Let’s Talk About…
A Webinar Series
Launched in 2024, NCAAR’s Let’s Talk About… operates in collaboration with partner organizations to strengthen advocacy efforts, promote recovery from substance use disorder, support mental health, and expand access to community-centered education.
Hosted by Tonia Ahern, NCAAR’s Community Coordinator, the series has explored impactful topics from fentanyl awareness to substance-use-related would care in New Jersey. Let’s Talk About… brings together friends, colleagues, and community partners to spark meaningful conversations about the issues that matter most to us and the communities we serve.
Tonia Ahern, Community Coordinator
WEBINAR ARCHIVE
Let’s Talk About…The Peer Movement in New Jersey: A panel discussion exploring the history, evolution, and future of the peer workforce in New Jersey’s mental health and addiction recovery systems. Featuring long‑standing leaders and advocates in the field, this conversation traced how peer support developed in New Jersey, why peer certifications were created, and how lived experience has shaped recovery-oriented services across the state.
Presented by NCAAR in partnership with:
- MHA-NJ
- Roff Institute at CARES/Prevention is Key
- Heartistic Recovery, LLC
- Prevention Links
Let’s Talk About…The Wounded Approach to Wound Care in New Jersey explores the barriers faced by individuals seeking medical care for substance use–related wounds and highlights New Jersey’s efforts to revise regulations and licensing to support more integrated, patient-centered care.
Presented by NCAAR in partnership with:
- Dr. Alexis LaPietra from RWJBarnabas Institute for Prevention and Recovery
- Mike Santillo from Prevention Links and the New Jersey Coalition for Addiction Recovery Support (NJ-CARS).
Let’s Talk About…Fentanyl Awareness Day features a panel discussion exploring the silos between prevention, family education, and recovery communities, and highlights the need for a more coordinated, multi-faceted approach to addressing the fentanyl crisis.
Presented by NCAAR in partnership with:
- Governor’s Council on Substance Use Disorder
- Fred Muench, PhD, Former President of Partnership to End Addiction
- Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey
- Song for Charlie
Let’s Talk About…Harm Reduction Supplies: What You Need to Know about New Jersey’s New Law explores how a new law in New Jersey expands drug paraphernalia statutes to include certain harm reduction supplies and discusses what these changes mean for access, safety, and public health.
Presented by NCAAR in partnership with
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