20th Annual NJPN Conference - 2020 Vision Program Book

STEVEN J. DRZEWOSZEWSKI Director of Substance Abuse Counseling Services | Hackensack Meridian Health Carrier Clinic

SPEAKERS COMPLETE BIOS

Steve Drzewoszewski (Jevo-shef-ski) is the Director of Substance Abuse Counseling Services and the Director of the Blake Recovery Center at Hackensack Meridian Health Carrier Clinic. He believes that “all change begins with resolving ambivalence and everyone is capable of change”. Steve has been in the field of addiction treatment for over 15 years and can see over 1,200 patients a year at the Blake Recovery Center. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree of Psychology from the University of Phoenix and a master’s degree of Social Work from the University of Southern California. Steve presents and educates regularly on multiple topics related to substance use disorders and has been interviewed for multiple publications and media over the years. Steve is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and has been practitioner of motivational interviewing for over 10 years. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Certified Clinical Supervisor and a Motivational Interviewing Network Trainer.

JONAH C. CUNNINGHAM Government Relations Manager | Trust for America’s Health

Jonah Cunningham is a Trust For America’s Health (TFAH) Government Relations Manager focusing on behavioral health issues and ways to reduce mortality from substance misuse and suicide. Prior to joining TFAH, he worked for over six years on the staff of Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA). In his most recent position, as Senior Policy Advisor, Jonah helped to reestablish the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and created a Suicide Prevention Task Force within the Caucus. He also developed legislation to improve the nation’s behavioral health system through expanded services and investments in the workforce. He has received several awards for his commitment to mental health promotion. Jonah has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy from The George Washington University. He is an avid Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

PAM FISCHER Sr. Director, External Engagement & Special Projects | Governors Highway Safety Association

Pam Shadel Fischer is Senior Director of External Engagement and Special Projects for the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), which provides leadership and advocacy for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. In that role, she manages many of GHSA’s key partnership and external engagements and oversees the association’s Consulting Services Initiative, which provides program and management assistance to state members through a pool of seasoned traffic safety professionals. She researches and writes best practice publications for GHSA – 10 to date, addressing teen driving (various topics), pedestrian and bicyclist safety, drowsy driving and most recently high-risk impaired driving – and, through public speaking engagements, implementation of unique partnerships and other outreach, she works to bring national visibility to highway safety. Fischer has more than 30 years of experience addressing behavioral safety issues at the local, state and national levels through advocacy, education, enforcement, grassroots outreach, policy and planning. After a 20-year career with AAA New Jersey and a four-year run as Governor’s Representative and Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, she established her consulting firm (Pam Fischer Consulting), which for nearly a decade helped state and federal agencies as well as onprofit organizations address the behavioral safety issues that put all roadway users at risk. Fischer holds a B.A. in English from Lebanon Valley College, an M.A. in Leadership and Public Administration from Centenary University, where she is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Social Services, and a Certificate in Advanced Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

DR. GAYATHRI J. DOWLING Director, Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Project | Na- tional Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. Gaya Dowling is the Director of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Project at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The ABCD Study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States, has enrolled nearly 12,000 children ages 9-10 and is following them through their teens and into early adulthood to explore how diverse experiences during adolescence shape brain, cognitive, social, emotional, and academic development. Previously, Dr. Dowling served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Science Policy, Engagement, Education, and Communications at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Chief of Science Policy at NIDA. In these positions, she provided scientifically-based information to patients and their family members, health professionals, researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders to inform policy and promote the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases. Dr. Dowling earned a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the University of California at Davis, where she studied the developing nervous system, and subsequently conducted research at the Parkinson’s Institute prior to joining NIH where she initially worked at the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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SPEAKERBIOS