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Breaking Barriers to Care

September 19, 2025 | Hilton Garden Inn, Auburn NY

One day conference, designed by medical providers for medical providers and community partners. From prevention and harm reduction to treatment and recovery, together we can break barriers to care.

Our Speakers

Learn what you can do to help create a no wrong door approach to care for individuals with substance use disorder and those at risk in our community.  

Agenda Topics

Concurrent sessions will be offered at various times throughout the day to provide choice for attendees. (Continental breakfast and lunch are included in registration.)

Attendees are invited to explore Silent Signs, an interactive mock teen bedroom presented by Prevention Network CNY from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM, highlighting hidden warning signs of potential substance use.

Check-In & Light Breakfast

Muffins, Danishes, Assorted Pastries & Fresh Fruit Bowl

8:00 AM

Opening Remarks

Speakers: Dr. Adam Duckett CMO | East Hill Medical Center & Jimmy Giannettino, Mayor | City of Auburn

8:30 AM

Breaking Barriers in a Changing Federal Landscape

Keynote Speaker: Maria Morris-Groves, Acting Associate Commissioner for the Division of Addiction Treatment and Recovery (ATAR) | NYS OASAS

9:00 AM

Youth Prevention Statistics & Trends

Speaker: JoLynn Mulholland, Prevention Director | Confidential Help for Drugs & Alcohol

9:45 AM

BREAK

Building a Recovery Safe Community

Speaker: Ashley Short, Executive Director | Nick's Ride 4 Friends

10:30 AM

Barriers to care: Voices from the Front Lines (Facilitated Panel Discussion)

Facilitator: April Miles, President & CEO | East Hill Medical Center

11:00 AM

Panelists: 

  • Lauren Walsh, Director of Community Services | Cayuga County

  • Katrina Garrigan, Director of Inner Wellness | East Hill Medical Center

  • Kenneth Laframboise, Coordinating Supervisor of Peer Services | Nick's Ride 4 Friends

  • Chief Matthew Androsko | City of Auburn Police Department

  • Chief Mark Fritz | City of Auburn Fire Department 

  • Dr. James Syrett, CMO | Auburn Community Hospital

Lunch

Assortment of beverages, salads, deli sandwiches and desert

12:00 PM

BREAK: ROOM DIVIDE

Concurrent Sessions: Riesling Room

Medication for Opioid Use Disorder and Non-Opioid Pain Management

Speaker: Theresa Baxter, Family Nurse Practitioner | Upstate University Hospital 

1:00 PM

1.5 CME/CEU

Hepatitis C Mangement 

Speaker: Dr. Anthony Martinez, Medical Director of Hepatology | Erie County Medical Center

2:30 PM

1.0 CME/CEU

Concurrent Sessions: Chardonnay Room

Using a Trauma-Informed Approach as Universal Precaution

Speaker: Amy Fleischauer, Trainer/Coach | University of Buffalo School of Social Work's Institue on Trauma-Informed Care

1:00 PM

1.5 NYSED CEU

Food as Medicine: The Mind - Body Connection

Speaker: Rachel Viens, Chair | Nutrition Education for All; Division Director of Healthy Families | Onondaga County Health Department

2:30 PM

BREAK: REOPEN ROOM

Understanding Addiction: A Dialogue on Reasons, Roles and Recovery 

Speaker: Dr. Jerimy Blowers, Professor, Coordinator of Wellness and Intervention Services | Cayuga Community College

3:40 PM

Feedback and Final Remarks

Facilitated discussion, raffle drawings, final remarks

4:30 PM

Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 1H79TI088037 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.​

 

This publication relates to a program funded by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. Part of the event is OASAS funded and we are trying to get the OASAS commissioner here to support.

Registration for this event has closed.

If you are unable to grant permission above, please contact Trish Kerr at tkerr@easthillmedical.com for an alternative registration method.


If financial considerations would prevent you from registering for this conference, please email Trish Kerr at tkerr@easthillmedical.com.

Admission Fee
$25

Tabling Vendors

Nick's Ride 4 Friends

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Nick’s Ride 4 Friends is a nonprofit committed to empowering individuals towards recovery through sharing lived experience and community connections.

East Hill Medical Center

East Hill Medical Center is an award-winning community health center committed to elevating the wellness of our community so everyone can achieve a healthy and fulfilled life. 

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NYS Office of Mental Health

The New York State Office of Mental Health promotes mental wellness for all New Yorkers, focusing on hope and recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with emotional disturbances.

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Cayuga Community College

Cayuga Community College is located in Auburn NY and part of the SUNY system offering diverse career-focused 2-year degree and certificate programs.

Confidential Help for Alcohol & Drugs (CHAD)

CHAD is a nonprofit dedicated to enabling individuals to improve their lives and reach their full potential by treating substance use disorder through physical, mental and spiritual rehabilitation.

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Farnham Family Services

Farnham Family Services works with community partners to promote health, focusing on addictive behaviors, through training, prevention, treatment and recovery supports.

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Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses

Confidential program offering support and advocacy for all NYS-licensed nurses facing substance use challenges.

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Cayuga County BRIDGE Drop-In Center

The BRIDGE Drop-In Center offers a safe, inclusive space with person-first, harm reduction support, empowering individuals toward health and stability.

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