The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service will host a two-day summit focusing on substance use prevention and recovery, with a specific focus on diverse populations. The event, titled “Summit on Substance Use, Recovery and Diverse Populations,” is Aug. 2-3 at the Lexington downtown Hyatt and features Kentucky Cooperative Extension specialists and national experts discussing topics related to trauma-informed, culturally appropriate and gender-responsive education.

The summit is a collaborative effort between multiple UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment programs. These include the college’s Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H, Family Consumer Sciences and nutrition education programs. The event aims to bring together extension staff from across the state, community organizations and the general public to discuss how to better meet the needs of diverse populations struggling with substance use.

"We are doing great work when it comes to substance use prevention and recovery and there was a lot of opportunity for us to lead the conversation," said Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Cooperative Extension specialist for family and consumer sciences. "We saw this as an opportunity to engage extension agents and specialists to facilitate conversations and address needs some Kentucky communities are experiencing, such as substance use prevention and recovery."

University of Nevada professor and extension specialist Annie Lindsay, renowned for her gender-responsive work, will speak at the event.

"We want as many extension agents and specialists at the table as possible," said Alex Elswick, UK Cooperative Extension specialist for health and nutrition. "It's open to anyone interested in helping their local communities. We know that there are differences in how to approach sensitive topics. Many people have unique experiences that would be beneficial for Cooperative Extension as well as clinical folks and practitioners that are working in this space."

The UK Cooperative Extension Service hopes to make the event as affordable and accessible as possible. Attendance will count toward Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education hours—11 total hours across both days. The two-day registration cost is $70, $35 per day. Those attending the second day will receive training materials. 

"We're really excited about this event and the opportunity to bring people together to talk about substance use prevention and recovery," Norman-Burgdolf said. "We hope that it will lead to new collaborations and partnerships that can make a real difference in the lives of those in need."

To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summit-on-substance-use-recovery-and-diverse-populations-tickets-630045461937. Reserve a hotel room by July 5 by using the link https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/LEXRL/G-UKFV and the code G-UKFV. To register in the Kentucky Extension Reporting System, visit https://kers.ca.uky.edu/core/reporting/training/57421 for day one and https://kers.ca.uky.edu/core/reporting/training/57422 for day two. Sessions run 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EDT.