Kym Laube is the Executive Director of Human Understanding Growth Services, Inc., HUGS, Inc., located in Westhampton Beach, NY. In this position, she brings over 33 years of substance use prevention knowledge and expertise, leading the organization to provide a full array of multidimensional prevention services and recovery supports. Kym is a national trainer and speaker, working with notable leaders in prevention including CADCA.

 Having participated in the HUGS, Inc. Teen Institute program in 1986 as a high school student, Kym understands firsthand the profound impact, lifelong influence and workforce development the Teen Institute program provides to young people. From student leader to Executive Director in 2002, Kym’s mission has been to empower others to seek their full potential and become agents of change in the world. Kym offers dynamic, passionate and interactive keynotes, trainings and workshops for large and small groups with an uncanny ability to talk with and not at people. Annually, Kym presents to over 25,000 individuals, young and old across our great country. 

Kym’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of young people extends beyond her executive office and can be seen in the many leadership roles she holds. She is active on various local, state and national boards and task forces and served on the NYS Governor Opiate Task Force. 

Most notable is her personal recovery and commitment to push individuals to make the space better wherever they are. Her greatest joy is watching her two adult sons creating a life of choice and forge their own course. She lives in Westhampton Beach with her husband, and way too many dogs. 

Geoffrey Vasile, LMSW, is the licensed master social worker and care coordinator in the Amplify Center, a clinical partnership between Austin Community College and UT Health Austin. He is also a member of UT Health Austin’s Integrated Behavioral Health care team. 

He specializes in compassionate cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and developing culturally relevant, pragmatic, and applicable mental health and substance use recovery strategies. Geoffrey Vasile earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at The University of Texas at Austin after recognizing the transformative power of evidence-based therapies when communicated through a collaborative and culturally relevant lens. 

In addition, he is a credentialed Recovery Peer Support Specialist. Geoffrey Vasile focuses on cognitive behavioral therapy interventions that are culturally relevant, collaborative, and power-sharing to try and make people feel empowered in their own mental health treatment. 

Using heart-centered mindfulness, generative states of awareness, and cognitive therapy, Andrew works collaboratively with individuals to develop a compassionate relationship with their own experience. This helps guide people on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, alleviates suffering, and can heal relational disconnects.     

He works with people who are dealing with a wide range of issues including: relationship problems, depression/anxiety, addictions, recovery, trauma, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, boundary issues, compulsive behaviors, and mood instability. Andrew’s professional interests include complex trauma, suicide prevention, anxiety and depression, mental health stigma in BIPOC communities, and relationship stress. 

Liliana (Lily) Spurgeon is a dedicated and fully bilingual Community Health Worker (CHW) and the co-founder of Bilingual Hearts Consulting. Her aim is to empower organizations and professionals to deliver culturally competent care, fostering a more connected and supportive environment for individuals from diverse backgrounds by bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in the realm of behavioral health. Lily uses her lived experience as a first generation Latina and as a person in recovery from a substance use disorder as an anchor to give voice to those underrepresented in the behavioral health field. 

Rooted in her upbringing, where Spanish was the primary language, Lily naturally became the primary interpreter and translator for her family. This early exposure laid the foundation for her advocacy work within Bilingual Hearts Consulting. Lily is a staunch advocate for the employment of translators in agencies, ensuring linguistic and culturally appropriate behavioral health services are accessible to all. 

Lily recently graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish. She plans to continue to further her education by attending graduate school for social work. Her work experience ranges from working in the legal field as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal to working with the South American migrant community seeking asylum in the US. 

Through these experiences, she has gained an understanding of and insight into important leadership roles as a woman of color. Lily currently serves on the board of the University of New Mexico CASAA Community Advisory Board and the NM Peer Coalition.

Phil Owen is the founder of the Austin Area Opioid Workgroup and a subject matter expert for the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence, Opioid Response Network and Faces and Voices of Recovery Adjunct Faculty member. Additionally, Phil is a Recovery Support Peer Specialist and Supervisor at Communities for Recovery playing a pivotal role in developing and implementing programs to support individuals on their recovery journey.

Phil has been a Peer Recovery Support Specialist trainer since 2018, playing a crucial role as writer for the Texas Recovery Support Peer Specialist 2024 curriculum. His areas of expertise include harm reduction, peer supervision, and workforce development. Lastly, Phil is a seasoned veteran of the music industry, his deep understanding of the challenges people face surrounding substance use disorder and his own journey exemplifies his unwavering commitment to helping others.

