Rob Kent, former general counsel for the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports who currently is serving in a similar position for the White House Office of National Drug Policy, will be the keynote speaker at the GOW Opioid Task Force quarterly meeting on Thursday.
The public is invited to watch and participate in the meeting, which is scheduled from 9:30 to 11 a.m. via Zoom videoconferencing.
To register, go to www.gowopioidtaskforce.org. Once registered, a confirmation email with Zoom information and a link to join the meeting will be sent.
Task Force Coordinator Christen Ferraro said that Kent (pictured above) will share the federal government’s perspective on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as what is being done at the national level to combat the opioid crisis.
“It is important that we continue the conversation surrounding the opioid crisis and ways we can help amidst the pandemic,” Ferraro said. “People in our community are still struggling and in need of support and treatment services. This virtual meeting helps us to stay connected and to safely reach even more of the concerned citizens in our tri-county region.”
Ferraro said she will share highlights of the task force’s accomplishments over the past year and provide updates on the various work groups.
Kent is well respected among several professional groups, receiving glowing endorsements from the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Association upon his hiring by the Biden administration.
In his role at OASAS, Kent provided overall legal support, policy guidance, and direction to the OASAS Executive Office and all divisions of the agency.
He led OASAS efforts to implement New York State’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force recommendations, which included the Combat Addiction/Heroin Campaign, the Federal Opioid Targeted Grant program, and Medicaid Redesign Team initiatives. He also led efforts on the implementation of historic legislation to increase access to treatment, including harm reduction services.
Kent has co-authored articles on patient confidentiality and sober homes and has presented nationally and throughout New York State on the addiction system of care.
Most recently, he served as vice president of Advocacy and general counsel for the American Association of Orthodontists, a national healthcare organization.
For more information on the GOW Opioid Task Force, contact Ferraro at cferraro@gcasa.org.
