Day 1 – Fundamentals Workshop Early Bird Price $450
Early Bird ticket $450 (discount ends April 1, 2026). Price increases to $550 on April 2nd. FUNDAMENTALS OF CONCURRENT DISORDERS Contemporary Issues and Medico-Legal Risk Mitigation Pre-conference workshop offered in collaboration with the Alberta Medical Association Section of Occupational Medicine September 22nd Target Audience: Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Psychiatrists. Everyone is welcome to register **This registration is only valid for Day 1, September 22, 2026
Day 2 and Day 3 Registration Early Bird Price $450
Early Bird ticket sales end April 1, 2026. Price increases to $599 on April 2nd. Speakers will be announced on April 2, 2026.
Conference Registration Package includes: -Day 2 and Day 3 attendance only -CEU credits -Breakfast, refreshment breaks, and lunches -Keynote & Breakout Presentations
Please note: Day 1 requires a separate registration.
Target Audience: all those who work with clients in the mental health and addiction space.
Once speakers are announced, you may update your session selections by emailing community@lastdoor.org
Day 1, 2, & 3 Full 3 Day Package Early Bird Price $825
Early Bird ticket sales end April 1, 2026. Price increases to $899 on April 2nd. Registration includes all three days and all the benefits found in Day 1, and the Day 2 & 3 registration packages
Dr Nathaniel Day, Evam Romanow, Kerry Bales, Kym Kaufmann
Panel 2 – Recovery Healthcare Stream – The Alberta Recovery Model: Advancing Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care in Canada
September 23rd – Macleod Hall C & D South Building 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
The Alberta Recovery Model: Advancing Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care in Canada
Session Description
A recovery-oriented system of care (ROSC) ensures a continuum of community-based services from prevention to recovery. The Alberta Recovery Model incorporates ROSC principles, correctional health services, and two new organizations created in 2024: Recovery Alberta and the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE). This series will cover recent developments in the Alberta Recovery Model, including compassionate intervention legislation, updates from the standalone mental health and addiction health authority with correctional health services – Recovery Alberta, and early evaluation and research findings from CoRE. The overall impact of the Alberta Recovery Model has been positive, with reductions in overdose deaths, improvements in wait times, and enhancements in the lives of Albertans. The Alberta Recovery Model and its focus on recovery-oriented systems of care is a promising approach that should be available for all Canadians.
Learning Objectives
Gain insight into the Alberta Recovery Model and its recent developments.
Review the progress and advancements of Recovery Alberta since its inception.
Examine the effectiveness of the Alberta Recovery Model along with early evaluations, research, and guidance documents produced by CoRE.
BIO
Dr. Nathaniel Day
Dr. Nathaniel Day, MD CCFP Dip. ABAM CHE
Dr. Nathaniel Day is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence, providing expert guidance on program evaluation and development. Dr. Day is an addiction medicine specialist with a medical degree from the University of Alberta, serves as the Provincial Medical Director of Addiction, within the addiction and mental health, and correctional health services portfolio with Alberta Health Services, served as the medical director for the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury, and Alberta’s Virtual Opioid Dependency Program. With his team at Alberta Health services, he conceptualized and developed the innovative Virtual Opioid Dependency Program. Dr. Day also served on the Minister’s Opioid Emergency Response Commission and co-chaired the Recovery Expert Advisory Panel. His work has been recognized by provincial and national bodies.
Evan Romanow
Evan Romanow was appointed Deputy Minister of Alberta’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction in June 2023. In this role he supports the Minister and is responsible for leading implementation of Alberta’s recovery-oriented system of care and coordinating all Government of Alberta resources dedicated to delivering mental health and addiction services across the province.
Since joining the Government of Alberta in 2011, he has served as an executive and senior leader in the ministries of: Health; Seniors & Housing; Executive Council; Innovation & Advanced Education; Human Services; and International & Intergovernmental Relations.
He currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), and previously for Alberta Health Services, and worked and volunteers in the non-profit and voluntary sector with multiple community organizations.
Evan has undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Political Sciences from the University of Alberta and is bilingual in English and French.
Kerry Bales, RN, BScN, MA Chief Executive Officer. Recovery Alberta
Kerry is an accomplished leader in healthcare service delivery and strategy planning in the province of Alberta for more than two decades.
In his current role as Chief Executive Officer of Recovery Alberta, Mental Health and Addiction Services. Kerry is responsible for providing provincial leadership of the Addiction and Mental Health and the Correctional Health Services in order to serve all impacted Albertans.
Kerry has built strong relationships with many partners, including government; health foundations; academic institutions; the workforce; patients, clients and families; and communities across Alberta. Under his leadership, all AHS mental health and addiction programs, services, and operations (including those within health zones) have been consolidated under the former AHS Provincial Addiction and Mental Health program. Kerry continues to be instrumental in leading the efforts in the creation of the new Mental Health and Addiction organization which will continue to deliver the mental health, addiction, and correctional health services currently provided by AHS, with oversight from Alberta’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction.
