Community Paramedic Program Manager

Bio: I serve as the Community Paramedic Program Manager at Edgecombe County EMS, where I focus on advancing healthcare delivery in rural Eastern North Carolina. I am board certified as a community paramedic through the International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC) and oversee the EMS system’s medical supplies, DEA license, CLIA lab certification, pharmaceutical stockpile, and equipment. I’ve worked over 11 years in prehospital medicine throughout the twin counties.

Currently, I hold a Level II Paramedic Instructor certification from the North Carolina Office of EMS. I graduated magna cum laude from Western Carolina University in 2016, earning a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Care (Health Management).

Despite my administrative responsibilities, I remain deeply passionate about street medicine and the direct impact it has on the community. Outside of work, I am a dedicated family person, happily married, and a proud parent to my daughter. My hobbies include saltwater fishing, carpentry, cooking, and enjoying college football.

Session Title: Building Bridges to Recovery: Developing a Community Paramedic Program for Opioid Crisis Intervention

Session Summary: This breakout session will equip participants with actionable steps and insights to developing a community paramedic program addressing the opioid crisis. The session will guide attendees through assessing community needs, engaging stakeholders, securing funding through the opioid settlement, and providing specialized training for paramedics. It will cover establishing clear protocols for overdose response, referral pathways, and follow-up care. Participants will learn about structuring the program, equipping paramedics with necessary supplies, and implementing data management systems. We will explore some of the success stories and lessons learned along the way as well. Our success in a rural, traditionally stigmatized area demonstrates that this model can work for any community.

NC Victim Services Practitioner - Founder/CEO Daughters of Worth + Director of Victim Services

Bio: Liz Liles Liz Liles is passionate about serving the girls and women who have experienced victimization through exploitation and sex trafficking, Liz Liles is investing her life, serving and empowering survivors to find hope for their lives and freedom for their futures. Liz is the Founder of Daughters of Worth, a non-profit organization that provides trauma-informed, comprehensive services for girls and women who are victims of violence, specifically human trafficking. Through prevention education, safety planning, assisting with safe exits, documentation recovery, case management, advocacy, emergency support, relocation services, care coordination, and trauma-informed mental health services, Daughters of Worth directly assists survivors of trafficking courageously exit their traffickers and find the support and services they need to heal and begin their new journey in life. In addition to providing direct services,

Daughters of Worth serves more than 500 girls (elementary-high school) in 3 counties through prevention education empowerment sessions. Additional outreach measures of the organization includes jail outreach and operation of a drop-in center to provide a safe refuge for survivors throughout the day.

Liz Liles holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from East Carolina University, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate, and is a NC Victim’s Services Practitioner. In addition, she holds an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from Duke University. Liz is a member of the Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking, serves on the Pitt County Trafficking Multi-Disciplinary Team, is a member of the Beaufort County Behavioral Health Task Force, and also a member of the Beaufort County Domestic Violence Prevention Task Force.

She has been a part of the life-changing work of philanthropy for twenty years and lives each day with a heart to bring a voice to the voiceless and to impact change where it is most needed, so that all people have the opportunity to succeed and thrive! In 2020, Liz was awarded the Best Irons Humanitarian Award by the Human Relations Council of Greenville. Daughters of Worth was also the recipient of the 2020 Excellence in Nonprofits Award from the NC Community Foundation of the East.

It is the prayer of Liz Liles that her every breath will be used to bring hope, healing, and freedom to others.

Session Title: Exposing the Vulnerabilities and Intersections of Human Trafficking and Substance Use in Eastern NC

Session Description: As service providers working with our most vulnerable populations, it is essential that clinicians not only understand what human trafficking is and how it operates, but how our most vulnerable communities are impacted through modern day slavery. In this session, Liz Liles, Founder of Daughters of Worth, will expose the vulnerabilities and intersections of human trafficking in NC. This session will explore how poverty, substance use disorder, mental health, and disabilities are all core fundamentals utilized by perpetrators to weaponize and control victims. Participants will learn how to not only identify trafficking signs, but how to incorporate screenings and appropriate survivor referrals in their practice.

