A foundational session for practitioners on navigating ethical decision-making and maintaining professional boundaries in clinical and human services settings. Full description forthcoming.

Presented by Melissa Moore. Full description forthcoming.

Presented by Maureen Busalacchi, Director of Alcohol Policy, Prevention and Research at Medical College of Wisconsin.

Ever wonder when you can inform key decision-makers about the issues affecting your community — and when that communication becomes lobbying? This interactive session will help participants clearly distinguish between educational outreach and lobbying activities. By understanding the rules, you can confidently share facts, data, and lived experience with elected officials without jeopardizing funding or compliance. When community experts provide accurate, timely information, policymakers are better equipped to make informed decisions — and less likely to act on misinformation or incomplete understanding.

It’s hard to imagine a better opportunity than mass media collaborations to educate people regarding important public health issues. Clear, concise messaging — which news media demand — is the key to building public understanding. Attend this session to learn ways to build trusted media relationships from journalists themselves and to garner multiple opportunities to educate.

Panelists include Steve Busalacchi, Shereen Siewert, and Desiree Fischer (Digital Content Producer, WSAW).

Presented by Melanie Strand-Glatczak, LPC, CSAC. Full description forthcoming.

Environmental strategies, the Strategic Prevention Framework, upstream approaches — oh my! Joining the world of substance use prevention coalitions can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Attend this session and dip your toes into a world filled with acronyms, models, and potential for true community change. As someone who was “volun-told” into coalition work 13 years ago, Meagan shares the things she wishes she knew when she was starting out.

Presented by Melissa Moore, Prevention Specialist. Full description forthcoming.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centered approach to communication that strengthens an individual’s own motivation and commitment to change. This training introduces professionals to the core principles and practical skills of MI, with a focus on using conversation as a tool for engagement rather than persuasion.

Participants will explore the spirit of Motivational Interviewing, learn how to recognize and elicit change talk, and practice strategies for responding effectively to ambivalence and resistance. Through interactive discussion, real-world examples, and guided practice, attendees will gain tools that can be immediately applied across a variety of professional settings.

This session is well-suited for professionals who support others in making changes related to behavior, decision-making, health, or personal goals, and who want to enhance communication, build trust, and support autonomy without confrontation.

Presented by Margo Dieck, CHES, Health and Well-Being Educator, UW–Madison Division of Extension. Full description forthcoming.

Presented by Willow Creek Behavioral Health. Full description forthcoming.

This panel brings together local health department leaders to share real-world harm reduction initiatives addressing substance use in their communities. Panelists will highlight practical strategies such as overdose prevention, community outreach, and partnerships that expand access to care and reduce harm.

Attendees will gain insight into challenges, successes, and lessons learned while exploring how local efforts can inform broader prevention and treatment approaches. This session emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and actionable strategies to improve community health outcomes.

Panelists include Pamela Lee, Certified Peer Specialist with the Wood County Health Department.

Presented by Peter DiMilia. Full description forthcoming.

As the need to address co-occurring substance use and mental health needs has grown within the jail and the justice-involved population, Wood County has recognized the need to re-evaluate the status quo. Multiple Wood County departments and their community partners have worked hard to increase resources and opportunities for those most affected by this crisis.

This presentation will investigate the various initiatives and collaborative efforts that have been developed to advance treatment solutions both in the county jail and upon re-entry into the community.

This training introduces participants to the essentials of naloxone administration, overdose recognition, and effective response strategies, grounded in the real-world insight of lived experience. Led by Three Bridges Recovery, this session blends practical skill-building with peer-informed perspectives on harm reduction, stigma, and community safety.

Presented by Scott Webb, Trauma-Informed Care Trainer/Consultant.

Helping professionals give deeply every day — but who is filling their well? This one-hour interactive session is designed for behavioral health prevention specialists, public health professionals, and clinicians who are committed to sustaining their most valuable resource: themselves. Participants will explore the science behind compassion fatigue and burnout, learn to recognize the early warning signs in themselves and their colleagues, and leave with practical, evidence-based strategies to build resilience and prevent depletion. This session reframes self-care not as a luxury, but as a professional and ethical obligation.

Meagan Otto believes that we are all entitled to live a healthy life. She has worked closely with a variety of local, state, and national stakeholders to design, implement, evaluate, maintain, and grow community-based programs to make health for all a real possibility.

As a Certified Prevention Specialist in the state of Wisconsin, Meagan uses her expertise and drive to assist partners throughout the state in substance use prevention and coalition development initiatives. With the support of an equally passionate team, she provides education, training, and technical assistance to communities as they address substance use prevention.

