Breakthrough Breakfast
Breakthrough Breakfasts EPIC recently held the sixth Breakthrough Breakfast event. The Breakthrough Breakfasts are educational events organized by EPIC’s Advocacy Committee and designed for professionals in a variety of fields including health care and treatment, education and community service organizations. The topic of the most recent Breakthrough Breakfast was Heroin Addiction and treatment Options and EPIC would like to thank the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Committee at Southeast Missouri State University for sponsoring this event. The Breakthrough Breakfasts have been popular events and attendance seems to grow each time we have one. This event was our most attended to date with 63 people signing in. Dr. Gerri Goldman and Dr. Dana Branson were the speakers for this event.
Dr. Goldman has worked in the field of addictions since the 1970s and has worked across the spectrum from direct services with clients to non-profit program management and administration to policy development and implementation at the state level in Florida. She has a BA in sociology from Tulane University, a MSW from Boston University, and a PhD in social work from Florida State University and is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Addictions Professional in the State of Florida. Dana Branson is the Assistant Program Director of Family Counseling Center, Inc, where she has been employed for the past 16 years, providing substance abuse treatment to adult women and adolescent populations in both residential and outpatient settings. Branson has been an active practitioner since 1995 and licensed in the state of MO since 1997. Branson completed her Bachelors of Science in Psychology/Sociology at Southwest Baptist University, her Masters of Social Work at University of Kansas, and her Doctorate of General Psychology from Northcentral University. Additionally, Branson is an adjust instructor at Southeast Missouri State University, teaching classes for the Psychology and Social Work Departments. Branson is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and Certified Reciprocal Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CRAADC). Dr. Goldman spoke about the effects opiates and other drugs have on the brain. She shared several resources with the group that day and I found this site that shows various pleasure centers affected by certain drugs to be quite useful. Dr. Branson spoke about medication assisted treatment options that may be available to people suffering from addiction to opiates.