she directs the UMSL Addiction Science team and serves as principal investigator of the Addiction Science, Practice, Implementation, Research and Education (ASPIRE) Lab. Her scholarly and implementation work is funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Missouri Foundation for Health and Missouri’s Opioid Pharmaceutical Settlements through the Missouri Departments of Mental Health and Health & Senior Services. Dr. Winograd and her teams’ efforts primarily focus on expanding access to medical treatment, harm reduction strategies and person-centered approaches for those most in need of evidence-based care for substance use disorders in Missouri.