Steve is a veteran writer, media trainer, and broadcaster who harnesses the power of stories to help his clients succeed. He turned his passion for broadcasting into a 15-year radio career that began on Sunday mornings at Wisconsin Public Radio while he was attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Soon after earning his BA in Journalism, Steve became a full-time public radio reporter, and his many years of communications work have been recognized through dozens of awards.

Steve is also an Honorary Associate at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, having co-taught a public health communications course each summer for two decades. He is a speaker, author, and public relations specialist.

Maureen Busalacchi serves as Director of the Division of Alcohol Policy, Prevention and Research in the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin and leads the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project. She is immediate Past President of the Wisconsin Public Health Association and is Chair-elect of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Section for the American Public Health Association.

Maureen served on Middleton’s City Council, worked as the Executive Director and as the lobbyist for SmokeFree Wisconsin which led Wisconsin’s smoke-free air law effort, and she chaired the Alcohol Prevention Workgroup for the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse. She is an avid biker, hiker, and gardener, and lives with her husband, Steve, and her two daughters, dog, bird, cats, and gecko in Madison, Wisconsin.

Caylee Nichols is the Program Director at Positive Alternatives’ Wausau Group Home, where she works alongside staff and youth in fast-paced environments where communication can make or break a moment. Her passion for Motivational Interviewing comes from real-world experience and a belief that people do better when they feel heard, respected, and involved in the process.

Outside of work, Caylee is part of a busy and beautiful family of seven — which includes her two-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer, Bailey. With four kids who are heavily involved in sports, she and her partner spend a lot of time traveling across the state. When she finds time for herself, Caylee enjoys dance and bowling. She brings this same energy, honesty, and practicality into her trainings, focusing on skills that actually work in real life.

Dillon grew up in rural Wood County, graduated from Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. After graduating, he began his criminal justice career as a case manager with Portage County Human Services, working with individuals as they completed alternative-to-revocation and re-entry programming on behalf of the Department of Community Corrections.

In 2021, he took a position with Wood County Human Services as their Jail Discharge Case Manager. In 2025, he transitioned into his current role with Wood County as the Criminal Justice Coordinator. Dillon has over 10 years of experience working directly with individuals who are justice-system involved and connecting them to resources that address both their mental health and substance use needs. In his current role, he has gotten more involved at a systemic level and has been looking at further programming that could increase opportunities for treatment and intervention from the traditional criminal justice system.

Elizabeth Walter serves as the Executive Director of Three Bridges Recovery Wisconsin, Inc., where she leads strategic, recovery-oriented initiatives that support individuals affected by substance use. Her work is grounded in resilience, dignity, and community connection, and she is recognized for building programs that balance operational excellence with a deeply human approach.

Elizabeth’s leadership is shaped by her own lived experience. Substance use once took everything from her, leading to incarceration and the loss of stability, opportunity, and direction. Through determination and a commitment to change, she rebuilt her life from the ground up — earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology and becoming a respected leader in peer support. Her journey from devastation to purpose informs her belief that recovery is not only possible but transformative.

Felicia Blunt is the Community Programs Director at Three Bridges Recovery. With more than 20 years of lived experience with substance use disorder and a lifetime of direct and indirect experience with mental health challenges, Felicia brings insight and compassion to her work. In 2019, she chose recovery, and that pivotal decision led her to Three Bridges Recovery. She became a recovery coach in 2022, thriving on the educational opportunities and professional development the role offered her.

Her credentials include Recovery Coach Professional, CCAR Recovery Coach Professional Facilitator, trained Doula, and Peer Support Specialist. She is also a trained Narcan trainer, a specialization that connects her with Northcentral Technical College. Felicia is dedicated to empowering individuals on their recovery journeys, bringing hope, and building strong, supportive communities.

Pamela Lee is a Community Health Worker with Wood County Health Department. She is a Certified Peer Specialist, and her lived experience brings a unique perspective to her work. She is tightly intertwined with the recovery community, and her work with Wood County Health Department helps drive efforts around harm reduction initiatives.

She is currently working toward her Associate’s Degree in Health and Wellness Promotion. She lives in central Wisconsin with her son, Maxwell, who loves all things sports.

Scott Webb has worked in the behavioral health field for 39 years. His career has included clinical, administrative, and consultative work, including 13 years as an Account Executive for a national EAP firm. Most recently, he was employed as the Trauma-Informed Care Coordinator for the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

In 1984, Scott earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. He holds a Master of Science in Education degree from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh.