Marcie Walsh to Discuss Research in Action at COBE Connect

The COBE Connect lunch lecture series returns on Tuesday, September 12th, featuring COBE Administrative Director Marcie Walsh.

In her presentation entitled “Research in Action: Thrive, Fit and the Science of Happiness,” Walsh will explore how COBE collaborators translate their research on mental health, substance use and a host of other topics into programming and coursework to enhance student health and wellness.

The presentation starts at 12:00 pm in the Forum Room of the VCU Student Commons. Free lunch will be served and the event is open to all faculty, staff and students.

Some examples of COBE research translation to be discussed during the presentation include:

The Science of Happiness/Flourishing

To address the specific mental and physical health needs of adolescents, The Science of Happiness course examines the state of college student mental health and wellness on a personal and systemic level. Students look at how individuals can create positive change by reinterpreting their goals and identifying steps towards having a successful experience in college and beyond. The course was created by COBE researchers from around the university and is co-taught by those researchers as a way of connecting students directly with experts in different fields.

Flourishing is a one-credit version of the Science of Happiness course specifically for Honors College students. Flourishing surveys college student mental health and wellness, providing an opportunity for students to re-evaluate their beliefs, values and assumptions in the context of learning about the science behind health and wellness. Key findings from the fields of positive psychology will inform students’ understanding of the biopsychosocial underpinnings of well-being.

Love and Addiction

In Love and Addiction, Dr. Jessica Salvatore and her students examine the science behind portrayals of romance and substances of abuse in popular music and movies using developmental, social psychological, and neurobiological perspectives. The course covers topics such as the neurobiology of love and addiction; the effects of relationships on substance use; and the effects of substance use on relationships. At the end of the course, students use these perspectives and knowledge to critically review a song or movie of their choice.

Thrive/Fit

Thrive and Fit are a partnership between COBE, VCU RecSports and VCU Residential Life and Housing that provide a select group of freshmen with a living-learning experience focused on well-being. Thrive and Fit help students learn how to make the most out of their college years and lead healthy, prosperous lives through coursework, programming and events that connect students to researchers across campus and promote general health and wellness.

COBE Partners with University College to Expand Common Book Program

This fall, COBE is pleased to collaborate with University College to expand VCU’s Common Book Program to include graduate students and a series of programming throughout the year.

The Common Book Program is one of the largest initiatives in University College. Building upon the nationally recognized Summer Reading program, the new initiative expands the previous program into a university-wide initiative focused on welcoming our first-year students into the vibrant intellectual culture of VCU.

The 2017 Common Book selection is Dreamland by Sam Quinones. Dreamland explores the complex issue of the opioid crisis impacting so many people in our country, regardless of profession, demographics or geography. This choice fits very well with COBE’s mission to promote behavioral and emotional health among young people – particularly in the areas of substance use and misuse.

The goal of expanding the Common Book Program is to allow graduate students to collaborate with each other across disciplines, as well as having opportunities to work with undergraduate students who are also reading and discussing Dreamland.

On Monday, November 6th, at 6 p.m. in the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, Dreamland Author Sam Quinones will present about his work with the opioid crisis and possible solutions moving forward.

During Welcome Week across campus VCU faculty, staff and graduate students, led hour-long discussions focusing on Part I of Dreamland. COBE and RecSports partnered to host these talks for students in the Thrive and Fit programs to help students delve into the book personally and academically as an introduction to the University community.

The Wellness Resource Center at VCU is sponsoring the Speaker Series on Addiction and Recovery with events on September 6th, October 4th, November 1st and December 6th. Each event features VCU students and alumni sharing their recovery stories followed by a Q & A session. The first event features The Well’s Director Linda Hancock and VCU student Kevin Britton on Tuesday, Sept 19th, from 12:30 to 1:30 at the VCU Honors College.

