By Ashley Yaugher and Julene Reese
The Utah State University Extension 2023 Rural Opioid and Stimulant Wellness Summit will be held locally on Oct. 25-26 in Price, Utah. It will include a pre-conference service project and an ice cream social on the evening of Oct. 24.
The summit will address the pressing needs of rural communities combating substance use disorders, including Carbon and Emery counties. This year’s summit, “Open Roads to Health and Wellness,” focuses on pathways creating robust, healthy families through prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies.
Now in its sixth year, the event is intended for rural community members, professionals, field experts, and anyone interested in discussing, planning, and acting against the growing opioid overdose and stimulant crises. Attendees will learn from and connect with law enforcement officers, first responders, medical providers, prevention specialists, people in recovery, and substance use disorder professionals, among others.
“The summit is poised to be a catalyst for open discussions and change,” said Ashley Yaugher, USU Health Extension: Advocacy, Research and Teaching (HEART) Initiative faculty and summit organizer. “Our hope is to offer practical resources and holistic activities for wellness and recovery, foster growth and knowledge, and reinforce rural community strengths and the many pathways to recovery.”
Registration information will be announced at extension.usu.edu/communitywellness/opioid-summit. Continuing education credits will be offered.
“Connected, we will face the opioid overdose and emerging stimulant crises in our rural communities,” Yaugher said. “Join us to gather, participate, and assemble the needed resources for our ‘Open Roads to Health and Wellness’ summit to help build strong, healthy families throughout rural Utah.”
For questions about the summit, please visit the summit webpage or contact Yaugher via email at ashley.yaugher@usu.edu. More information is coming soon. We hope to see all our community members there to gather and learn together, continuing to spread hope in our little cities.