FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April XX, 2024

Contact: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org

Webinar to Address Trauma and Its
Role in Opioid Use Disorder

MILLBURN ­– The fourth webinar in the 2024 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series will focus on the relationship between trauma and opioid use disorder. The series is a collaboration of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJ CARES) and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA).

“Trauma & Opioid Use Disorder” will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, and feature presentations by Rebecca Bryan, executive director of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Office of Resilience; Cathy Choy, program coordinator at the Trauma Recovery Center at University Hospital in Newark; and Hellen Da Silva, a psychotherapist at the Trauma Recovery Center.

The session will examine the connection between traumatic experiences and opioid misuse, exploring strategies and interventions for treating this complex issue. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how trauma impacts opioid use, offering essential insights for both healthcare professionals and the wider community.

“Understanding the relationship between trauma and opioid use disorder is a vital component in addressing the opioid epidemic,” said Angelo Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ. “This webinar is an essential platform for disseminating crucial information and strategies to effectively manage these co-occurring conditions.”

PDFNJ hosts the series in collaboration with OEFA and NJ CARES, which is responsible for overseeing addiction-fighting efforts across the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and has focused on educating the community on various topics related to prevention, treatment and recovery.

The Learning Series has grown each year since it was created in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with attendance reaching nearly 10,000 in 2023. Participants have learned from experts from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, including representatives of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the New Jersey Department of Health, the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as many universities and state and local organizations involved in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Speakers have included New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, former New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Regional Director Dr. Dara Kass and award-winning author Sam Quinones.

The series is a branch of PDFNJ’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day statewide initiative, which has been held annually on October 6 since 2016 to educate residents and prescribers on the risks of prescription opioids and to raise awareness of the opioid crisis throughout the state.

To learn more about Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day and for a schedule of webinars, please visit knockoutday.drugfreenj.org.

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Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 226 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.