Join the IU Center for Rural Engagement for a two-day conference focused on the issues of greatest importance to Indiana’s rural communities. Connect with leaders from across Indiana, Indiana University researchers, and colleagues from a variety of fields as you learn and share your perspective on the opportunities and needs facing rural Indiana. The conference is designed for community leaders, residents, and professionals from a variety of fields who seek to create a stronger Indiana.
Join us
Join us for both days or a single day. Doors open at 8 a.m.; sessions begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The full conference rate is $85 per person. The rate to attend only one day is $50 per person. Registration includes all sessions, meals, and materials. Scholarships are available but limited; contact iucre@indiana.edu for more information.
Day One: Taking Action for a Healthier Indiana
May 13, 2019
Examine the pressing issues of mental health and addiction in rural Indiana and identify steps and methods to make a positive change in your community and state. Learn about opportunities, programs, and initiatives tailored to rural communities and discuss successful models launched in the Hoosier state. You will choose three breakout sessions, hear from state leaders at breakfast and lunch, and participate in hands-on training sessions.
Day Two: Collaborating for a Stronger Indiana
May 14, 2019
Engage in sessions that cover a broad spectrum of topics on quality of place, health and wellness, and resilience. Connect with partners who are making an impact in our state and learn about resources and approaches you can use in your hometown. Identify ways to harness the resources of Indiana University, the State of Indiana, and other key organizations to build and enhance a thriving community. You will choose three breakout sessions, enjoy keynote speakers at breakfast and lunch, and join roundtable discussions that lead to action.
Presentations: May 13
Sign in for conference materials, visit exhibit tables, and enjoy a continental breakfast.
Charlie Geier, the impact, data solutions, and statewide advocacy vice president for the Indiana Youth Institute, will share insights about life in rural Indiana for our youth.
About Charlie Geier: Mr. Geier provides both strategic and innovative leadership to maximize the positive impact on communities and the healthy well-being of youth. He leads the Impact and Data Solutions division, which provides critical data and resources to empower partners and peers and is also responsible for the organization’s work in statewide engagement and advocacy.
Prior to joining IYI, Mr. Geier served as director of early learning and intervention for the Indiana Department of Education where he led the agency’s efforts for English learners, migrant education, school improvement, and early learning. He has also worked as a teacher, instructional coach, department chair, and district administrator. In addition, he is an expert speaker and regularly facilitates professional learning at local and statewide events.
Breakout 1: Indiana School Mental Health Initiative: Goals and Outcomes
The Indiana School Mental Health Initiative grew out of the growing needs to address the mental health and social emotional needs of Indiana's students. You will learn about ongoing efforts of this initiative, including professional development, web presence, and the bring change to mind clubs.
Presenter: Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA-D, director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism located at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana's University Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Most recently, Dr. Pratt has become the director of the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative.
Breakout 2: Tobacco Cessation in Rural Southern Indiana
This session will provide an overview of Tobacco Control Best Practices, the statewide strategic plan, and Indiana Tobacco Quitline services. Particiate in training on integrating cessation interventions within your organization, and learn from local success stories.
Presenter: Sally Petty is the South Region Program Director for Indiana State Department of Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Commission. She has a background in news media and coordinating local tobacco and drug prevention initiatives. She has been working in the field of tobacco control for more than 10 years.
Breakout Session 3: Regulation, Responsibility, and Recovery: A Pharmacist's Perspective on Opiates
Learn about the regulations around opioid dispensing in community pharmacies, the tools practitioners have at their disposal to responsibly prescribe and monitor opiate use, and the impact of opioids on the brain and how can an individual afflicted with opioid use disorder move into recovery. Dr. Hinds will also share his personal experience with substance use disorder and his subsequent recovery from it.
Presenter: Ed Hinds, PharmD., BS Pharm., is an ambulatory care pharmacist at Volunteers in Medicine of Monroe County. Ed's practice focuses on the underserved and uninsured populations of both Monroe and Owen counties. Ed practiced pharmacy until 1996 when he underwent his first of 4 rehabilitation attempts for substance use disorder (SUD). Over the course of the next 4 years, Ed's addictions landed him homeless, unemployed, on the brink of suicide, and without a pharmacist license twice. In 2000, an arrest began his journey of recovery and he has now been clean and sober for over 19 years.
Join us for lunch and a panel discussion about IU's Grand Challenge: Addiction, the opioid epidemic, and maternal health.
Breakout Session 1: Project ECHO in Indiana: Telementoring Program for the Treatment of Common, Complex Medical Conditions
Project ECHO is a movement to connect local primary care teams with inter-disciplinary specialist teams to improve treatment for complex and chronic health conditions. ECHO uses technology to facilitate mentoring and knowledge sharing, enabling local primary care clinicians to provide best practice care for patients when they need it, close to home.