Common Book Panels co-sponsored by I2CRP feature guest speakers from throughout the VCU and Richmond communities who will discuss addiction, treatment and recovery through legal and medical lenses. On Wednesday, Oct 11th, COBE Director Danielle Dick, Ph.D. and Christopher Rashad Green will be featured on the first panel discussion from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in MCALC room 1201.

In October, Interdisciplinary Student-Led Discussions will bring together students from Focused Inquiry classes, Living Learning Communities like ASPiRE, Globe and Lead, the Graduate School and the MCV campus to consider the book through different disciplinary lenses and grant a more nuanced view on the problems underlying the opioid crisis as well as possible solutions.

Along with members of the Common Book programming committee, the COBE staff continues to develop and host additional programs for graduate students on both the academic and medical campuses.

For more information about the Common Book program and activities associated with Dreamland, please visit the Common Book website.

COBE Introduces New Administrative Director Marcie Walsh

COBE is excited to announce the addition of Marcie Walsh, MSW, as our new Administrative Director!

In her role as Administrative Director, Ms. Walsh supports efforts to translate COBE faculty research into programming for students, the university community and the broader Richmond region. Examples of current programming include the COBE Connect lunch series, the Science of Happiness and Flourishing classes and the THRIVE living-learning community.

Ms. Walsh spent the first half of her career in human resources, and since that time she has worked in education. She draws on both of those experiences in her work as administrative director of COBE.

Ms. Walsh is in her final year of the educational psychology Ph.D. program in VCU’s School of Education. Her research interests focus on the factors that influence students’ academic engagement and motivation in the higher education setting. She is currently completing her dissertation study of undergraduate students’ writer identity in the transition from high school to college.

Contact Ms. Walsh at walshmj2@mymail.vcu.edu or (804) 827-0546.

Can Genetic Analysis Make Prevention Research More Effective?

When Danielle Dick defended her graduate dissertation on gene-environment interaction in 2001, her committee had sincere concerns: at the time there was hardly any published research exploring how the importance of genetic effects might change as a function of the environment.

But in the last 20 years, gene-environment interaction has blossomed into a mainstream field of study with over 10,000 research articles published in a variety of journals. Along with the growth of the field itself, genetic analysis is now a tool used in many different kinds of research, including developmental and prevention studies.

Dr. Dick recently reflected on the growth of her field, examined opportunities to use gene-environment analysis to inform prevention research and surveyed ethical concerns broadly related to the study of genetics in the introduction to the latest issue the academic journal Prevention Science.

Genetic analysis has become easier to incorporate into other studies because of the advent of noninvasive methods of obtaining DNA like saliva sampling, falling costs for genotyping and increased interest from research funding agencies. With increased access to and interest in genetics came the idea of “precision medicine,” using genetic information to tailor medical and prevention services to the individual as opposed to a one-size-fits-all model of care.

“Prevention is not equally effective for everyone, and there is suggestion that genetic information could be one way to help determine which children will respond best to which intervention,” Dr. Dick said in her article.

One area that illustrates the complexity of gene-environment interaction and precision medicine is alcohol prevention and interventions for children, teens and young adults.

Dr. Dick and her colleagues have found that the effect of genes and environment on alcohol use changes over time. Substance use in children and teens is more predominantly influenced by environmental factors like parental monitoring and access to alcohol at home. Later, genes emerge as a larger influence on substance use and misuse in adolescents and young adults when they leave their parents’ home and begin to self-select environments. Because of this change, effective interventions based on gene-environment research are time-sensitive and need to vary based on each person’s genetic makeup and environment.

Genetic analysis also allows researchers to hone in on specific genes that may help predict how effective different interventions will be for an individual. But when researchers examine those genes directly, the relationship between a single gene and effectiveness of an intervention is often not causal.

“In truth, we are only studying genetic variation, not genetic ‘risk,’” Dick said. She explained that an allele, a variant form of a specific gene, could be related to substance use, for example, but it may add risk through a mediating behavior or mechanism such as sensation seeking. Being a risk taker is not inherently a problem, in fact, it can be related positively to things like business entrepreneurship, but it can also create behavioral pathways of risk for different health outcomes.

