Facing the Challenge Together: Best Practices for Caring for Patients with Substance Use Disorders

7:30 – 8 a.m.

Registration & Meet the Experts
 

8 – 8:05 a.m.

Welcome
Chairs: Abby Brennan, BSN, RN, CARN & Deanna Faretra, BSN, RN-BC
 

8:05 – 8:15 a.m.

Introduction & Opening Remarks
Nancy W. Gaden, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Boston Medical Center
 

8:15 – 9:00 a.m.

A Compassionate and Practical Approach to the Care of Patients with Substance Use Disorders
Donna Beers, MSN, RN-BC, CARN
 

9:00 – 9:30 a.m.

Compassion & Resiliency in Nursing
Donna White, RN, PhD, CARN, CADC II, LADC I
 

9:30 – 10:10 a.m.

How Does SUD Start: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Trauma
Brittany Carney DNP, FNP-BC 
 

10:10 – 10:25 a.m.

 Break /  Meet the Experts

 

10:25  – 11 a.m.

Cannabis 101 
Kristin Wason, MSN, NP-C, CARN
 

11 - 11:45 a.m.

Team Debriefing Post-Self-Directed Discharge of Patients Who Use Substances
Missy DeVoy BSN, RN
 

11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Break /  Meet the Experts
 

12 – 12:45 p.m.

Lunch  /  Meet the Experts
 

12:45 – 1 p.m.

SUD Nursing Council Award - Trailblazer Award
Jason M. Fox, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CARN-AP
 

1 – 1:45 p.m.

Engagement Strategies for Patients who use Substances
James Evans, BSN RN 
 

1:45 – 2:30 p.m.

Navigating Legal and Safety Challenges for Nurses in the Care of Patients Who Use Substances
Moderator: Kristin Wason, MSN, NP-C, CARN
Richard Sugarman, Esq., Vice President & Deputy General Counsel
William Gibbons, Chief of Public Safety
Nicole Lincoln, DNP, FNP-BC, Clinical Lead, Behavioral Response Team
 

2:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Break /  Meet the Experts
 

2:45 – 3:30 p.m.

Compassion is Harm Reduction
Rebecca G. Hardy, BSN, RNC-OB, CARN
 

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Lived Experience: Finding a Path to Recovery and Healing
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Allison Garrant, BSN, RN & Phaedra Moore, BA
 

4:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Closing Remarks
Chairs: Abby Brennan, BSN, RN, CARN 
& Deanna Faretra, BSN, RN-BC
 

Donna Beers, MSN, RN-BC, CARN

Donna is a 19-year veteran of Boston Medical Center, with a focus on addiction nursing education and research throughout her career. As the Associate Director of the Care Continuum Core of the NIDA-funded HEALing Communities-Massachusetts study, she works with communities across the state to implement evidence-based addiction programs to reduce opioid overdose and complete systems of care. Donna has extensive experience in developing collaborative clinical models that center on addiction nurses as the primary point of treatment delivery.

Abby Brennan, BSN, RN, CARN (she/her)

Abby is a Labor and Delivery nurse at Boston Medical Center, and the inpatient lead RN for Project RESPECT, BMC’s pregnancy and post-pregnancy clinic for mothers/parents in recovery, working with parents all along the addiction spectrum, from active use through long-term recovery. She is also a nurse at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, part of the harm reduction team, working in the Mass & Cass area, where she conducts street outreach nursing and provides harm reduction services. Abby completed the Grayken Addiction Nurse Fellowship program in 2021. She is the co-chair of the BMC Substance Use Disorder Council and the chairperson of the L&D SUD committee. She is board-certified in addiction nursing. She is a fierce advocate for people living with addiction, especially people living with addiction during pregnancy, and passionate about meeting people where they’re at with kindness and compassion.

Brittany L. Carney, DNP, RN, FNP-BC

Brittany is a doctorally prepared, board-certified family nurse practitioner at Boston Medical Center (BMC)’s Adolescent Center, located in the Pediatrics department, and a clinical educator at the Grayken Center for Addiction. She is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine) at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Her passion is caring for youth and families, especially those with substance use disorder. She has over a decade of experience working in addiction medicine, spanning clinical operations and education/training. Dr. Carney’s clinical interests include adolescents/young adults, co-occurring mental health disorders, optimizing safety/overdose prevention, and improving continuity of care among DCF/DYS-involved youth. She pursued her DNP degree to continue implementing best practices in clinical care.

Deanna J. Faretra, BSN, RN-BC

Deanna is a Nurse Manager at Boston Medical Center for the Community Behavioral Health Center. She began her career with BMC in 2019 and has held prior roles, including Program Director for Homeless Transitions of Care and Registered Nurse for the Roundhouse program. She has committed her nursing career to the care of the most medically and socially complex patients with a primary focus on patients with Substance Use Disorders. Deanna also works at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, specifically with the medical respite program “Barbara McInnes House,” and serves as a clinical nursing instructor for several nursing programs, including those at Northeastern University, Emmanuel College, and Boston College. Her dedication to the care of patients with Substance Use Disorders has provided her with the experience of seeing patients at all levels of engagement within the system. Deanna’s understanding of both patient-centered approaches to care and systems knowledge offers a unique perspective on innovative ways to support complex patients. She is currently enrolled in her Master of Nursing program at Capella University and is completing the Certified Addictions Nursing credentialing with the Addictions Nursing Certification Board.

