2025 HRS: Engaging with People with Lived Experience through Community Advisory Boards, Outreach, and Workplace Settings
Healthcare teams lack awareness and knowledge about harm reduction services, including 1) prevention and response efforts, 2) available resources, 3) promising practices, 4) disease testing and prevention, 5) addiction and recovery services, 6) local and state partnerships, and 7) the current status of the drug overdose epidemic.
Individuals seeking help face significant challenges, including transportation barriers, the inability to leave work without risking job loss, and responsibilities for children, pets, or other dependents. Navigators responsible for linking clients to care also encounter obstacles, such as clients having more immediate or pressing needs like housing or employment, a brief window of time when clients are ready and willing to seek help, and the lack of readily available information on clients' accessibility needs in existing programs.
Online resources play a critical role in addressing these challenges by offering flexible, accessible support options that can bridge the gap between immediate needs and long-term care.
Target Audience
The target audience for this conference includes physicians, nurses, social workers, public health professionals, certified alcohol and drug counselors, community health workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, adult support counselors, and target case managers.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this learning activity, participants will be able to,
- To describe strategies to engage people with living experience with substance use in the design of harm reduction programs.
- Identify barriers to the engagement of people with living experience with substance use in program design.
- Discuss the benefits of lived people with living experience with substance use in program design.
April Young, PhD, MPH

Professor
Department of Epidemiology
University of Kentucky College of Public Health
Lexington, Kentucky
April M. Young, PhD is a Professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health and the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research. Dr. Young’s research focuses primarily on substance use and related harms in rural communities. She has been conducting substance use research in rural Appalachian Kentucky for more than ten years. She has authored and co-authored more than 90 publications, nearly all of which are on topics related to substance use, HIV, hepatitis C, overdose, and sexually transmitted infections. She has also led or co-led six studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Young also leads the Community Engagement team for the HEALing Communities Study in Kentucky, an ambitious initiative to reduce opioid related overdose deaths in sixteen Kentucky counties.
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by UK HealthCare CECentral Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and Kentucky Department for Public Health. University of Kentucky HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
CME
This enduring material is designated for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This training has been approved by the KBML as meeting the statutory requirements of HB1. ID# 0624-H8.0-UKCE3cc.
CPE
This knowledge-based activity will award 1 contact hour (0.100 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit in states that recognize ACPE providers.
ASWB ACE
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, UK HealthCare CECentral is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. UK HealthCare CECentral maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.
CNE
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1 nursing contact hour.
EMS
The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) certifies that this educational activity is designated for 1 KBEMS contact hour.
CHES
Sponsored by Department of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 1.0 total Category I continuing education contact hour. Maximum advanced-level continuing education contact hours available are 0. Continuing Competency credits available are up to 0. Provider ID# 105862 Event ID# 61075
CADC
This activity has been approved for 1 hour to meet the continuing education requirements for credential renewal.
CCHW
This training is approved by the Office of Community Health Workers Program to provide 1 continuing education unit for Certified Community Health Workers.
Other
UK Healthcare CECentral certifies this activity for 1 hour of participation.
Available Credit
- 1.00 ACPE
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This knowledge-based activity will award 1.00 contact hour(s) (0.100 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit in states that recognize ACPE providers.
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This Enduring activity is designated for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.00 ANCC (UK Healthcare CECentral)
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.00 nursing contact hour(s).
- 1.00 ASWB
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, UK HealthCare CECentral is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. UK HealthCare CECentral maintains responsibility for this course.
Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 clinical continuing education credit(s).
- 1.00 Certified Community Health WorkThis training is approved by the Office of Community Health Workers Program to provide 1.00 continuing education unit(s) for Certified Community Health Workers.
- 1.00 Certified Health Education Specialist Credit (Western Kentucky University Department of Public Health)Sponsored by Department of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 1.00 total Category I continuing education contact hour(s). Maximum advanced-level continuing education contact hours available are 1.00. Continuing Competency credit is 1.00. Provider ID# 105862, Event ID# Provider ID # 105862 Event ID# 61075.
- 1.00 EMS (Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services)The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) certifies that this educational activity is designated for 1.00 KBEMS contact hour(s). Approval Number: KBEMS-2025-UKHCCE-0008
- 1.00 ParticipationUK Healthcare CECentral certifies this activity for 1.00 hour(s) of participation.