Presenters: Any'e Carson, MPH, is an ECHO program coordinator at Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health. She previously worked with community organizations around the state to promote health policies and grassroots advocacy. Her desires are to support efforts in her neighborhood to improve the social determinants of health and overall health rankings of her community.
Kristen Kelley is currently the Project Coordinator for the Indiana Opioid Use Disorder Tele-mentoring ECHO clinic through Indiana University School of Medicine. She previously was the Director of the Attorney General's Prescription Drug Task Force founded under former AG Greg Zoeller. She was also Director of the Indiana Medical Licensing Board, Indiana Board of Nursing and Indiana State Board of Pharmacy under the Professional Licensing Agency.
Breakout Session 2: Trauma-informed Care
Gain an understanding of trauma-informed care and its importance in relation to the prevalence of trauma in our communities. We will discuss trauma-informed care as an approach for systems and organizations, with implications for clients and providers.
Presenters: John M. Keesler, PhD, LMSW, is a native of Buffalo, NY, where he completed his graduate education in social work prior to moving to Indiana. He is a resident of Lawrence County and an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at IU Bloomington. With more than a decade of practice experience in intellectual/developmental disabilities, Dr. Keesler is interested in trauma and trauma-informed care, direct support professionals working with individuals with developmental disabilities, and community-based research.
Jen Thomas-Giyer is a graduate student within the Indiana University School of Social Work. Prior to moving to Indiana, she completed her undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology and psychology at Winthrop University in South Carolina. Her current research interests surround the intersection of maternal trauma and child outcomes on attachment, anxiety and sensory function and the implementation of trauma-informed care.
Breakout Session 3: Rural Justice: Expungement and Legal Access
Learn about issues of access to justice in rural communities and new services available to residents, including the expungement help desk designed to assist people in recovery as they embark on new career opportunities.
Presenters: Jessica Beheydt and Brittni Wassmer, IU Maurer School of Law
Breakout Session 1: Naloxone Training and Panel Discussion
Learn about issues of stigma, harm reduction, and addiction in this panel discussion. Discuss research and findings on the effective ways of addressing substance use disorder. Participate in training and receive a naloxone kit to prepare you to assist someone experiencing an opioid overdose.
Panelists: Faith Hawkins, associate vice president of research development and strategic initiatives at IU and lead administrator, Grand Challenges program; Justin Phillips of Overdose Lifeline; Matt Heskett from the Fairbanks Addiction Treatment and Recovery Center; Deb Fabert, director of IU Health South Central Region (Bloomington, Bedford, Paoli & Morgan Hospitals)
Breakout Session 2: How Computer Adaptive Tests Can Quickly Assess Behavioral Health Problems
One of the largest barriers for the prevention and treatment of behavior health problems is the fast and effective identification of those in need of help across multiple settings. However, current methods are cumbersome, have relatively low reliability, and fail to accurately detect behavioral health problems, which limits their use. To address these concerns faculty at Indiana University are collaborating community partners to implement brief assessments of behavioral health problems based on computer adaptive testing. For example, the tests can quickly assess depression, anxiety, suicidiality, and substance use problems in children, adolescents, and adults.
Presenter: Brian D'Onofrio, Ph.D., is currently a professor and the Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. His research explores the causes and treatments of behavioral health problems using large-scale datasets, as well as how to implement evidence-based assessments in community settings. Dr. D'Onofrio's research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, and other foundations.
Breakout Session 3: Indiana Rural Opioid Consortium: Connections Statewide
The Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA) is a membership driven organization with the vision that every person in rural Indiana need the resources to live a healthy and happy live. Several rural communities have been severely impacted by the recent increase in overdoses due to substance use disorder (SUD). The IRHA quickly partnered with these communities for the development of the Indiana Rural Opioid Consortium (InROC) to address these rising concerns. The purpose of InROC is to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with SUD in rural Indiana through screening, education, and increased access to addiction and behavioral health treatment. This session will provide an overview of the work that has been done and next steps for InROC.
Presenters: Cody Mullen, PhD, is the policy, research, and development officer for the Indiana Rural Health Association. He is the project director of the Crossroads Partnership for Telehealth Grant program providing and evaluating the delivery of tele-behavioral health services in rural Indiana. He is also co-project director of the Indiana Rural Opioid Consortium Planning program working with a consortium of partners to develop solutions to assist with Indiana's opioid epidemic. Dr. Mullen has been active in health services research for 10 years, working on projects ranging from infant mortality to hospital readmissions to the utilization of assistive technology by individuals with a disability. He is also very active with the American Public Health Association, currently the chair of the Rural Health committee of the Medical Care Section.
