Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol and Center for Humanistic Change are offering an opioid addiction and recovery forum virtual conference, set for 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 14. The event is intended to increase awareness, support and resources.

The keynote speaker is former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy, a former member of the president’s commission on combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis and the founder of the Kennedy Forum, will share his personal story of mental illness and addiction.

The Lehigh County certified recovery specialist and certified family recovery specialist teams will re-imagine the role of recovery centers and promote wellness pathways that meet the need of high school and college age groups.

Dr. Gillian Beauchamp, of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s department of emergency medicine, will speak to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and new medical trends in opioid use disorder treatment.

There will also be speakers to discuss the Lehigh County approaches to recovery, including the Blue Guardian program and drug treatment court. These speakers include Sgt. John Leonard, with Allentown Police Department; Ibn Quawee, certified recovery specialist with Treatment Trends; Lauren Master, a case management specialist with Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol; and Grace Chehoud Vangelo, a deputy public defender.

The event is open to college and high school students, people in recovery, family members, educators, professionals and the general community.

For more information, call 610-443-1595, ext. 10.

Find the event registration link at thechc.org/event_calendar.