Consultant for NCDAC Reentry & Rehabilitation

Bio: Greg Singleton is a native of New York City, New York. As a youth, his family relocated to Aulander, NC. Greg holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fayetteville State University, a Project Management Professional Certification from IT University. Greg completed his Paralegal studies in Corporate Law and Civil Litigation at the Professional Career Development Institute in Atlanta, GA. May 09, 1992, Greg was commissioned as a U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant. Following his service in the Army, Greg worked in Corporate America for over 21 years in Telecommunication. His telecommunication areas of expertise are in Technical Support, Operation and Project Management. Nov 2015, Greg relocated to Craven County where he found and developed the Craven Pamlico Reentry Council in June 2016 in which he served as the Chairman. Greg have served on the NC Statewide Re-Entry Council Collaborative Legislative Implementation team and the Craven County local transportation advisory board. Greg became the Director of Community Workforce Readiness at Craven Community College in February 2017. March 2021 when Craven Community College became the intermediary agency for the Local Reentry Council, Greg’s role increased with the adding of Director of Reentry Operations to his title. May 2022 Greg became the Dean of Programs, Workforce and Continuing Education at Central Carolina Community College.

Session Title: The Importance of Local Reentry Councils

Session Description: Improvement of Public Safety, lowering the collateral cost of incarcerated, improving the workforce, increasing taxpayers through employment... If you support these areas of improvement, then you would support the efforts set forth by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. I invite you to learn more about local reentry councils and how you can support this smart and life changing initiative.

Court Management Specialist, NC AOC

Bio: Kirstin Frescoln is a Court Management Specialist with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts working to support the state’s adult criminal, mental health, veteran, DUI, family, and youth recovery courts. She has more than 25 years’ experience developing, implementing, and evaluating community-based programs and policies to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals and families. She has worked at the local, state, and federal level; former positions include North Carolina Drug Treatment Court Manager, Senior Program Associate with Children and Family Futures, Senior Consultant for the National Drug Court Institute, Senior Research Associate with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center for Urban and Regional Studies, and Maternal, Infant, and Child Home Visiting Coordinator with the North Carolina Division of Public Health, Children, and Youth. Through her private consulting firm, Facilitated Community Solutions, she has provided technical assistance and training for the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Juvenile Justice, Center for Court Innovation, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, National Drug Court Institute, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Children and Family Futures, and Reclaiming Futures, as well as numerous local, tribal, and state entities. Publications include examination of the impacts of federal policy on treatment courts, the health impacts of relocation from distressed public housing, and evaluations of self-sufficiency initiatives within public housing in journals such as Social Science and Medicine, Housing Policy Debate, Intl Public Health Journal, and Housing Studies.

She is a Certified Public Meetings Facilitator and Mediator and has a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Public Manager Certification from North Carolina State University, and bachelors in Foreign Affairs and History from the University of Virginia.

Co Presenter Bio: Daniel, a Marine Corps Veteran originally from Richmond, VA, has successfully navigated long-term recovery and utilizes both his personal journey and professional training to aid others facing challenges with mental health and substance use issues. His career began as a Case Manager for the Veteran program at FIRST at Blue Ridge. He later transitioned to a Veteran Liaison role at the Veteran Treatment Court in Buncombe County, where he had previously graduated from the program himself. Daniel also served as a peer support specialist at Veteran Service of the Carolinas, offering assistance in homeless outreach and later specializing in suicide prevention case management and crisis intervention.

Currently, Daniel holds the position of Court Coordinator and is a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor for Henderson County’s inaugural Adult Recovery Court. Beyond his professional roles, Daniel actively contributes to various boards including the NC Statewide Independent Living Council, HOME Center of Asheville, and the Recovery Community Collaborative.

Session Title: Building Recovery = Building Supports

Session Summary: There is more to sustained recovery than negative drug tests, treatment attendance, and completion of services. Sustained recovery depends on all four of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s identified domains—health, home, purpose, and community. Treatment providers William Cloud and Robert Granfield, who studied “natural recovery” – the capacity of some individuals to achieve recovery without the formalized interventions of talk therapy and medications – determined that individuals with greater “recovery capital” were more likely to sustain recovery. Granfield and Cloud defined recovery capital as “the sum of personal and social resources at one’s disposal for managing drug dependence and bolstering one’s capacity and opportunities for recovery.” In this session we will discuss tools and strategies you can use to assess and grow recovery capital in the individuals and families you work to support.

