Speakers

Dr. Matthew Christiansen
Dr. Matthew Christiansen
Commissioner WV Bureau for Public Health
Dr. Matthew Christiansen, State Health Officer for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Bureau for Public Health, plans and directs West Virginia’s efforts in combating the opioid epidemic. He was appointed to this position in October 2020 by Governor Jim Justice.

Dr. Christiansen also serves as Associate Professor in the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Health where he practices primary care and addiction medicine. Prior to his appointment to the Office of Drug Control Policy, Dr. Christiansen was active in treatment of addiction/dependence across the lifespan. He has lectured across the tri-state area on addiction issues from a public health and primary care perspective.

Dr. Christiansen earned an MD and MPH from Marshall University.

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John Knowles, MA, CADC
John Knowles, MA, CADC
Senior Business Development Director, Brookdale Recovery Center
A seasoned clinician and administrator in the addiction and mental health field for over 35 years, John has been involved in leading start up and management of four highly successful inpatient treatment programs in Pennsylvania, New York and New Hampshire. John is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in Pennsylvania. He is also trained in the Johnson Institute Model for interventions. He received his B.S. in Business, Marketing and Economics with a specialization in Addiction Treatment Administration and an MA in Social Policy from SUNY Empire State College, Saratoga, New York. John has completed both the Rutgers University School of Addiction Studies and also the Rutgers University Advanced School of Addiction Studies. He has had additional education and training in organizational management and leadership through the Levinson Institute and additional clinical training and study has occurred at institutions including Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Villanova, Georgetown, and Syracuse Universities.

John began his career as an adolescent therapist at Marworth – Shawnee in 1987 before moving to Tully Hill in Tully, NY in 1990, where he advanced to Director of Clinical Services, a position he held for over 10 years. It was during this time that he expanded his specialty to include corrections, lawyers and impaired healthcare professionals. Later, John oversaw an organization providing housing and dual diagnosis treatment in two Upstate New York counties and served as an administrator at a Community Action Agency providing programs such as Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Head Start, Early Head Start, and Family Resource Centers through 45 programs in 19 sites. In 2007 he and his wife moved to New Hampshire and opened a program that converted the historic Daniel Webster Estate into Webster Place Recovery Center, on whose campus housed a social detox, recovery center and drop in center with respite housing for recovering persons. During this time he expanded his clinical expertise to include horticulture therapy and integration of Eastern and Native American spiritual practices into daily programming. In 2010 John accepted a position as Chief Administrator at Clearbrook Treatment Centers in Wilkes-Barre, PA – a provider of detox and residential addiction services since 1972. John Has been with Brookdale Recovery Addiction Center since May of 2019. As the Sr Business Development Director, John covers the Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey markets as well as parts of West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and New England. In addition, John provides intervention and mobile assessment services.

John is a recognized expert on clinical topics such as Adolescent Substance Abuse, Dual Diagnosis, Homelessness, Grief and Loss, Adolescent Behavior, Impaired Professionals and Family Issues as well as management topics that include Clinical Supervision, Medical Records, Utilization Review and Quality Assurance. He has served as a faculty member of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS), Academy of Addiction Sciences. Throughout his career, John has served as a supervisor and on advisory boards to institutions such as the Syracuse University School of Social Work, Cornell University School of Human Ecology, SUNY Oswego Psychology Department, and the SUNY Cortland Recreation Therapy Program. Most recently, John was asked to be a member of the inaugural advisory group for the Bloomsburg University Bachelor of Social Work program.

In addition to his clinical and management duties, John served for six years on the Executive Steering Committee for the New York State Education Department’s, Professional Assistance Program (PAP). This position involved developing and implementing policies effecting over 600,000 licensed professionals (dentists, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, etc.) in New York State who are licensed by the State Education Department. In this role he also regularly presided at hearings for those individuals seeking to re-enter their professions. John also served in various capacities on the regional and state board of an organization representing addiction counselors in New York State (NYFAC, later AAPNY). John also was a board member of the New Hampshire Providers Association, an organization representing alcohol and other substance abuse service providers as well a founding member of Friends of Recovery – New Hampshire (FOR-NH), a grassroots campaign to bring awareness to addiction related issues in the state. John also has extensive public speaking experience, having presented well over 500 presentations to diverse groups ranging in size from under 20 to over 500, from elementary age children to physicians. John also has extensive experience with lobbying for funding and programs on a state and local level as well as private insurance contracting. Programs under his direction have received JCAHO Accreditation with Commendation and numerous deficit free state reviews.

