SUBCOMMITTEES
The USAAV+ Council has many subcommittees to advise and further examine important issues the Council wants to address and better understand.
Treatment
Chair, Santiago Cortez The Treatment Committee includes local and state partners discussing behavioral health treatment needs, best practices, and evidenced-based treatments. Makes recommendations to the larger USAAV+ Council, other state agencies, and the Governor's Office.
Justice
Chair, Scott Reed The Justice Committee is comprised of peace officers, state and federal agencies, and community advocates organized to meet on issues in the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice.
Utah Prevention
Chair, Rob Timmerman. Co-Chair, Susannah Burt The Utah Prevention Advisory Council (UPAC) is under the USAAV+ Council. The mission of UPAC is to position prevention as Utah’s primary strategy to reduce and eliminate the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Behavioral Healthcare Workforce
Chair, Santiago Cortez The Behavioral Health Workforce Workgroup was convened to address the behavioral health workforce shortage across Utah. In the 2020 Legislative Session, the Legislature invested funds to help attract and incentivize behavioral health professionals to work in the public sector.
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Utah Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory
Chair, Rob Wesemman. Co-Chair, Sigrid Nolte. The Utah Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Committee meets to coordinate community behavioral health planning.
DUI
Chair, Carlene Walker. Co-Chair, Kim Gibb The USAAV+ Council maintains a DUI Committee whose members represent state and local agencies and organizations dealing with the DUI issue in Utah. The Committee works closely with the Legislature to recommend and review proposed legislation that will strengthen Utah’s ability to more effectively address the DUI problem.
Drug Endangered Children
Chair, Dr. Jaren Buchi. Co-Chair, Ann Williamson. The Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Committee provides direction, leadership, credibility and accountability for the statewide DEC effort; promotes consistency in the implementation of DEC protocols between agencies and across rural and urban jurisdictions; promotes evidence-based research, policy, and a common understanding of best practices for drug endangered children and their families. See the DEC Committee's webinar on Fetal Exposure Reporting and Treatment Amendments here:
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Recovery Residences
Chair, Brent Kelsey The Recovery Residences Committee includes a state and local agencies concerned with recovery residences statute, guiding principles, and local execution.
Underage Drinking Prevention
Chair, Doug Murakami. Co-Chair, Art Brown The Underage Drinking Prevention Workgroup meets weekly to discuss efforts to prevent and address underage drinking through Parents Empowered, the media and education campaign funded by the Utah Legislature and designed to prevent and reduce underage drinking in Utah by providing parents and guardians with information about the harmful effects of alcohol on the developing teen brain, along with proven skills for preventing underage alcohol use, and community grants.
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