“Genes are simply strings of nucleotides that code for amino acids; that create proteins; that affect the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs; that affect behavioral characteristics, response patterns, and temperaments; that can ultimately influence prevention response,” Dick said. “It is a long, winding pathway from genotype to behavior!”

While Dick and many other behavioral geneticists are familiar with the intermediary pathways that relate to risky substance use, prevention scientists new to genetic analysis may not be as familiar with the best ways to approach the genetic analysis of those issues.

“Most prevention scientists have extensive training in psychology and development; accordingly, theories about behavior change stem from this deep scholarship,” Dick said “However, most prevention scientists do not have nearly the depth of training in molecular biology, which makes theory-driven selection of candidate genes for study more challenging and potentially problematic.”

There are also ethical concerns that come along with the increased prevalence of genotyping. When researchers conduct a genome-wide screening for genes likely involved in alcohol dependence, for example, that will also capture information about that person’s risk for a variety of health outcomes contained within their genetic makeup.

Does the researcher have a responsibility to report that information back to the study participant? Are prevention scientists better equipped to enter this arena than geneticists? These are questions that researchers must answer as the field grows in the future.

“We need to be careful about the possibility of classifying kids in ways that could result in labeling and/or potential for discrimination or self-fulfilling prophecies,” Dick added. “If a group of kids are identified for whom prevention is less effective, it will be an important area of study to determine how better to support these children.”

While there are still many questions to answer, Dr. Dick believes that understanding how genetic risk impacts trajectories that lead to problematic health and life outcomes will help improve prevention research in the future.

“It is not enough to say that genetic information may be used to help us understand what child will respond best to what intervention,” Dick said. “Prevention scientists need to think carefully about the logistics of how that might actually play out.”

INSPIRE Study at VCU Examines Eating Habits and Body Image

Transitioning to college is an especially high-risk time for developing disordered eating habits and unhealthy weight control behaviors. Many students report unanticipated challenges to maintaining a healthy lifestyle like multiple “all-you-can-eat” dining facilities, easy access to calorie-dense foods and high alcohol consumption. Physical activity levels also tend to decline in college.

Worsening eating habits and reductions in exercise frequency in college are accompanied by large increases in body dissatisfaction, dieting and weight control practices. In fact, eating disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses on college campuses. Prevalence estimates suggest that approximately 13.1% of young women in the US experience an eating disorder in their lifetime; however, many more young women engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors that are linked to diminished well being and life impairment.

These issues are particularly prevalent for young adult women (age 18-25) who, more than any other age and gender group, exhibit unhealthy eating behaviors, diet pill and laxative abuse, binge eating and self-induced vomiting.

Many college women strive to achieve unattainable and unrealistic beauty ideals, and peer reinforcement of these beauty ideals often motivates attempts to modify appearance. This pressure to modify appearance is an important contributor to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in women.

Additionally, transitioning to the college environment is associated with stress as students adapt to having more independence and experiencing greater academic pressure. High stress is also linked with the development of disordered eating habits and unhealthy weight behaviors. In fact, college women often report consuming junk food or overeating to help manage stressful emotions during this time of life.  

Overall, eating habits worsen and physical activity levels decline in college. This is concerning because health habits during college are linked to lifelong behaviors. Therefore, college is a critical time to help students optimize their food and activity-related behaviors.

So what are we doing about this at VCU?

Dr. Suzanne Mazzeo and her students have created a research program, INSPIRE (Inspiring Nutritious Selections and Positive Intentions Regarding Eating and Exercise), to help promote body love and balanced, healthy living in young adult college women aged 18-25.

This research program will begin in September and will occur once a week (either Monday or Tuesday nights) for eight weeks. The program will be group based and include fun, interactive content designed to help women of all races and ethnicities improve their body satisfaction and enhance wellness.

