ICF (NASDAQ:ICFI), a global consulting and digital services provider, today announced a research and evaluation forum, “Opioid Use: An Epidemic of Addiction, Not Abuse,” to discuss the underlying issues of the opioid epidemic. The event, co-sponsored with the George Washington University (GW), will take place on November 1 at 11:00 am in GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium.
The forum will feature a fireside chat between Hillbilly Elegy author, J.D. Vance and Frank Sesno, director of the GW School of Media and Public Affairs and former CNN anchor. The chat will be followed by a panel discussion with academic and industry experts on the public’s perceptions of the opioid epidemic, what influences that perception, treatment trends, the impact on medical and behavioral approaches, and demographic differentiators. Panelists include:
- Dr. Lynn Goldman, Michael and Lori Milken Dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University; Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health (moderator),
- Dr. Grant Baldwin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Director of the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,
- CAPT Jennifer Fan, Pharmacist, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
- Gary Mendell, Chairman and CEO of Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the devastation addiction causes families, and
- J.D. Vance, best-selling author of Hillbilly Elegy.
“The severity of the opioid epidemic in the United States is clear,” said Ellen Glover, executive vice president at ICF. “Since 1999, deaths from prescription opioids have more than quadrupled. This multifaceted problem needs stakeholders from across different disciplines to address its complex challenges and come up with actionable solutions. We are honored to partner with GW to facilitate the gathering of experts from academia, industry, and government to shed light on this crisis.”
This forum is the latest in an ongoing research and evaluation forum series co-sponsored by ICF and GW. The series explores public health related topics such as behavioral science, cancer, childhood immunization, e-cigarettes, mobile health, obesity, worksite wellness survey methods.
ICF helps government, private sector, nonprofit, and academic clients solve complex problems with scientific, analytic, and research capabilities. For nearly half a century, our work has impacted international, state, and local public health issues such as bio-surveillance, cancer, children’s health, immunization, mental health, natural disasters, obesity, prescription opioid overdose, and suicide prevention.
For more information, please visit ICF’s government health solutions or register for “Opioid Use: An Epidemic of Addiction, Not Abuse,” on November 1 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm in GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium (805 21st NW, Washington, D.C.).