Dissect & Connect Montgomery County Prevention Partners

Dr. Rosanna Breaux is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Child Study Center at Virginia Tech. In our conversation, Dr. Breaux provides an overview of dysgraphia, a brain-based learning disability that affects writing.

Resources:
Website: www.understood.org
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-dysgraphia https://www.understood.org/en/articles/6-multisensory-techniques-for-teaching-handwriting?_sp=d964e9f8-4886-4233-a83e-8e71620d3738.1651688011722 Some additional Dysgraphia specific resources: 
https://dyslexiaida.org/understanding-dysgraphia/ https://www.additudemag.com/what-is-dysgraphia-understanding-common-symptoms/ General resources on SLDs and IEPs/504 Plans:
https://effectivechildtherapy.org/concerns-symptoms-disorders/symptoms/specific-learning-disorder/ http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/parents/parents_guide.pdf

Rick Mountcastle is an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia and a Retired Federal Prosecutor.
 
Operating from a small, satellite U.S. Attorney's Office in Abingdon, Virginia, Rick led the investigation and prosecution of Purdue Pharma, as well as its CEO, General Counsel, and Chief Medical Officer, in an unprecedented case, that, at the inception of the opioid crisis, held an opioid manufacturer and its top executives criminally and civilly responsible for falsely marketing OxyContin. (This case was at the center of Beth Macy's best-selling book, "Dopesick," and the Hulu television series of the same name that first premiered in October 2021.)
 
After moving to the US Attorney’s office headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia, Rick led the investigation and prosecution of Abbott Laboratories for its false marketing of the epilepsy drug, Depakote, resulting in criminal and civil penalties totaling $1.5 Billion (at the time the largest pharmaceutical settlement involving a single drug in U.S. history).
 
As acting/interim U.S. Attorney from January 2017 through April 2018, Rick led the federal response to the violence at the Charlottesville Unite-the-Right rally on August 12, 2017, personally directing the opening of the federal civil rights investigation of Heather Heyer's killer and other violent extremists, ensuring that the federal case was staffed by the office's best attorneys, coordinating with the local prosecutor's office, and coordinating with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also initiated the federal-state task force to address gang violence in Danville, Virginia, resulting in the return of federal indictments against members of two violent gangs.
 
Now with the Virginia Attorney General's Office, Rick currently works to address the opioid crisis by conducting parallel criminal-civil investigations of health care providers who prescribe controlled substances without legitimate medical purpose.
 
In our conversation, Rick shares insight from the Perdue Pharma case and speaks to the larger issue of corruption and how that led to America's addiction epidemic. We also discuss the negative impact of stigma toward those who struggle with addiction as well as the importance of prevention and education.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
BOOK: Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

SAMHSA Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

 



 
 

Josh Diamond, Katie Mitchell and Katie Forsyth provide an overview of the Appalachian Replication Project (SexEdVA) at James Madison University's Institute for Innovation in Health & Human Services. The program strives to equip teens, caregivers, and community members with the education and skills that allow young people to make the healthiest decisions for themselves when it comes to sex and relationships.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
https://www.sexedva.org https://www.talkwithyourkids.org https://www.adolescenthealth.org https://www.cdc.gov https://www.hhs.gov https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/new-river/ https://www.nrvroadtowellness.com

 
 
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Laura Kate Jennings-Brink is the Southwest Regional Hepatitis C Coordinator with the Virginia Department of Health.
In our conversation, we discuss the alarming prevalence of Hepatitis C in the region, as well as the populations who are at highest risk, available treatment options and prevention methods.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
HepVu: Understanding Hepatitis C Where You Live - http://www.hepvu.org
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable - http://www.nvhr.org/
Book recommendation: Dopesick (Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America) - Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Dopesick-Dealers-Doctors-Company-Addicted/dp/0316551244
The Crime of the Century (HBO docuseries) official trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkU75sBdjdU
Additional resources: HELP-4-HEP hotline (assists patients in finding care and support) - http://www.help4hep.org
(877-435-7443)
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/10/2016/06/Virginia-Hepatitis-C-Epidemiologic-Profile-2016.pdf

(This is the data published by VDH central office in 2016 depicting Hep C data statewide.)
Other suggested reading material:
Fentanyl Inc. by Ben Westhoff
Death in Mudlick by Eric Eyre

Drs. Brandy Faulkner and Lucien Holness, both professors at Virginia Tech, share the history and significance of Juneteenth. We also discuss the current state of race relations in the United States.

Dr. Mary Crozier has been in the field of substance abuse education, prevention, and intervention for over 40 years and currently serves as a consultant to Community Coalitions of Virginia.



In our discussion, Dr. Crozier explains the importance of substance use prevention, as well as the value of strong, effective coalitions. We also have an extended discussion around the new legislation that will make adult use of marijuana legal in Virginia, effective July 1.
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Community Coalitions of Virginia website - http://communitycoalitionsofva.com/


Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) website: http://www.cadca.org/
 
Community ToolBox website (University of Kansas): http://ctb.ku.edu/en
 
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention website: http://www.samhsa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/offices-centers/csap
 
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) website: http://learnaboutsam.org/