All group participants will be compensated monetarily for attending three one-house assessment to complete interviews and surveys. All study activities will take place at The Well.

For more information and to see if you are eligible, please email Courtney Simpson with VCU’s Department of Psychology at simpsoncc2@vcu.edu.

 

Collegiate School Student Surveys Research Translation at VCU

Marnie Brennan, a senior at Collegiate School in Richmond, Va., recently completed a three week internship with the EDGE Lab at VCU where she surveyed substance use research published by members of the group, created a survey on translation of research and media consumption and presented her findings to the lab.

Every year, the Collegiate senior class is given the last three weeks of the school year to freely create their own individual projects. Throughout that time, Brennan met and spent time with almost every member of the lab, from graduate students to Director Dr. Danielle Dick.

“I got to learn a little bit about everyone; where they come from, how they got to where they are now, and what they are most interested in and why,” Brennan said. “The coolest part about this program is that it is a collection of people with different interests, from Zoe Neale, who specializes in Clinical Psychology, to Dr. Jessica E Salvatore, who is interested in how romantic relationships can affect ones drug use, to Dr. Sally I-Chun Kuo, who focuses on how genes and environment play a role in our behavior.”

Dr. Amy Adkins acted as her director supervisor during the project.

“She supported me with everything I needed; she created my schedule and reminded those who I was suppose to meet with on that day, and she was my guide for when I had questions,” Brennan said. “Without her, I would have been lost.”

As a part of her studies, Brennan completed two major projects for the lab.

First, she worked with Dr. Jessica Salvatore to create a bulletin board collating recent publications by members of the lab. The goal was to create a visual reminder of recent discoveries for visitors and lab members alike.

As a part of the bulletin board project Brennan was introduced to Pubmed and worked with Dr. Salvatore to select papers to highlight.

“Reading the different publications helped me get a better understanding of what each person is interested in and the formatting of scientific papers,” Brennan said.

Her second project focused on the translational work that COBE uses to spread research findings to the broader community. The goal of this project was to figure out how Spit for Science and COBE can work together to use social media to inform the general public about their work.

Brennan conducted a survey that was sent out to her peers about what kind of social media they use, how often they use them, where do they get their news and what they are interested in learning more about substance abuse, parenting, and mental health.

“I really enjoyed this project because I got to do a little research on my own and had the freedom to conduct my own survey,” Brennan said.

She received about 150 responses from her peers, and compiled that data into a presentation given to COBE media specialist Craig Zirpolo and Director Dr. Dick.

Among other trends from the survey, Brennan found that Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular forms of social media for 13-18 year olds she surveyed, and that the preference between the two differed by gender: males more frequently use Snapchat, while females prefer Instagram.

“Doing the internship with the EDGE Lab was an awesome experience,” Brennan said. “I loved meeting everyone and getting a glimpse of how research and dissemination comes together to achieve the common goal of helping people be healthy and live fulfilling lives.”

“As I prepare to leave for college to major in Public Health and Microbiology, the internship was a very eye opening and valuable experience.”

Multidimensional Perfectionism and Well-Being

The College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute (COBE) presents “Multidimensional Perfectionism and Well-being ” by Dr. Philip Gnilka in the University Student Commons, Forum Room on Tuesday May 2nd.

Dr. Philip B. Gnilka is currently an assistant professor of counselor education at Virginia Commonwealth University. His main research interests focus on stress, coping and perfectionism. His clinical experience has primarily been in community mental health centers and college counseling centers.

He currently is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia, a Nationally Certified Counselor and a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor.

