February 11, 2026
Southern Illinois Drug Awareness Conference highlights power of community partnerships
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Registration is now underway for the collaborative and educational Southern Illinois Drug Awareness Conference March 12-13. Southern Illinois University Carbondale will host the event which will bring together a diverse group of people to address substance use, mental health and homelessness and how these issues connect.
This year’s theme is “Strength in Partnership: Communities United for Prevention, Treatment and Recovery.” The event features keynote presentations, panels led by experts, interactive workshops, vendors and networking opportunities.
The conference will be held in the SIU Student Center, 1255 Lincoln Drive, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Door prizes are awarded on the final day.
Educators, law enforcement agents, social workers, health care providers, child and family service representatives, prevention specialists, treatment providers, recovery support specialists, personnel from veterans’ organizations as well as other interested community members and stakeholders, including students, are encouraged to attend to learn, share innovative practices, build partnerships and work together to foster understanding.
Sign up now
Register by Feb. 27 for an early bird discount. Sign up online or by calling Events and Outreach at 618-536-7751. Discount pricing is also available for retirees and students. Registration includes the full two days of sessions, lunch each day and a conference T-shirt for those who sign up early.
Continuing education units and professional development hours will be offered for participants in a wide variety of occupations.
Diverse presentations will cover issues of interest
The conference will provide participants with tactics to:
- Address the stigma that typically surrounds addiction, mental health and homelessness.
- Break down barriers to offer support and care for affected people and their families.
- Help support recovery, resilience and wellness in affected communities.
- Increase coordination between various agencies and personnel.
Sessions will focus on a wide variety of topics, including:
- “Whole Family” Recovery: Building Family Recovery Capital.
- A New Life: Carbondale Gateway Recovery Home Program.
- Addictions and Veteran Care.
- Addressing Barriers to Palliative Care for Patients with Substance-Use Disorders.
- Bridging Gaps in Community Health: Substance-Use Challenges in Vulnerable Populations.
- Cannabis Policy and Prevention.
- Celebrate Recovery.
- Certified Peer Workforce Development.
- Conditioned to Survive: Understanding Trauma-Driven Inaction in Unhoused Populations.
- From Withdrawal to Wellness: A Guide to MAT and Detox Medications.
- Intersection of Substance Abuse and Juvenile Court.
- Into the Abyss.
- Kratom: Use, Abuse and Forging a Path Forward.
- Let’s Talk About It! Systematic Harms in Society and Controversial Issues Harm Related.
- Mental Health Advocates: Mental Health and Substance Misuse – What We Do and Scenarios and Scenes.
- Meth 101.
- Open Door: A Collaborative Model of Recovery.
- Problem-Solving Courts.
- Service Dogs and Their Benefits to Mental Health.
- SIYEN Unplugged: Prevention, But Real.
- Substance Use in the Military: Assessing Impact, Readiness and Resources.
- The Opioid and Overdose Epidemic.
- Treating the Whole Person – the Benefits of Integrated Care.
- Unidos en Accion: Advancing Culturally Responsive Substance-Use Support in SI.
- Women on Probation.
Learn from experts
An eclectic panel of professionals and leaders in their fields will share their expertise.
Presenters include:
- Master Sergeant Brant Blackburn, Lt. Brandon Grzechowiak, Special Agent Wes Harbison, and Major Jonathan Edwards, all from the Illinois State Police.
- Koren VanderWeele, senior program manager from the TASC Center for Justice’s Center for Health and Justice.
- Mark Sanders, licensed clinical social worker, certified alcohol and drug counselor, author, winner of numerous behavioral health lifetime achievement awards and international speaker.
- Stacy Seitz, vice president of clinical services; Jessica Harrocks, outpatient mental health counselor; and Melanie Russell, clinical manager of Residential Treatment, all at Centerstone.
- Michael Blaine, board-certified addiction medicine specialist and medical director for TASC.
- Sarah Foster, second-year medical student at SIU School of Medicine.
- Randy Mathis, community resource officer, and Bryan Tucker, mental health advocate, both with the Carbondale Police Department.
- Laterria Martin, social work scholar and mental health crisis response advocate.
- Jay Katz, who studies mental health in underserved populations and co-occurring disorders and their effects on people.
- Cristina Castillo, program coordinator for the Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development.
- Tara Hartley, licensed clinical social worker, certified alcohol and drug counselor and SIU graduate who previously worked at Centerstone and Gateway before her current position in palliative care for SIH.
- Aaron Morehood, licensed clinical social worker, certified alcohol and drug counselor and coordinator and therapist; and Quest Nelson, US Navy Veteran and peer specialist, both with the Marion VA Medical Center.
- Jake Levinson, administrator of Prevention First’s Cannabis Policy Resource Center.
- Megan Ragan, licensed clinical social worker and executive director of the Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center.
- Jennifer Nevers, licensed clinical social worker and subject matter expert office lead at the Center for Deployment Psychology.
- Brent Van Ham, certified alcohol and drug counselor and program coordinator at the Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development.
- Scott Bollman, Celebrate Recovery leader and Purpose House Church pastor.
- Dona Howel, who is retired after a career spanning over 40 years with behavioral health counseling and criminal justice in the Illinois Department of Corrections and now works with Celebrate Recovery.
- Tony Eaton, United States marine, retired Christopher police officer and current firefighter.
- Mike Tyson, certified peer recovery specialist and director of recovery support services at the Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center.
- Torie Patton, a certified peer recovery specialist with Take Action Today and former illegal drug user.
- Valerie Stewart, who shares her own story that includes former heroin enslavement and prison before now helping others recover.
- Rachel Tucker, who tells her experience with homelessness, addiction and overcoming.
- Heather Dale, mother of six, former Take Action Today participant and current retail store manager.
- Teea Ferrell, program coordinator; Danielle Kroeger, youth engagement specialist; and Jessica Schultz, youth engagement specialist; all with the Southern Illinois Youth Empowerment Network.
- Krysten Green, family nurse practitioner with the Fellowship House Campus of Centerstone.
- Amanda Byassee Gott, juvenile court and family court judge for Williamson and Saline Counties.
- Carey Gill, circuit court judge for multiple counties who has presided over the Williamson County Drug/Veteran’s Cour since it began in 2019.
- Jeff Watkins, longtime probation officer, director of probation for the First Judicial Circuit of Illinois and problem-solving court coordinator for the Williamson County Drug/Veteran’s Court.
- Robert Dalby, counselor, and Michael Valliant, recovery coach, with Gateway. Valliant also works with the outreach program Carbondale United.
- Angela Towne, curriculum developer, instructor and program coordinator for the SIU School of Medicine working with Peer Recovery Support and more.
- Quinn McBride, Arrowleaf programs coordinator for mental health awareness training and supplies, access, facilitation and education grants.
- Other presenters who will share personal experiences and more.
Additional information
In addition to the breakout sessions, there will be group sessions focusing on drug trends, human trafficking and “Finding Solid Ground: Personal Journeys from Housing Instability to Recovery.” Various vendors will be on hand as well.
Visit the conference website for more details and the complete schedule. Email conferenceservices@siu.edu or call 618-536-7751 with questions.
Additional vendors are also welcome.