Executive Diretor, Wilson County Subsance Prevention Coalition

Bio: Jeff Hill serves as the Executive Director of the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition. His passion to reach the community with prevention tools and methods comes from his own lived experiences.

Jeff attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington and currently lives in Goldsboro, NC with his Wife Christina and their dogs Champ (lab) and Olive (Corgi). Jeff has experience serving vulnerable at-risk populations experiencing substance misuse and other challenges. He has worked alongside multiple partnering agencies to aid impoverished demographics within the Wilson County limits for the past five years, serving populations ranging in various ages, ethnicities, and education within a non-profit (501c3) work environment. Jeff’s areas of proficiency include educational development, workforce related training, and personal/behavioral skills training/counseling. In September 2017, he was certified to implement a behavioral risk/need assessment known as the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) by the Alma Institute and was later certified as a Recovery Coach via the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) in October 2018. Jeff also serves as both Project Director and Co-Director of multiple federal grants including the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalitions HRSA RCORP Implementation Grant and Wilson County’s HRSA RCORP Behavioral Health Support(s) Grant. He is also working with Wilson County Government in the creation and approval of an Opioid Action Plan that will be used to facilitate the use of Opioid Settlement Funding within Wilson County over the next 16+ years.

As Executive Director, Jeff oversees several local, state, and federal grants that have allowed the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition to supply the community with medication lock boxes, medication disposal kits, naloxone kits, and prevention education for the community. Jeff also oversees various programs such as Wilson’s local recovery center (RC3) and the county’s treatment access point known as the Hope Alliance Initiative.

Jeffs vision for Wilson County is to work equitably within the field(s) of Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery. With this “continuum of care” model set into place, and with multiple agencies working towards the same common goal(s), the community will gain equitable access to SUD resources by dismantling local barriers that inhibit the perception around “access to care”.

Bio Haynes: Melissa Haynes is a graduate of Barton College in Wilson, NC where she received a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion with a concentration in Psychology. She is a Public Health Educator II at the Wilson County Health Department. As a health educator she stays actively engaged with community events, health fairs, and multiple programs that are offered through the Health Department. Melissa is also involved in several committees: Wilson County Opioid Multidisciplinary Team, Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition, Wilson County Substance Prevention Youth Coalition, and the HIV Task Force of Wilson County to name a few. She is also trained in Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid, in addition to being a trained Recovery Coach and a certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. She enjoys working in the substance use field and helping those who are seeking prevention, treatment, harm reduction, or recovery. Melissa oversees the Wilson County Syringe Services Program and Naloxone distribution for Wilson County. Being from a small town, Melissa knew that she wanted to work closely with the community, and she enjoys having the opportunity to connect with the residents of Wilson County. When she is not working, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and their dog.

Session Title: Harm Reduction 101: Meeting people where they are to combat the national addiction crisis

Summary: In this session, participants will learn from the Wilson County Health Department about the implementation of harm reduction strategies (such as Syringe Service Programming) within Wilson County, as well as how services have expanded since it’s establishment in 2017.

Participants will also learn from both the Wilson County Health Department and The Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition about the use of federal, state, and local funding (including Opioid Settlement Dollars) to fund community naloxone distributions as both a harm reduction and overdose prevention strategy (with Wilson County, NC serving as the example site). Participants will also be guided through a step by step training on how to administer Naloxone in the event of an Opioid related overdose, with each participant receiving their own personal dose to take post-training at no cost.

Parents as Teachers Educator and Triple P Practitioner

Bio: Velvet Tyndall has worked with North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Lenoir County Center for 15 years, with 7 of those being involved with the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program. PAT is a free home-visiting program that works with families who have children from prenatal to age five, or whenever the child starts Kindergarten. The mission of PAT is to promote the optimal early development, learning, and health of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers. Ms. Tyndall is also a Triple P (Positive, Parenting Program), and is trained in levels 2, 3, and 4. Triple P provides strategies to parents and caregivers in specific problematic areas they are facing with their child(ren). Both programs foster in parents/caregivers to be the best parents/caregivers they can be. Parents as Teachers also encompasses that parents are their child’s first and most important teacher. She has also been working with the 9th Judicial District’s Family and Recovery Court since 2017, providing insight to substance use prevention for youth along with parenting support.