Dr. Everett Worthington: Ev Remembers 1974 to 2017

Dr. Everett Worthington presents a retrospective look at his professional career and personal experiences to the Positive Psychology Research Group at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Worthington studies (1) forgiveness and related constructs (such as justice, humility, and mercy) and the REACH Forgiveness intervention (which has 22 outcome studies from many labs supporting its efficacy), (2) religion and spirituality in counseling and marriage, especially (but not exclusively) Christianity, and (3) the Hope-Focused Couple Approach to marriage/couple enrichment, which has been adjudicated as one of four having enough evidence to merit a designation of empirically supported. Many publications combine two or three of these topics. All would fit under a general heading of Positive Psychology today. Thus, his research lab is the Positive Psychology Research Group.

Undergraduates Blog about From Research to Recovery Town Hall

During the From Research to Recovery Town Hall hosted by the COBE and the Department of Behavioral Health and Human Services undergraduate students in Dr. Amy Adkins’ class blogged about the presentations they found most interesting.

Attached below are two blog posts from her students as well as videos of the lectures they recapped.

Alcohol Use Disorder Research at VCU by Kathryn Wardrup

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) on its own is currently affecting about 7.2% of adults 18 and over in the United States according to the National Institute of Health, however that statistic does not include the wide spectrum of the disorder or the high instances of other psychological diseases that often occur comorbidly with AUD.

At the COBE symposium Dr. Christina Sheerin addressed the high instances of comorbidity between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), AUD, and trauma-related drinking. Due to the anxiolytic effects of alcohol, it is often used/abused as means to cope with traumatic events, which can lead to the observed high levels of comorbidity between AUD and PTSD.

Drinking to cope is a common phenomenon, but as with any disorder, there is a spectrum: Dr. Sheerin reported that nearly half of patients seeking treatment for AUD meet the criteria for PTSD and the co-occurrence of this two disorders is often tied to more severe symptoms. The relationship between PTSD and AUD is also bidirectional: PTSD can cause those affected to turn to self-medication via substance abuse as means to cope with their trauma, but high levels of alcohol use also predisposes individuals to being placed in more dangerous situations which could cause accidents leading to PTSD.

The implications of Dr. Sheerins work are that when examining patients with AUD, the care provider should be thorough in screening for other psychiatric ailments, care providers and the general public should be mindful of past traumatic events because trauma is psychologically difficult to recover from, especially in conjunction with a substance abuse disorder.

Following Dr. Sheerins talk on trauma and AUD, was a talk by PhD candidate Megan Cooke which focused in on the neurobiological consequences of alcohol abuse: alcohol use is often used for its rewarding feelings it provides the consumer as well as its anxiolytic effects which can be used as a method of stress relief. These seemingly positive effects can be attributed to activation of pathways in the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala, however Megan showed brain scans with a fMRI that demonstrated decreased response to potentially dangerous situations. This has implications for the health of those who use alcohol such as finding themselves in dangerous situations involving alcohol, such as driving while intoxicated, you are more at risk for not recognizing a dangerous situation behind the wheel.

All of the talks at COBE had important health implications, and the intersection of research, the student body, staff, and the involvement of Rams in Recovery is something very unique to VCU which I think is crucial to helping facilitate healthy attitudes towards alcohol use on campus and shedding stigmas surrounding recovery.

Opioid Addiction in Youth by Jason McLeod

On April 18th, Dr. Marc Fishman spoke at the COBE symposium about his research in opioid addiction in youths. Dr. Fishman presented us with a case scenario of an opioid-addicted youth and asked us to brainstorm the best course of treatment. It was much more difficult because the youth had already been treated for opioid addiction, but didnt complete their program. They also didnt follow their treatment guideline and sold some of their medication to help with withdrawals. I feel that this was an important scenario to talk about as we normally think getting a person help for their addiction is the biggest hurdle, however as Dr. Fishman explained, its only the beginning.

Besides the standard protocols, Fishman brought up an interesting form of treatment: family support. Fishman explains that by the time the youth is in treatment, most family members feel like theyve done all they can or they feel like theyve already done so much to try and get the individual help that they need to start healing themselves. Especially when a lot of treatment programs out there dont readily involve the family in the plan of care. Dr. Fishman explains that teaching the family ways to empower themselves and the recovery addict will lead to greater success in long-term recovery.