Prior to his roles in MHA, Kerry served as a Chief Zone Officer, with Alberta Health Services, with responsibility for providing clinical leadership in the Central Zone.
Kerry is a Registered Nurse and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and Master’s degree in Healthcare Leadership.
KymKaufmann, BA, MOT, OTReg.
Ms. Kaufmann is the CEO of the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) – a new crown corporation in Alberta that provides leadership on recovery-oriented mental health and addiction systems of care. Prior to this, Ms. Kaufmann was the Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Addiction in Manitoba. In this role, she was responsible for policy, planning, funding, and oversight of the provincial mental health and addiction system. She also served as Chief Executive Officer of Eden Health Care Services – a psychiatric hospital and mental health service provider with inpatient, outpatient, community mental health, housing, counselling and employment services. For the preceding ten years, she worked at Selkirk Mental Health Centre in various senior level positions ending her career there as Director of Operations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology, a Master of Occupational Therapy, certificates in Public Sector Management and Quality Management, and is a registered occupational therapist.
Join us for the Alberta Recovery Summit, hosted by the 9th Annual Recovery Capital Conference taking place on September 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2025.
Session Streams
Health Care and Recovery
Indigenous Health
Occupational Health and Safety
Key Details
DAY ONE September 23rd – 5:30 pm 6:30: Early Badge Pick Up and Networking Reception, 6:30 pm to 8 pm Pre Conference Presentation
DAY TWO September 24th – 8:45 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions
DAY THREE September 25th – 9 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions
Hotels
Book your hotel at one of our host hotels and save money. Click on the links for the discount rates and book early as rates will go up, and they always sell out.
Dr. Charl Els, Ashley Ianni, Mike Martens, and Ian Robb
Panel 1 – Occupational Health Stream – Recovery at Work – How to make your workplace recovery friendly
September 24th Day 2- Macleod Hall A & B South Building 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
CoRE@WoRK: Guidance for Navigating Occupational Health and Safety Challenges
Dr Charl Els
Session Description
To help workplaces, employers, collective bargaining units & employees, occupational health professionals, as well as other medical and legal professionals navigate burgeoning issues in OH&S, we embarked on a project in collaboration with the Occupational and Environmental Medical Association of Canada (OEMAC). This expert-informed guideline project, titled CoRE@WoRK, involves assembling 12 distinct evidence-based position statements, including: The establishment of recovery-friendly workplaces and work camps, Impairment at work, Cannabis use in safety-sensitive and decision-critical occupations, Stigma and discrimination, Independent medical examinations (IME), Health promotion, A&D policies, Benefits of work, Healthy boundaries, Medication use in safety-sensitive workplaces, and Work-relatedness / causation analyses. To increase appropriateness, consistency, and utilization of practice guidance and case management, CoRE@WoRK utilizes existing peer-reviewed research for each guidance topic, summarized in this presentation.
Learning objectives
Understand the Scope and Purpose of the CoRE@WoRK Project: Learners will be able to describe the goals of the CoRE@WoRK initiative, including its collaboration with OEMAC and its aim to support various stakeholders in addressing emerging occupational health and safety (OH&S) issues through expert-informed, evidence-based guidance.
Identify Key Topics Addressed by the CoRE@WoRK Position Statements: Learners will be able to list and explain the significance of the 12 position statement topic, such as impairment at work, recovery-friendly workplaces, and cannabis use in safety-sensitive roles—and how these topics impact workplace health and safety practices.
Apply Evidence-Based Guidelines to Improve OH&S Practice and Policy: Learners will be able to utilize the CoRE@WoRK guidelines to enhance consistency, appropriateness, and effectiveness in OH&S case management, policy development, and interdisciplinary collaboration in workplace health settings.
Other Panel Members
Join us for the Alberta Recovery Summit, hosted by the 9th Annual Recovery Capital Conference taking place on September 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2025.
Session Streams
Health Care and Recovery
Indigenous Health
Occupational Health and Safety
Key Details
DAY ONE September 23rd – 5:30 pm 6:30: Early Badge Pick Up and Networking Reception, 6:30 pm to 8 pm Pre Conference Presentation
DAY TWO September 24th – 8:45 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions
DAY THREE September 25th – 9 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions
Hotels
Book your hotel at one of our host hotels and save money. Click on the links for the discount rates and book early as rates will go up, and they always sell out.
Jessica Cooksey received her MA at Royal Roads University. Her focus of study for her MA was the application of leadership competencies in community-based organizations. Since 2006, she has been a certified addiction counsellor with the Canadian Addiction Counsellor Certification Federation.
