FARGO, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum will host the second Recovery Reinvented event next week at the Fargo Civic Center, a day focused on advocacy, building recovery support in communities, the brain science of the disease of addiction and eliminating the shame and stigma surrounding addiction.
“We’re eager to highlight the progress we’ve made since last year and to announce an exciting new development that will enhance our efforts to eliminate the shame and stigma of addiction and help communities provide treatment and recovery services,” Helgaas Burgum said. “North Dakota is a small state of committed and caring people, and we have the opportunity to be a leader in supporting recovery and the fight against addiction.”
The daylong event from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday will feature both national and state experts focusing on addiction and recovery. The governor and first lady also will announce the winner of the $50,000 Innovate Recovery competition announced at last year’s Recovery Reinvented and present several other awards for those working on innovative recovery efforts.
Featured speakers include:
- Laurie Dhue, a veteran news anchor, New York-based TV broadcaster and media strategist hosting shows on Fox, MSNBC and CNN. A person in long-term recovery from alcoholism, Dhue travels from coast to coast as a recovery advocate, giving speeches, moderating discussions and hosting events on behalf of recovery organizations.
- David Mee-Lee, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 40 years of experience in person-centered treatment and program development for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions. He is co-founder of the Institute for Wellness Education and is a senior fellow in the Justice Programs Office of the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C.
- Jessica Hulsey Nickel, the founder, president and CEO of the Addiction Policy Forum, a national nonprofit organization that brings together each sector of the field, elevates awareness around addiction and implements a comprehensive response that includes prevention, treatment, recovery and criminal justice reform. Most recently, Hulsey Nickel worked on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), landmark legislation to address the opioid epidemic, which was signed into law in July 2016.
- Donald K. Warne, M.D., MPH, is the associate dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and director of the Indians into Medicine program at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. An enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe in Pine Ridge, S.D., Warne served in a leadership capacity for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Cancer Society.
- Adam Martin, the founder and executive director of F5 Project in Fargo. Using his lived experience with addiction, homelessness and incarceration, Adam established F5 to coordinate services and provide personal support to those in the criminal justice system to deter repeat offenses.
As with last year’s event, those attending will have the opportunity to receive training in how to administer naloxone, a medication designed to rapidly reverse the symptoms associated with opioid overdose in emergency situations. Doses of the medication will be available for participants to take with them after the event.
The event also will include an Empowerment Expo with booths of providers, resources and programs that are transforming recovery in North Dakota communities.
Recovery Reinvented is free and open to the public and registration is required. For more information or to register, visit https://recoveryreinvented.com/events/rr18/. The event will be livestreamed on the website and watch parties will be held in several cities, with location details to be made available on the website. Continuing education units are available for those attending the event or one of the watch parties.
A media availability with the governor and first lady will take place at 12:15 p.m. in the lobby registration area.