During her time with Extension, she has served in roles as a 4-H program assistant, providing substance use prevention education to youth ages 5-17. She has

worked in the realm of parent education providing sessions to families that were court ordered, or just seeking additional parenting support through the Parenting Matters curriculum.

Previously, Ms. Tyndall worked with families in a capacity of providing in-home services to families who had substantiations of abuse and/or neglect with Lenoir County Department of Social Services, where she worked in that capacity for over three years. She then began working with a local hospital in their Injury Prevention Center, providing education services to parents, caregivers, and youth, as well as other agencies in the realm of home and child passenger safety, poison prevention, fire, hunter, and ATV safety. She also worked with teens in providing a distracted driving curriculum. She served as the Lenoir County Safe Kids coordinator for over three years. She has her Masters in Youth, Family and Community Services from North Carolina State University, as well as Masters Certificate in Family Life and Parent Education, and Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Mt. Olive College.

Session Title: “Why are you acting like that?????”

Session Description: As professionals, we are all faced with the task of having to work with resistant parents, caregivers, and/or youth at times. And it can be especially trying when working with families who are dealing with a substance use diagnosis or there are suspicions of substance use.. Working with these families can encompass a lot of time, energy, and focus and can require a lot of self-regulation on behalf of the professional as well as parents, caregivers, and/or children.

The objectives of this workshop are for participants to learn different strategies to work with parents, caregivers, and/or youth to include; positivity, cognitive reappraisal, communication, and partnering. By learning these strategies, professionals can utilize information provided to aid in better working relationships with these families. Information will be shared from two evidenced-based curricula, Parents as Teachers as well as Triple P.

Dragocastano Bio: Jhon Dragocastano served honorably in the United States Marine Corps for six years. Shortly after being medically retired, Dragocastano pivoted his service to law enforcement and became a Deputy Sherriff in Eastern North Carolina. There, Drago worked as a patrol deputy, field training officer, and swat operator. Today, Drago's service continues as a Veteran advocate and part-time police officer. He holds a master's degree in criminal justice and is a passionate advocate for the decriminalization of Veterans due to mental health issues such as TBI and PSTD. Drago enjoys traveling the state to educate First Responders on the importance of Veteran-focused Crisis Intervention de-escalation skills.

Motes Bio: Cherokee Motes is a Combat Veteran who served as an Infantryman for nearly a decade in the U.S. Army and North Carolina Army National Guard. His service spans three combat deployments to Afghanistan. After Cherokee’s medical retirement, he transitioned to serving Veterans in various capacities. Starting as a Veteran Services Representative for a U.S. Congressman, Cherokee advocated for Veterans' rights and benefits. He later joined the Veterans Justice Initiative, focusing on aiding Veterans in legal matters and training law enforcement on Veteran-related issues. Cherokee has a deep understanding of the challenges Veterans face, particularly with mental health and substance abuse, and works passionately to bridge the gap.

Session Title: The Veterans Justice Initiative

Session Summary: With a goal of confronting deeply rooted mental health and substance abuse issues within the Veteran community, the Veterans Justice Initiative (VJI) program was founded in the first quarter of 2022, in partnership with the state of North Carolina, through funding provided by the No Veteran Left Behind Act (NVLB).

This funding enabled The Independence Fund to swiftly implement a comprehensive three-pillar approach, designed to empower first responders and community partners in their interactions with Veterans. These pillars encompass Veterans Crisis Intervention Training, casework assistance, and support for counties in establishing Veterans Treatment Courts.

Drug Enforcement Administration, Community Outreach Specialist

Bio: She is responsible for conducting drug prevention awareness training within three states GA, SC and NC.

Prior to taking this role in 2023, she was an Alcohol and Drug Control Officer with the United States Army from 2007-2023 where she oversaw and implemented prevention initiatives and drug testing at the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

From 2000-2007 she held the position as the Family Outreach Coordinator with the United States Air force at Yokota AB Japan. Where she worked hand in hand with family members and the surrounding community addressing needs and finding resources.

1993-2000 she worked with the Department of Social Services as a Youth at Risk counselor.

1983-1993 she worked the City of North Charleston, Police Department.