She helped develop the first social model recovery program in British Columbia for male youth with substance use issues 20 years ago, which included pioneering nicotine cessation within the residential program.
Jessica identifies as a person in recovery and is active in mutual community supports. She serves on the CACCF board and participates in the Regional Addiction Committee.
A Panel with Adam Zivo, Dr. Rob Tanguay, & Member of Parliament Garnett Genuis
April 3rd TEUS Convention Centre 1:30 PM TELUS ROOM 104/105
Dr. Rob Tanguay – Safe Supply: Why all the fuss?
About this Session
Safer Supply, otherwise known as public supply of addictive drugs (PSAD) or risk mitigation prescribing, has made headlines in Canada as governments role out access to prescription replacements for illicit and possibly toxic substances. The use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is an evidence-based and first-line approach to initial stabilization and treatment of opioid addiction. Addiction medicine practitioners have long argued the effectiveness of methadone which was met initially with pushback and scrutiny. Is it possible that safer supply could save lives? Is it the public health magic wand it is hyped to be? What are the harms of replacing illicit and potentially toxic fentanyl and analogues? This will be discussed and more as we look for answers to deal with the Opioid Crisis.
Learning ObjectivesAnalyze the outcome data for safer supply programs
1) Analyze the outcome data for safer supply programs
2) Apply evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of opioid use disorder
3) Mitigate risks of prescribing potentially addictive and dangerous medicationsAnalyze the outcome data for safer supply programs
References
1) Oviedo-Joekes E, Guh D, Brissette S, et al. Hydromorphone Compared With Diacetylmorphine for Long-term Opioid Dependence: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(5):447–455. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0109
2) Nguyen HV, Mital S, Bugden S, McGinty EE. British Columbia’s Safer Opioid Supply Policy and Opioid Outcomes. JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Jan 16:e237570. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.7570. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38227344; PMCID: PMC10792500.
3) Matthew Bonn, Adam Palayew, Natasha Touesnard, Thomas D. Brothers, and Claire BodkinJournal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 2023 84:4 , 648-650
4) Roberts, E., & Humphreys, K. (2023). “Safe Supply” initiatives: Are they a recipe for harm through reduced health care input and supply-induced toxicity and overdose? Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 84, 644–647. doi:10.15288/jsad.23-00054
MP Garnett Genuis – The History of Safe Supply
About this Session
As a Member of Parliament, I have a unique window into public policy debates and the factors that drive them. The goal of my presentation will be to educate conference attendees about some key issues shaping the recovery and the safe supply policy conversations in Canada. While debates are often framed publicly in terms of which policy approaches serve the wellbeing of substance users, the interests of corporations manufacturing and marketing substances and their ability to promote their interests under the guise of advancing the public interest has been a key underlying driver of policy outcomes.
My presentation will explore the history of opioid sales and marketing and how those profiting from opioid sales influenced the public conversation and key policy decisions. The approaches that these companies took were designed to maximize and maintain their profitability. While the over-promotion of opioids by corporations is now widely condemned as a key driver of the opioid crisis, the same essential logic of the approach they promoted persists in modern safe supply program. When examining current policy around substances, we will look at how corporate agendas and interests may be shaping the policy conversation today, what parallels exist between the past and the current corporate framing of public conversations around substances, and how current practices may be driven by corporate interests instead of by an effective evaluation of the interests of users. I will advance the thesis that the program of over-promotion and over-prescription of Oxycontin by Purdue Pharma was the original safe supply program and that modern safe supply programs can be understood as a continuation of this past approach. Modern safe supply programs are driven by similar interests and carry similar problems.
Learning Objectives
Through my presentation, attendees will come to understand the following:
1) The history of the opioid crisis and the role played by corporate interests, as well as the tactics pursued by corporations to advance their interests.
2) The role played by corporate interests in the current safe supply conversation and the similarities and differences between past and present ‘safe supply’ programs.
3) Possible public policy responses to substance use issues that do not prioritize corporate interests at the expense of the needs of affected communities.
Adam Zivo – Media, Policy, Government and Safe Supply
About this Session
Canada’s federal government, along with some provincial governments, believe that “safer supply” programs are an effective intervention for reducing overdoses and drug-related deaths. However, there is compelling evidence that most of the drugs distributed through these programs are diverted onto the black market, and that these diverted drugs are spurring relapses and new addictions, especially among youth. Organized crime is allegedly profiting from the abuse of safer supply programs, and it appears that, even when used as intended, some safer supply drugs can cause debilitating infections.
Government stakeholders and public health researchers have been reluctant to explore the harms of safer supply, and, in some cases, they have been actively hostile to the possibility that the intervention may not work as intended. As such, much of the evidence of safer supply’s harms has come from journalistic sources.
