Members for Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada Selected, Meeting Scheduled

Committee responsible for establishing funding priorities

Carson City September 29, 2021

Today, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Service, in partnership with the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, announce the members selected for the Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada.

In 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed Senate Bill 390 creating the Committee and setting the membership requirements to reflect the diversity of Nevada and include those who are disproportionately impacted by opioid use disorder and disparities in access to health care.

The Committee is responsible for establishing priority areas to allocate the proceeds of certain litigation by the State concerning the manufacture, distribution, sale and marketing of opioids.

The first meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Oct. 5, 10 a.m. and the meeting agenda and information can be found at https://dhhs.nv.gov/Programs/Grants/Advisory_Committees/ACRN/Home/

Committee appointments were made by the Attorney General, the DHHS Director and the DHHS Office of Minority Health and Equity.

The Advisory Committee will be responsible for providing guidance on the statewide needs assessment and statewide plan establishing the priority areas for the allocation of the funds. The Advisory Committee will also coordinate with the Substance Use Response Group in the Office of the Attorney General. Once the statewide plan is established by the Committee, the Grants Management Unit will issue competitive announcements to distribute the State’s opioid settlement funds in accordance with the statewide plan and SB 390.

These funds must address the risks, impacts and harms of substance use with a particular focus on the disproportionate impact and health disparities.

Attorney General Committee Appointments
Pauline Salla, Director of Juvenile Services, Humboldt County	One member who possesses knowledge, skills and experience working with youth in the juvenile justice system
Cornelius Sheehan, LCSW, Nevada Counseling Associates	One member who possesses knowledge, skills and experience working with youth in the criminal justice system
Elyse Monroy, Nevada Overdose to Action	One member who possesses knowledge, skills and experience working with youth in the surveillance of overdoses
Jessica Barlow, Nye County resident, Nevada Outreach Training Organization, Family Resource Manager	One member who residence in a county other than Clark or Washoe County and has experience having a substance use disorder or having a family member who has a substance use disorder
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health and Equity Committee Appointments
Cecilia Maria, Clark County Division of Family Services, NAS Foster Parent	One member that resides in Clark County and has experience having a substance use disorder or having a family member who has a substance use disorder
Karissa Loper, Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Child, Family and Community Wellness	One member who possesses knowledge, skills and experience in public health
Ryan Gustafson, Division Director for Washoe County Human Services	One member who is the director of an agency which provides child welfare services or his or her designee
Laura Sherwood, Prevention Specialist, Nevada High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department	One member who represents a program that specializes in prevention of substance use by youth
Brittney Collins-Jefferson, LCSW, Restorative Life	One member who represents a faith-based organization that specializes in recovery from substance use disorder
Dr. Lilnetra Grady, FQHC	One member that represents a program for substance use disorders that is operated by a nonprofit organization and certified pursuant to NRS 458.025
Department of Health and Human Services Director Committee Appointments
Darcy Patterson, Long term recovery from substance use disorder(SUD); Daughter died from opioid overdose in 2017; Safe Launch One Choice Board Member; and employed by St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center	One member that resides in Washoe County and has experience having a substance use disorder or having a family member who has a substance use disorder
Dr. Farzad Kamyar, MD, MBA, Director of the High-Risk Pregnancy Center	One member that is a board-certified physician in field of addiction medicine by the American Board of Addiction Medicine
Quintella Winbush, Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, in Long Term Recovery, Foundation for Recovery employee and also Desert Parkway Behavioral Health employee	One member who represents a nonprofit, community-oriented organizations that specialized in peer-led recovery from substance use disorder
David Sanchez, Crisis Counselor, Nevada Resilience Project, Community Health Worker/Peer Specialist, Rural Resident	One member who has survived an opioid overdose
Michelle Luszczewski, MSW, LADC, employed at Trac B	One member who represents a program to prevent overdoses or otherwise reduce the harm caused by the use of substances
Ariana Saunders, CSH	One member who represents an organization that specializes in housing
Dr. Katherine E. Loudon, Washoe County School District, Coordinator of School Counseling and Safe and Drug Free Schools	One member who possesses knowledge, skills, and experience with education in pupils in Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Contact

Shannon Litz

Public Information Officer

sdlitz@dhhs.nv.gov