Active Minds at VCU Hosts Fresh Check Day

As the semester comes to an end, things can get a bit hectic on campus. But burnt out students fear not: Active Minds at VCU hosted Fresh Check Day on April 27th in the Commons Plaza.

Fresh Check Day is a fair-like event that brings awareness to mental health resources and coping strategies on college campuses.

Co-sponsors included The Wellness Resource Center, VCU Counseling Services and the College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute.

This year’s event included peer-run interactive expo booths, free food, music, and exciting prizes and giveaways.

The goal of the events is to be “a loud reminder that VCU cares about students and their wellbeing.”

Check out a gallery of photos below.

Opening New Doors to Recovery

Captain Michael Zohab discusses founding the Virginia Recovery Foundation and his hopes for the future of addiction treatment and criminal justice in the Richmond area. Zohab is a lifelong resident of Henrico County and has been a Richmond Police Officer for 28 years. In 2013 Mike saw a need for the renovation of how law enforcement addressed opiate addicts. The drastic increase in over-dose victims, coupled with years of professional and personal contact with individuals struggling with addiction, fueled a passion to be a change agent in this opiate epidemic. Mike instituted policy changes and educational programs to better serve the victims of the disease of addiction and in the spring of 2016 launched the Virginia Recovery Foundation.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Building Capacity for Tomorrow’s Addiction Workforce

Dr. Laurie Cathers, PhD, and Denise Hall, MS, NCC, CRC, explore the field of addiction treatment and ways to improve educational opportunities for addiction counselors in Virginia. Dr. Cathers is a research associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, School of Allied Health. She is the coordinator and co-instructor for the Behavioral Science Curriculum; an interdisciplinary collaboration between Rehabilitation Counseling and VCU School of Dentistry and she instructs in the International Programme in Addiction Studies and in the School of Allied Health PhD in Health Related Sciences. Hall is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and serves as the clinical coordinator for the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health.

To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Virginia’s First Episode Psychosis Response Program

Rhonda Thissen, MSW, discusses the statewide first episode psychosis response program for adolescents in Virginia. Thissen works on policy and planning issues related to services for adults with serious mental health disorders and those experiencing homelessness at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Impulsivity, Prevention and Intervention

Dr. Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D., explores impulsivity and how it relates to substance use and mental health outcomes. Dr. Vassileva is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research program focuses on the effects of different classes of drugs on neurocognitive functioning.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

What Does Being Genetically At Risk for Addiction Really Mean?

Dr. Danielle M. Dick, Ph.D., explores how our genes and environment are connected and how they affect one’s risk of developing substance abuse problems. Dr. Dick is the director of COBE, a professor in the Psychology Department at VCU and the primary investigator of Spit for Science, a longitudinal research study that examines student substance use and mental health.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Improving Prevention: We Can Do Better!

Dr. Linda Hancock, PhD, CFNP, RN, discusses how the current prevention strategies for alcohol and other drugs are actually harmful and ways to improve them. Dr. Hancock is a registered nurse and the director of the Wellness Resouce Center at VCU.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health.

To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Developing Brains, Environmental Influences and Teen Drinking

Dr. Aaron White, Ph.D., discusses how the natural unfolding of adolescent brain development relates to substance use and how substance use relates to the development of behavior. Dr. White is the Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). His areas of scientific expertise include alcohol-induced memory blackouts, the impact of alcohol and other drugs on brain function and behavior, particularly during the adolescent years, and prevention strategies.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health.

