Opioids Conference Speakers

Glenn G. Brimacombe

Glenn Brimacombe is Vice-President, Strategic Partnerships and Priorities, with the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA). He will be providing an introduction to the Knowledge Exchange. In this role, he works in strategic partnership with a broad range of stakeholders to advance research, policy, and practice on the services and supports to address substance use in Canada. Throughout his career, much of Glenn’s focus has been on a range of strategic policy issues related to the organization, management, financing, and delivery of health care, in addition to the federal role in research, innovation, and commercialization.

Ben Bridgstock

Ben Bridgstock will be introducing the background and history of the opioid crisis. He is the Manager of Algonquin College’s Counselling Services and Spiritual Centre and the College’s harm reduction based Umbrella Project. He has worked in the substance use and mental health fields in both England and Canada for 15 years.

Dr. Jane Buxton

Dr. Jane Buxton is a public health physician and professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Population and Public Health in Vancouver. She is the harm reduction lead at the BC Centre for Disease Control where she developed the inter-sectoral Drug Overdose and Alert Partnership (2011) and provincial Take-Home-Naloxone program (2012). She uses qualitative and quantitative approaches and includes people who use drugs in developing policy, program planning, and evaluation and research.

Rob Boyd

Rob Boyd will be providing an overview of the opioid crisis – a regional/provincial perspective. Rob Boyd has been working with youth and adults with mental health and substance use disorders in Ottawa for over 25 years, including the last 14 years as the Oasis Clinical Director of the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre. Oasis is a leader in integrating mental health, addictions, and primary care services for people who experience barriers accessing mainstream services.

Dr. Kim Corace

Dr. Kim Corace will be providing an overview of The Royal’s Regional Opioid Intervention Service. Dr. Corace is the Clinical Director at The Royal’s Regional Opioid Intervention Service.

Dr. Jennifer Thake

Dr. Jennifer Thake will be presenting on Evidence Based Treatments for opioid addiction. Dr. Thake is a Professor at Carleton University, a consultant to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, and works in private practice.