A long time member of Rotary International, John was a founder and charter member of an inner city club in Syracuse, NY and has held various club leadership roles in Tully, NY and Franklin, NH. John is married since 1981 to Stacy Knowles, CADC, Case Manager in the Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Treatment Court and is the father of three sons – United States Army Major Kyle Knowles his wife Christy Knowles, LCSW; Colorado Sabertooth lacrosse player, 2014 Colorado HS Lacrosse Coach of the Year and 2004 NCAA Lacrosse Champion at Lemoyne College – Collin Knowles; and former United States Marine Corporal and Marywood University Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach – Jonathan Knowles. John is also grandfather to Kaylee and Abigail. An avid runner and hiker, John is completing his Adirondack Winter “46” challenge and regularly participates in triathlons, recently winning the “Clydesdale Division” of the 2014 Wilkes-Barre Triathlon. A person in Long term recovery since November 29, 1984, John is active in numerous recovery community causes.

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Sherri Layton, LCDC, CCS
Sherri Layton, LCDC, CCS
Outpatient Services Administrator, La Hacienda Treatment Center
Sherri Layton has 40+ years’ experience working in addiction treatment and recovery. As Outpatient Services Administrator for La Hacienda, she manages outpatient and continuing care services, and coordinates their legislative involvement on the state and national level. Sherri worked to pass parity legislation for several sessions before it was signed into law in 2008. She has been active in the various stages of its implementation, currently serving as a member of the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Workgroup that was established by Texas’ legislation in 2017 to encourage more robust parity enforcement. Sherri also serves as Co-Chair of NAADAC’s Public Policy Committee.

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Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, BSW, NCAC II, CDC III, SAP
Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, BSW, NCAC II, CDC III, SAP
Executive Director, NAADAC
Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, BSW, NCAC II, CDC III, SAP is the Executive Director of NAADAC, the Association of Addiction Professionals and has worked as an addiction professional for over 40 years. She previously served as the Executive Director of Danya Institute and the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center. Prior to this she was the Program Director for Volunteers of America Western Washington, serving homeless populations and dealing with the co-occurrence of poverty and substance use and co- occurring disorders. In addition, she has been the administrator of multi- county, publicly funded substance use prevention/intervention/treatment centers with services ranging from prenatal care to the serving the elderly for over 20 years. Cynthia is an International and Domestic trainer in Conflict Resolution, Anger Management, Rein in Your Brain, Foundations of Addiction Practice, Clinical Supervision, Counseling Skills and Methods, Medication Assisted Treatment and Recovery and many other topics for the past 25 years. Cynthia is the author of an NIDA SBIR: Conflict Resolution in Recovery and Relapse Prevention and a published author of the book Rein in Your Brain from Impulsivity to Thoughtful Living in Recovery published by Hazelden. She has served as President of NAADAC, a Certification Board Commissioner, International Chair, Treasurer and Legislative Chair for NAADAC. Cynthia has experience in developing and implementing programs in leadership, organizational development training for emerging managers, training trainers and training mentors. Cynthia has developed partnerships with various national and international organizations including developing strategic plans, workforce development plans and implementation and educational curriculum. Cynthia has written training components and manuals regarding: adolescents, adults, seniors, school intervention, involuntary commitment, community mobilization, intensive outpatient and continuing care, impaired driver’s programs, EAP and gang intervention/ suppression/treatment. Cynthia holds a Bachelor’s degree in social work and administration and is certified both nationally and in the State of Washington.

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Ellen Weber
Ellen Weber
Vice President, Health Initiatives, LAC
As Vice President for Health Initiatives, Ellen helps lead LAC's efforts to expand access to comprehensive and equitable substance use treatment in private and public insurance at both the state and federal levels. She has focused extensively on enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and led the Center’s Parity at 10 Campaign. Ellen first worked at LAC from 1985 to 2002, during which time she conducted disability rights litigation, established the DC office, and led national policy work. She led the field’s efforts to obtain protections for people with substance use disorders under the Americans With Disabilities Act, participated in the first round of national health care reform legislation, and advocated for a more balanced federal budget for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Prior to rejoining LAC, Ellen held an appointment as Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. From 2002 through mid-2017, she established and directed the Drug Policy and Public Health Strategies Clinic in which she worked with students on disability rights litigation and legislative advocacy, implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Parity Act in Maryland, and adoption of harm reduction legislation to address the opioid epidemic. She has published in the areas of disability rights, women’s health issues, integration of substance use disorder treatment in primary care, medical cannabis laws, and the enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Ellen started her career in 1980 as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the US Justice Department, where she litigated cases to enforce the Voting Rights Act. She graduated from Dickinson College and earned her JD from New York University School of Law.

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