Archive for February 2019

Opiate abuse has become a national health emergency, and Manatee County has been especially hard hit with one of the nation’s highest rates of opioid overdose deaths.

Tackling this crisis is a top concern of health professionals and advocates, including mental health counselors.

That is why professionals from health, community service programs and law enforcement will gather Saturday, Feb. 23, at USF Sarasota-Manatee to discuss strategies to fight this epidemic, raise awareness and promote addiction treatment services.

Behavioral health advocate and activist Leah Hill, who collaborated on the Surgeon General’s recent opiates panel, will deliver the keynote address.

The conference, “Releasing the Chokehold: Opiate Use Nationally and in our Communities,” is open to the public and features notable panelists, including Nathan Scott, the child-welfare policy coordinator at the Family Safety Alliance; Sara Smith, a marriage and family therapist at the Miami Rescue Mission; and Det. Carl Jones of the Bradenton Police Department.

“Leah is a dynamic and well-informed speaker who has graciously agreed to meet with us to discuss this critical issue and offer us her thoughts and insights,” said Dr. Jane Roberts, who chairs the Duvall Family Studies program at USF Sarasota-Manatee. “We are fortunate to have her here.”

The Duvall program sponsors the annual Family Studies Conference, including this upcoming event. The conference runs Feb. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Selby Auditorium at the USFSM campus, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $25, which includes morning pastries, coffee and lunch, and must be purchased in advance. The deadline for tickets is Feb. 20.

Visit http://usfsm.edu/duvall for information and tickets. Scroll to the link, “Register for the 2019 Family Studies Conference.”

HRSA’s Substance Use Disorder Regional Virtual Job Fairs : February and March 2019

HRSA’s Virtual Job Fairs are online recruitment events that connect students, trainees, and clinicians with health care delivery organizations. The goal of this upcoming Virtual Job Fair is to connect current and future clinicians who are providing substance use disorder services with health care organizations located in underserved communities.

HRSA is hosting four regional events in February and March. At no cost, join the HRSA Virtual Job Fairs to connect and network with health care organizations. You’ll be presented with hundreds of open positions, hear details about relocation, benefit packages, and populations served. Please choose the correct event based on your location preference.

1. East Coast: Register for the February 26 event (4:45-7:00pm ET) if you are interested in working in an organization located within HHS Regions 1 thru 4. (Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Islands, South Carolina, Tennessee, US Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia).
2. North/South Central: Register for the February 28 event (3:45-6:00pm CT) if you are interested in working in an organization located within HHS Regions 5 and 6. (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin).
3. Mountain/Plains: Register for the March 5 event (3:45-6:00pm MT if you are interested in working in an organization located within HHS Regions 7 and 8. (Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming).
4. West Coast: Register for the March 7 event (4:45-7:00pm PT) if you are interested in working in an organization located within HHS Regions 9 and 10. (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau).

Prepare! 
After registering, participants may prepare for the Virtual Job Fair by building a searchable professional profile on the Health Workforce Connector. You can highlight and share your professional experiences, education, and employment preferences with organizations searching for qualified candidates like you! With over 6,000 job opportunities throughout 23,000+ organizations, the Connector helps future and current health professionals find careers in underserved communities.

• For current NHSC or Nurse Corps program recipients, click here to use your current portal credentials to log in.
• For all others, click here to set up a new account.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to get real-time answers to your employment questions. To participate, you need a computer, smart phone, or other mobile technology with access to the Internet. 

Visit the Virtual Job Fair website to learn more.