What do we need to understand about opioid addiction in the Tri-Cities area? Why is the disease so baffling and why have we been afraid to confront it? What are some real solutions being advocated and planned in Benton and Franklin Counties?
Our speakers will talk about what individuals and the community can do.
Speakers: Michele Gerber, Ph.D., President, Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition. Becky Grohs, R.N., Chief Operations Officer, Consistent Care. Jerry Hatcher, Benton County Sheriff.
Dr. Michele S. Gerber has had a long and distinguished career in research and writing. She retired from the Hanford Site in 2011, where her research supported cleanup of the Plutonium Finishing Plant, the Spent Fuel Basins, reactor area burial grounds, the 300 Area and the tank farms. She also wrote the technical volume that resulted in B Reactor becoming a National Historic Landmark and provided the historical research behind a successful class-action lawsuit on health effects in Washington State. She authored a best-selling book that has been published in four editions and has consulted nationally and internationally to multiple government and private entities. In retirement, she is President of the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition. Her principal interest is in breaking barriers and creating opportunities for persons with Substance Use Disorder (or addiction), erasing stigma and educating about addiction as a disease.
Becky Grohs is the Chief Operations Officer for Consistent Care Services, a Social Purpose Corporation focused on reducing inappropriate use of the Emergency Departments (EDs), most commonly addressing Substance Use Disorder, persistent Mental Illness and homelessness. She has been an RN for almost 30 years and has 25 years of Case Management experience. She has been with Consistent Care since 2012 at which time she led a Center for Disease Control Clinical Trial in the Tri-Cities aimed at determining the effectiveness of care management in reducing inappropriate opioid prescribing in the ED. She has led the expansion of five offices across the state and has expanded services to include a Hot Spotters program, jail transitions and other support services needed in moving patients toward stability, such as employment and housing.
Sheriff Jerry Hatcher started his Law Enforcement career in 1989 for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. He has a Bachelor of Science in Leadership Management, and obtained his First Level Supervision, Middle Management, and Executive Level Certifications, from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. He is a Graduate of Law Enforcement Command College, and of the FBI National Academy in Quantico VA. He became Sheriff of Benton County, Washington, in 2017, and is responsible for 210 employees, a 63-million dollar biennium budget, and operates a 740-person correctional facility.