Reimagining Opioid Abatement:

Challenging Conventional Wisdom

A Groundbreaking Conference in Mobile, Alabama

When the familiar approaches aren't enough, it's time to reimagine what's possible.

The purpose of the upcoming Reimagining Opioid Abatement conference is to bring together both decisionmakers and those working on the opioid epidemic, day in and day out, to share not just best practices but also the nitty-gritty of working in this space. We know it will take a community-centric approach to address not only the opioid crisis but the underlying causes of it - poverty, lack of education and employment, and challenges in housing and transportation. Our planned sessions and panelists include:

  • It Starts at Home: How Stable Communities Enable Recovery

    • Bradley Byrne, President and CEO, Mobile Chamber of Commerce (Session Leader)

    • Chandra Brown, Executive Director, Lifelines Counseling Center

    • Frank Long, Director of Development, The Lovelady Center

    • Jonathan Macklem, Vice President - Legal, The Cooper Group of Companies

  • Meeting People Where They Are: Innovative Care Delivery

    • Kim Garrett, Director of Communications, 68 Ventures (Session Leader)

    • Saminathan Anbalagan, MBBS, M.D., Neonatologist & Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, USA Health

    • Jeffrey Brewer, M.D., Chair & Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, USA Health

    • John Greenwood, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder, Goldfinch Health

    • Tamieka Martin, Director of Behavioral Health, Franklin Primary Health

    • Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., Trauma and Burn Surgeon & Director for Center for Healthy Communities, USA Health

  • At the Crossroads: The Intersection of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder

    • Luke Engeriser, M.D., FASAM, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, AltaPointe Health, Associate Professor and Director of the Psychiatric Residency Program and Addiction Medicine Fellowship of University South Alabama College of Medicine (Session Leader)

    • Cindy Gipson, Ph. D., LPC-S, Director, Crisis and Justice-Involved Services, AltaPointe Health

    • Honorable Jennifer Wright, District Judge, 13th Judicial Circuit of Alabama, Drug and Mental Health Courts

  • Therapeutic Justice: From Punishment to Restoration

    • Honorable Sarah Stewart, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Alabama (Session Leader)

    • Honorable S. Wesley Pipes, Presiding Judge, 13th Judicial Circuit of Alabama

    • Honorable Scott P. Taylor, Circuit Judge, 28th Judicial Court of Alabama, Drug and Mental Health Courts

    • Bennet Wright, Executive Director, Alabama Sentencing Commission

  • Working Upstream: Education, Prevention, and Stigma Reduction

    • Stacy Wellborn, Ph. D, Wellborn Strategies (Session Leader)

    • Bill Gordon, Founder, CiviConnections

    • Tempey Hamilton, LCSW, Program Director, Mobile United

    • Lynn Oldshue, Creator, Our Southern Souls

  • The Path Forward: Scaling these Solutions

    • Ricardo Woods, City Attorney, City of Mobile (Session Leader)

    • Rahul Gupta, M.D., former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy

    • Tom Mullen, Senior Partner, Sage Analysis Group

    • Finis E. St. John, IV, Executive Director, Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership, University of Alabama

  • Mobile, Alabama sits at the heart of the opioid crisis, with one of the highest prescription rates in the nation. But from this challenge has emerged extraordinary innovation. Our city has become a laboratory for groundbreaking approaches to recovery, prevention, and community healing.

    This conference brings together the voices you need to hear—from recovery champions and peer counselors to innovative healthcare providers and policy leaders who are rewriting the playbook on opioid abatement.

  • Real Stories, Real Solutions This isn't a conference of theories. Every panel features practitioners who are implementing innovative approaches and seeing real results in their communities.

    Beyond Traditional Treatment While medication-assisted treatment and traditional recovery programs have their place, we're exploring what happens when communities think bigger—addressing social determinants of health, leveraging peer support, and creating systems that truly heal.

    From Litigation to Innovation Learn how opioid settlement funds can be transformed from reactive spending into proactive, community-driven solutions that address root causes

  • Active Recovery

    Moving beyond traditional models to embrace peer support, spiritual healing, and holistic restoration that treats the whole person.

    Social Determinants of Health

    Addressing housing, transportation, childcare, and other fundamental needs that determine whether recovery succeeds or fails.

    Innovation in Justice

    How treatment courts and alternative justice approaches are proving more effective than incarceration.

    Legislative Leadership

    What policymakers can do to support innovative, evidence-based approaches to the opioid crisis.

    Award-Winning Solutions

    Highlighting programs and individuals that are achieving remarkable results through unconventional approaches.

    • Recovery Program Leaders looking for innovative approaches

    • Healthcare Providers serving affected communities

    • Policymakers and Government Officials responsible for opioid abatement funding

    • Community Organizations working on prevention and recovery

    • Researchers and Academics studying effective interventions

    • People in Recovery and their advocates

    • Anyone who believes we can do better in addressing the opioid crisis

Registration Information

Date: October 22, 2025

Location: National Maritime Museum of the Gulf | Mobile, Alabama

Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Registration includes all sessions, lunch, and networking opportunities.

Register Now