Adam Zivo is Canada’s leading journalist on this topic. In May 2023, the National Post published a 10,000 word expose of his which outlined the problems of safer supply. He has since written several follow-up articles on the issue. In this session, Zivo will summarize his findings, describe the challenges of reporting on this topic, and address some of the main criticisms of his work.
Learning Objectives
1) Participants will learn about the main harms associated with safer supply.
2) Participants will learn about the challenges associated with journalistic reporting on safer supply.
3) Participants will hear rebuttals to the main criticisms levied against journalistic work criticizing safer supply.
What are the complementary components of Land Based Indigenous Healing Practices (eg Sacred Circle, Smudge/Cleansing, Elder advice) and a majority of 12-step programs (eg Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous) that, when amalgamated as a dual process, produce optimal addiction treatment/healing outcomes? Even a cursory view of the literature highlights the fundamental role of spirituality in Indigenous and 12-step practices. Fijal & Beagan (2019) writing on the value of including Indigenous healing practices within the Canadian health care system described the person “…as having physical, cognitive, and effective components, with Spirituality at the core” (p227).
Addressing the importance of land to indigenous peoples, Fijal & Beagan noted it is “… interconnected with Spirituality since it is fundamental to Indigenous knowledge” (p226). Jennifer Redvers (2020) commenting on the important relationship of land to traditional healing and spirituality wrote, “…we believe in it so much, because going back there [to traditional land location] brought, what we hear people saying, it brought a sense of belonging” (p97).
There is little debate as to the role of Spirituality within 12-step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous which is a widely available empirically supported (Kelly & Arby, 2021) approach that is best described as a “…Spiritually based intervention” (Beraldo et al, 2019, p26). At an individual level, 12-step recovery can and does encompass a religious component. However, it is more aligned with the personal and subjective understanding and expression of Indigenous practices in that it is “…more sensitive to earthly concerns than heavenly hopes” (Jordan, 2019, p204).
Additionally, both 12-step practice and Indigenous cultural practices draw on the concept of a deity for spiritual guidance that has been respectively referred to as a Higher Power and The Creator. The counterpart of the Indigenous Elder, who provides sage counsel, is the 12-step Sponsor who provides experiential support to new members. Another commonality is the 12-step narrative (McInerney & Cross, 2021) and Indigenous storytelling (Datta, 2018) both inherent components for optimal outcomes within each approach. This synopsis provides an overview of just a few of the many complementary integrations between 12-step-based Recovery and Indigenous Land Based Healing Practices.
Learning Objectives
Understanding the links between land-based teachings and 12-Step Recovery.
Practical application of land-based teaching in groups.
Statistical analysis of the efficacy of LBT in treatment.Y35
References
Beraldo, L. Gil, F.; Ventriglio,A.; de Andrade, A.;da Silva, A.;Torales,J.;Gonçalves, P.;Bhugra,D.; & Castaldelli-Maia, J. (n.d.). Spirituality, religiosity and addiction recovery: Current perspectives. http://www.eurekaselect.com. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.2174/1874473711666180612075954 Datta, R. (2017). Traditional storytelling: An effective indigenous research methodology and its implications for environmental research. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 14(1), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1177180117741351
Fijal D, Beagan BL. Indigenous perspectives on health: Integration with a Canadian model of practice. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2019;86(3):220-231. doi:10.1177/0008417419832284Jordan, J. A. (2019). Alcoholics Anonymous: A vehicle for achieving capacity for secure attachment relationships and adaptive affect regulation. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 19(3), 201–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/1533256x.2019.1638180
McInerney, K & Cross, A (2021) A Phenomenological Study: Exploring the Meaning of Spirituality in Long-term Recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 39:3, 282-300, DOI: 10.1080/07347324.2021.1895016Redvers, J. (2020). “The land is a healer”: Perspectives on land-based healing from indigenous practitioners in Northern Canada. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 15(1), 90–107. https://doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v15i1.34046
Marshall Smith, Chief of Staff to the Premier of Alberta. Tom Coderre, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary SAMHSA
April 3rd, 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Main Exhibition Hall – TELUS Convention Centre Calgary
About this Session – Leadership In Recovery
Canada’s largest addiction recovery healthcare conference will host a talk about leadership in transforming complex healthcare systems. Marshall Smith and Tom Coderre will focus on two key learning objectives. Firstly, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the essential qualities and skills required for effective leadership in the context of addiction recovery and healthcare systems. This will include exploring strategies for navigating the complexities of healthcare systems, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and advocating for policy changes that support recovery-oriented care. Secondly, attendees will learn practical techniques for implementing and sustaining transformative changes within healthcare systems to better support individuals in their recovery journey. This will involve discussing innovative approaches, such as integrated care models, peer support programs, and the use of technology, to improve access, quality, and outcomes in addiction recovery services.