Jason M. Fox, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CARN-AP

Jason is an adult nurse practitioner at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. As a member of the Addiction Consult Service at BMC, Jason treats patients across all inpatient units; this includes providing withdrawal symptom management, motivational interviewing, and pharmacotherapy initiation for substance use disorders. Jason also works as a consultant educator for the Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance team. Outside of addiction medicine, Jason has significant experience in the primary care of homeless individuals and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Jason received his MSN in 2012 from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, where he also received a Certificate of Completion in HIV/AIDS. He is board-certified in addiction nursing by the Addictions Nursing Certification Board.

William Gibbons

William Gibbons serves as the Chief and Senior Director of Public Safety at Boston Medical Center. With nearly three decades of leadership experience across healthcare, higher education, and biosafety sectors, he brings a deep understanding of complex security environments. Before joining Boston Medical Center in 2019, William was the Director of Public Safety at Boston University, where he oversaw operations for the BU Medical Campus. His responsibilities included security for the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Public Health, as well as the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL)—a high-security BSL-4 research facility—and Boston Medical Center, a 511-bed hospital and Level-1 Trauma Center located in Boston’s South End. William holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

Rebecca Hardy, BSN, RNC-OB, CARN

Rebecca is a labor and delivery nurse at Boston Medical Center, certified in both Obstetrics and Addiction Nursing. She joined BMC in 2016 and has played a key leadership role in launching the OB Resource Team. Before her time at BMC, Rebecca was a certified Critical Care Nurse and spent 12 years teaching BSN students at UMass Dartmouth. She has been an active member of the BMC Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Nursing Council since its inception in 2018. Most recently, Rebecca completed the Grayken Addiction Nursing Fellowship, after which she earned her Certified Addiction Registered Nurse (CARN) credential, further deepening her expertise in caring for patients with substance use disorders.

Colleen LaBelle, MSN, RN-BC, CARN

Colleen is the Director of the BMC Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance program and the founder and Director of Boston Medical Center's OBAT Clinic. She also serves as the Program Director of many related projects, including two Opioid Addiction Treatment Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHOs) at BMC. Ms. LaBelle has over 30 years of experience treating HIV and addiction and over a decade of experience advising health care organizations on incorporating addiction treatment into their programs. She is a member of the Massachusetts Board of Nursing and serves on Governor Charlie Baker's Opioid Working Task Force. In recognition of her work to improve and expand treatments for patients with addiction, Colleen is the recipient of the 2017 Betty Ford Award from the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), the 2016 Lillian Carter Exemplary Acts in Nursing Award from Modern Healthcare and the Lillian Carter Center for Global Health & Social Responsibility at the Emory University School of Nursing, among many others. She also received an honorable mention for the Gage Award from America's Essential Hospitals in 2016. Ms. LaBelle is board certified in addiction nursing and pain management. She earned her BSN and MSN from Grand Canyon University, as well as a Diploma in Nursing from St. Elizabeth's School of Nursing.

Nicole Lincoln, DNP, FNP-BC

Nicole is a licensed Clinical Nurse Specialist and Family Nurse Practitioner with a strong track record of leadership and innovation in the field of nursing. Since 2016, she has collaborated with multidisciplinary clinical teams as a Nursing Professional Development Specialist and served as the Senior Manager of Nursing Innovation at Boston Medical Center (BMC). In these roles, Nicole has led numerous design thinking initiatives and spearheaded award-winning projects that have advanced nursing practice and patient care. She currently serves as the Clinical Team Lead for BMC’s Behavior Response Team, chairs the Pain Task Force, and is the executive sponsor for the Integrative Nursing Council, reflecting her commitment to holistic and compassionate care.

Richard A. Sugarman, Esq.

Richard is a seasoned attorney with a diverse legal career spanning private firms, government service, and in-house counsel roles. A graduate of George Washington University Law School (J.D., with honors, 2000), he practiced commercial litigation, energy, environmental, and employment law at firms including Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and several Boston-based offices. A Colonel in the Army Reserve, Sugarman served as a JAG officer and was deployed to Iraq in 2011 as senior legal adviser for the U.S. Army’s Medical Task Force. He currently serves as Deputy General Counsel at Boston Medical Center, where his practice encompasses all aspects of hospital operations. Previously, he was a Space and Missile Operations Officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Kristin Wason, MSN, NP-C, CARN

Kristin is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, a Nurse Practitioner at Boston Medical Center, and a Clinical Educator for Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance team. In her primary role, Kristin educates and supports health care providers and a variety of stakeholders on best practices in the care of persons with substance use disorder(s) nationally and internationally. Kristin serves as the Director for the Grayken Addiction Nurse Fellowship program, the first addiction nurse fellowship in the United States. Kristin is an expert faculty member for the Provider Clinical Support System Exchange (PCSS-X) and has been a course instructor for DATA 2000 Waiver training since 2018, under the PCSS framework. Kristin has published in several peer-reviewed journals and is the first author of Addiction Nursing Competencies: A Comprehensive Toolkit for the Addictions Nurse. She has also co-authored and authored numerous guidelines to treat patients with substance use disorders in the outpatient setting.

Donna White, RN, PhD, CARN, CADC II, LADC I

Dr. White is a nationally recognized expert in addiction care, with a distinguished career in executive leadership, clinical practice, research, and education. She serves on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Boston and has held key positions including Director of Research and Evaluation for DMH/Harvard University and Director of Addiction Services at a Massachusetts Public Health Hospital. A licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) with multiple certifications in addictions care and public health, Dr. White is also a Board-Certified Fellow in Traumatic Stress and a founding member of the American Society of Addiction Nursing. She has received over 15 awards for her advocacy and contributions to substance use disorder treatment, including recognitions from UMass Boston and Massachusetts labor organizations. Her work spans academic publications, educational programming, and nationwide lectures focused on compassion fatigue, impaired practice, and healthcare provider wellness. Dr. White also volunteers with Indigenous communities, providing education on substance use and recovery.