Wanda earned her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Charleston Southern University and a master’s degree from Troy State University in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources.

Session Title: One Pill Can Kill: FENTANYL/XYLAZINE

Session Summary: DEAs mission is to help raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal dug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an alarming rate.

Along with educating the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills, DEA also urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.

Public Health Nurse

Bio: Lela Tatum works as an RN/ Public Health Nurse at the Lenoir County Health Department. Her experience prior to joining LCHD includes cardiac and emergency nursing. She holds a BSN from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and a BS (Microbiology) and MS/PhD (Nutrition) from Texas Tech University.

Session Title: Substance use as a predictor to STI infection

Session Summary: The presentation will summarize the incidence of substance use as a comorbidity to sexually transmitted infections and how to screen, treat and prevent infection in active and former users of illicit drugs and alcohol.

Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, Narcotics Division

Bio: I completed Basic Law Enforcement Training at Lenoir Community College in 2013 and was hired by the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office in 2013. During the time I have been employed, I have worked in the Lenoir County Jail, served time in the Patrol Division, the Support Services Division, and now I am currently assigned to the Narcotics Division. I also completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Fayetteville State University while being employed by the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office. I have obtained my Intermediate and Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate, which requires training hours along with service time. Since my time assigned to the Narcotics Division, I have conducted and assisted in narcotic investigations that have led to the arrest of numerous narcotic distributors.

Session Title: Local Drug Trends from Law Enforcement

Session Summary: This session will explore our local community’s drug trends from Law Enforcement perspective. This will also address expectations when certain narcotics are used and signs that someone is using or actively in addiction.

Transit Crisis Counselor, Chapel Hill Police Department

Bio: Troy has worked in the field of substance use disorder for the past 23 years. He has worked to help remove barriers for people seeking recovery and help them connect to programs that would benefit them in their process. He has trained individuals to become Peer Support Specialists and Recovery Coaches. Troy is currently employed with Chapel Hill Transit as a crisis counselor. He helps people in the community who are experiencing MH/SU crises get connected to services that can help them through their crisis. His focus is on people who utilize the transit system.

Session Title: The Co-Responder Model

Session Summary: Troy Manns will share his experiences as a Transit Crisis Counselor with the Chapel Hill Police Department. In this unique role, Troy will give practical suggestion on how to help people in the community deal with Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Crisis. The Co-Responder Model is a partnership between trained police officers with mental health professionals who together respond to those in mental health crisis. His experience and expertise will bring light to the STIGMA faced by the SUD/MH population and how our community and the plethora of resources can help to promote understanding, compassion, and healing.

Elysium Couseling, PLLC

Bio: M. Deane Forsythe is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Drug and Alcohol Studies as well as a Master of Science degree in Clinical Counseling with a Military and Trauma Certification from East Carolina University.

She has spent most of her career working in community mental health, specifically with the substance use population. Deane worked at PORT Health in both Greenville and Kinston where she found a love for group therapy. It was in group therapy that Deane started to find new ways to establish a safe space for her people whether in a group setting or an individual setting. Deane transitioned into private practice about two years ago and has recently opened her own private practice, Elysium Counseling PLLC located in Goldsboro.

Deane is known for her authenticity and ‘real talk’ approach to therapy. She utilizes multiple evidence-based modalities as she provides the room for her people to make changes as they deem fit while encouraging their personal growth and movement towards unadulterated authenticity. She often refers to her presentation of these various modalities as the ‘Mr. Miyagi’ approach to make the therapeutic process less intimidating. Simply put, she helps her people to initiate small seemingly menial changes to their thought process that leads to significant behavior changes realized later in the process. She views her responsibility as a therapist first to protect her people and second to protect the space.

She specializes in a wide range of areas including substance use, various mood disorders, stress management, as well as grief and trauma. Deane has a unique perspective regarding both the perception and treatment of trauma which has become one of her most sought-after specialties.

When she is not working, Deane enjoys hanging out with her three adult kids and those closest to her. She considers laughter, live music, riding on the back of a Harley (provided the pipes are loud enough) and getting tattooed as the best self-care on the planet-for her anyway.

Session Title: Say What Now? Understanding effective communication and the impact of language.

Session Summary: A real talk about communication, the power of the simplest words we use, and how to use communication to build authentic relationships.