To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Mindfulness for a Healthy School Community

Alex Peavey talks about his personal journey with mindfulness from the age of 16 to his work at Collegiate School in Richmond, Va. He now spreads his passion for self-awareness in the classroom and beyond, including his time coaching athletes like Russell WIlson and Wilson Speight.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Building an Academically Focused Continuum of Care for Emerging Adults

Andrew Burki explores his experience with collegiate recovery and links it to larger trends in academia and adolescent support systems. Burki, the founder and CEO of Life of Purpose, spent his late adolescence at a number of substance use disorder treatment facilities, which encompassed various approaches to recovery from chemical dependency. Consequently, his substance use derailed his education.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

The Disease Model and Considerations for Treatment

Barbara Burke, LCSW, discusses the disease model of addiction and her experiences as a social worker aiding adolescents and young adults in recovery. Burke is the director of adolescent and young adult programs at the Family Counseling Center for Recovery (FCCR).

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Clinical Humility as a Pathway to Recovery Oriented Systems of Care

Chris Budnick, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CCS, discusses philosophies on approaching addiction treatment and the importance of humility as a caregiver. Budnick has been working in the addiction treatment and recovery field since 1993. Budnick became a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in 1998 and an Adjunct Instructor with the North Carolina State University Department of Social Work since 2002.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Traumatic Stress and Alcohol Use in Emerging Adults

Dr. Christina Sheerin, Ph.D, discusses PTSD and alcohol use research in young adults. Dr. Sheerin is a postdoctoral fellow at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at VCU and a licensed clinical psychologist.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Home Is Where the Hatred Is: Substance Use and the Activist Life

Dr. Claudrena Harold, PhD, discusses the culture of substance use and mental health surrounding activism on campus at the University of Virginia. Dr. Harold is an associate professor of African American and African Studies and History at the University of Virginia.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Spit for Science

Dr. Danielle M. Dick, Ph.D., talks about her longitudinal research study Spit for Science which aims to study the challenges young people face in terms of substance use and mental health as well as using that data to inform programming and interventions on campus. Dr. Dick is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Human and Molecular Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University and the director of the College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute (COBE).

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health.

To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

White Privilege and the Drug War

Eric E. Sterling, J.D., traces the history of drug law in America as well as the cultural evolution of drug use and misuse in the context of growing racial, class and other prejudices. Sterling is the head of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation and an advocate against mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Pathways to Recovery

Dr. John F. Kelly presents on language, terminology and conceptualization of addiction, rationale for recovery support systems and science of recovery support services as well as the Recovery Research Institute which he founded at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Kelly is the Elizabeth R. Spallin Associate Professor of Psychiatry in the Field of Addiction Medicine at Harvard Medical School – the first endowed professor in addiction medicine at Harvard.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

ACCESS Intervention for College Students with ADHD

Dr. Joshua Langberg, PhD, discusses ADHD in higher education including substance use, mental health and support services at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Langberg is an Associate Professor at VCU in the Department of Psychology, Director or the Promoting Adolescent School Success (PASS) research group and Co-Director of the VCU Center for ADHD Research, Service, and Education.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

The Craving Mind

Judson Brewer MD, PhD, explores how addiction forms by looking at social media, fast food and other facets of daily life. Dr. Brewer is the Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness and associate professor in medicine and psychiatry at UMass Medical School. He also is adjunct faculty at Yale University, and a research affiliate at MIT.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health. To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Introducing Contemplative Science and Education

Dr. Kirk Warren Brown, Ph.D., explains the growth of research on contemplative science and explores ways that the Virginia Commonwealth University and Richmond, Va. communities are developing the expanding body of research and practice. Dr. Brown is an Associate Professor of Social Psychology and Health Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Director of the Contemplative Science and Education Core in the College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute (COBE).

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health.

To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall

Stress and Drugs in Vulnerable Boys and Men

Dr. Lula Beatty, Ph.D. discusses reasons for drug use in vulnerable boys and men as well as evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment. Dr. Beatty is the Senior Director of the Health Disparities Office at the American Psychological Association.

The From Research to Recovery Town Hall brings together speakers from across the country to address mental health, substance use and other facets of behavioral and emotional health.

To find out more, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu/cobe-town-hall-2017