8/11/2012 – The Synthetic Summit was held Thursday in the gymnasium at Brighton Center for Recovery (formerly Brighton Hospital) . The summit was a joint effort of several drug prevention groups that addressed the epidemic of synthetic marijuana and bath salts to a combined 185 medical professionals, teachers, and members of the community. Later that same evening the event addressed parents, students, and others concerned with synthetic drug addiction.
Tom Cahillane, President of Substance Free Future Foundation, said that SFFF was proud to be a part of the collaboration along with Brighton Center for Recovery, HSCB Substance Abuse Workgroups, and Livingston Community Prevention Project. Cahillane commented that we collaborated together as a team to create a recipe for success. We reached out and asked for help and the response was overwhelming. Representatives from the DEA, doctors, judges, social workers, law enforcement, chemists, and drug prevention specialists responded ready to educate the community about the dangers of synthetic drugs.
Lindsay Beaudry, HSCB Community Collaborative Planner said, "It was grand to observe how the strengths of each member added to the collective success of the event."
Speakers at the event included Robert Bell, Drug Enforcement Administration, Judge Jodi Debbrecht, 51st District Court, Scott Masi, Outreach Specialist, Brighton Center for Recovery, Karen Bergbower, LMSW, CAADC, CPC-M, Karen Bergbower and Associates, Dr. Heather Schmidt, St.Joseph Healthcare System, Sheriff Bob Bezotte, Livingston County Sheriff, David Morse, Livingston County Prosecutor, Jon Gonzalez, Legislative Researcher, Michigan Department of Community Health, Office of Legislative Affairs, Dr. Edward Jouney, DO, MS, Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Robert Dunne, Vice Chief of Emergency Medicine, St. John Hospital & Medical Center, Paul Kennedy PhD, Director of Analytical Chemistry, Cayman Chemical, Elizabeth Reader, CCS, CADC, ICADC, Program Director, Milford Counseling, Angie Willoughby, LMSW, CAADC, Program Coordinator for Intake, Emergency Services, and Specialty Court, Livingston County Community Mental Health, Felix Sharpe, Director, Bureau of Substance Abuse and Addiction Services (BSAAS), Michigan Department of Community Health, and Kaitlin Fink, LLMSW: Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, Livingston County Catholic Charities.
Thank you for all your hard work to Scott Masi, Referral and Outreach Specialist, Brighton Center For Recovery, Kaitlin Fink, LLMSW: Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, Livingston County Catholic Charities, Russell Stratton, Pinckney Coalition Coordinator, Lindsay Beaudry, HSCB Community Collaborative Planner, Bill Cook, Treasurer, Substance Free Future Foundation, Tom Cahillane, President, Substance Free Future Foundation, Polly Mallory, Director of Early Childhood Development, Lacasa Center, and James Schepper, LPC, CAAC, Clinical Director, Catholic Charities.
Special thanks go out to Brighton Center For Recovery who hosted the Synthetic Summit, and Bill Cook, Treasurer with Substance Free Future Foundation for spending his entire day filming the event. He will also edit and prepare the final version of the Synthetic Summit video and be responsible for working with the event organizers to possibly provide vouchers for synthetic drug testing from funds raised during the Synthetic Summit.