With over 20 years of experience in behavioral health field, Raul has been a leader in educating and supporting individuals, organizations and communities about substance use disorders and long-term recovery. Currently, Raul is practicing therapist and full time professor at Austin Community College with the specialty of teaching addiction counseling students. He has been a director for residential and correctional programs as well has worked in all levels of care including his own private practice. Raul has also been a long-time support of community development including local ROSCs and civic engagement.

Rommel Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Western Michigan University, a Master of Arts degrees in Community Counseling and Youth Ministry from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Oakwood University, Huntsville Alabama. 

Dr. Johnson  is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the states of Michigan and Texas and is Board Certified in General Counseling (NCC), Rehabilitation Counseling (CRC), and Addiction Counseling (CAADC). Dr. Johnson has over 15 years of clinical mental health and addiction counseling experience. Dr. Johnson’s research interests include understanding issues of race, social justice, disability, addiction, and mental health within African American, Afro-Caribbean, and Afro-Latinx populations.

Dr. Johnson’s presentation style is lively, engaging, and is infused with humor.

Heidi’s professional experience with SUD began with San Antonio’s local mental health authority in HIV outreach services where she facilitated a sexual health curriculum for at risk youth and people who use substances and provided HIV /Hep C testing out in the community. Heidi also spent time as a community health worker doing street outreach. Additionally, she provided harm reduction supplies and education primarily to unhoused people who use drugs. She also linked people to medical care, detox and treatment, and focused on teaching community members how to respond to opioid overdose.

Heidi also spent time working in a sexual health clinic providing counseling, phlebotomy, and STI testing. Later with the same organization, she assisted with their syringe service program (SSP) in San Antonio by distributing harm reduction supplies to people who use drugs. After graduating with her master’s in social work, she began working at Be Well Texas as a caseworker linking patients to detox and treatment and later moved into a therapist role providing individual therapy and psychoeducational groups to people seeking MAT services.

Joseph Yoon is a clinical social worker, board approved supervisor, and the psychotherapist/owner of Blue Bend Counseling, PLLC. In addition to 14 years of practical experience in social work, he has a strong academic background in the field, having earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work from Baylor University with a specialization in Immigration and Refugees.

Joseph’s interest in immigrant and refugee issues stems from his own experience as the son of first generation immigrant parents. His childhood was heavily molded by being a Texas native in a culturally Korean family. After his graduate research on the parent-child influences of second generation Korean American adolescents, he continued to have diverse practical experiences that include working with the Refugee Resettlement Program at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Fort Worth Inc., Integral Care’s community based rehabilitation services programs, and the Travis County Adult Probation’s SMART residential substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation program.

Joseph is currently providing individual psychotherapy with a specialty focus on the acculturative immigrant experience, mental health and comorbid substance use diagnoses, and LGBTQIA+ issues. He continues to enjoy experiencing other cultures through the joy of local food and music, gardening, and exploring the greater Austin area with his dog Sasha.

With years of experience working with the SUD population and co-occurring disorders, Veronica’s professional journey began with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, working with multidisciplinary teams through the court system.  After receiving her master’s in social work, she worked with the local mental health authority in San Antonio, TX, providing case management services to those living with HIV and SUD to ensure they were linked to care. She’s also had the opportunity to provide inpatient and outpatient care to women with SUD and working towards reunification with children.

She has transitioned into a more therapeutic role where she now provides individual counseling to people seeking MAT and working towards their recovery journey, in the state of Texas. In addition to providing care to the SUD population, she has also engaged with field students seeking higher level education and working towards their BSW or MSW.

Deborah Antich has 10 + years embedded in Recovery and Mental Health spaces which include roles in the courts, training Recovery and Mental Health Professionals across Texas, working directly with justice involved/formerly incarcerated individuals, veterans, and youth, including those in behavioral health settings. Deborah Antich is a Recovery Support Peer Specialist and trainer of Recovery Support Peer Specialists (RSPS). She is a Certified Family Partner and a Licensed Drug Offender Educator, Harm Reductionist, and MAT/MOUD Advocate (and trainer of certified MAT Advocates).

 She utilizes Trauma Informed Care when working with individuals and organizations. Deb is currently directly involved in Community and School District education of Fentanyl/Opioids and Overdose providing Prevention and Intervention Education that is understandable and usable. She is involved with Law Enforcement as well as RSPS throughout the state, gathering data in real time for community education and public health purposes.

 It’s important to Deb that her work as a Recovery Consultant with organizations is tailored to that group’s specific needs. Her purpose is to provide real outcomes and ongoing support to strengthen that community or organization from within.