Ally Orwig, MBA, joined the Indiana Rural Health Association in 2011 and has been involved with the administration of the Indiana Telehealth Network (ITN), various e-Learning initiatives, Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP), and Community Health Needs Assessments since that time. She began running the ITN in 2013 and oversaw the transition from the Rural Health Care Pilot Program to the Healthcare Connect Fund. She has presented on the Healthcare Connect Fund and the Indiana Telehealth Network at several state and national conferences and also provides nationwide consulting services.
Join fellow attendees to discuss topics including rural health care, regional health collaboration, tobacco cessation, trauma-informed communities, and IU student service in communities. Roundtables will conclude at 4:15, closing the day’s sessions.
Presentations: May 14
Sign in for conference materials, visit exhibit tables, and enjoy a continental breakfast.
Join Indiana's Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch for a conference welcome and morning remarks.
About Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch: Proud to have been born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, Lt. Governor Crouch previously served as Indiana’s State Auditor from January 2014 through December 2016.
Before becoming auditor, she served as the state representative for House District 78, which encompasses parts of Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties. She was elected to the seat in 2005, and served as the Vice Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and on the Public Health Committee. Throughout her years of public service, Lt. Governor Crouch has been focused and committed to programs and services for people with disabilities. She was honored to receive the 2012 Public Policy Award from the Arc of Indiana for her work with people with disabilities and was named Legislator of the Year in 2011 by the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities.
Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Lt. Governor Crouch spent eight years as auditor of Vanderburgh County. During that time, her office received its first clean bill of health in decades from the State Board of Accounts. She then went on to serve as a Vanderburgh County Commissioner until joining the House. She presided as president of that body during her third year in office.
As Lt. Governor, she oversees a portfolio that includes the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Office of Defense Development, Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Office of Tourism Development. In addition, she also serves as chairman of the Indiana Counter Terrorism and Security Council, President of the Indiana Senate and chairman of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Task Force.
Breakout Session 1: Connecting groundwater with quality of life in the Indiana Uplands
Managing municipalities located over karst aquifers, including the town of Corydon adjacent to the 6th largest cave system in the USA, provides challenges for utilities, infrastructure and Economic Development. Common concerns are water quality, soil stability, old infrastructure and planned growth. Community operations and development must consider the karst environment when addressing these and other needs.
Presenters: Lee Florea, Assistant Director for Research
Indiana Geological and Water Survey, coordinates and supports the project management activities of IGWS staff and is the chief editor of the Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences. Dr. Florea is a licensed professional geologist with professional experience in academic, government, and industry, and studies carbonate aquifers, groundwater that influences the drinking water of one out of every four people on Earth. Current research questions focus on carbon transport in the critical zone.
Rand Heazlitt, Town Manager/Floodplain Administrator/Town Planner
Town of Corydon, oversees day to day operations of Indiana's First State Capital, Corydon, including the operation of two utilities and oversight for their Stellar Program awarded by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCHRA). He also coordinates the Binkleys Cave exploration project, a 44.5-mile cave system over which the Town is located.
Breakout Session 2: Coordinating for Regional Innovation
This panel discussion will focus on efforts to build a regional innovation ecosystem in the Indiana Uplands. Key findings from external advisers and experts will be shared, and representatives of four regional organizations will highlight collaborative initiatives aimed at increasing our region's innovative capabilities, as well as insights into the distinctive elements of the Uplands that could be further leveraged for economic prosperity.
Panelists: Julie Griffith, executive vice president for strategy, partnerships and outreach for the Indiana Innovation Institute; Todd Hurst, Ph.D., director of education and workforce for Regional Opportunity Initiatives; Dan Peterson, MBA, vice president of industry and government affairs for Cook Group Incorporated; Kyle Werner, Ph.D., director of engagement for NWSC Crane
Breakout Session 3: Rural Development and Funding
Learn about opportunities for rural communities in Indiana, including rural development programs, funding resources, and other programs tailored to Indiana's small cities and towns.
Panelists: Bryan Brackmyre, vice president of member services, Indiana Municipal Power Agency; Colette Childress, program director, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs; Michael Dora, state director for USDA Rural Development
Enjoy lunch, remarks from IU Bloomington Provost Lauren Robel, and a panel discussion on arts and cultural initiatives in rural communities.
About Provost Robel: Lauren Robel was named provost of Indiana University Bloomington and executive vice president of Indiana University in 2012. She is the Val Nolan Professor of Law in the Maurer School of Law, where she served as dean from 2002 to 2011 and as associate dean from 1991 to 2002.
In fall 2013, Robel initiated a strategic planning process aimed at reimagining and invigorating academic programs across the Bloomington campus in anticipation of Indiana University’s Bicentennial in 2020.
Robel’s Bicentennial Strategic Plan for Indiana University Bloomington includes ambitious initiatives for the Bloomington campus such as the now-named Eskenazi School of Art and Design, a new program in engineering, and the integration of health sciences programs into a new on-campus Academic Health Center. The plan also calls for initiatives to promote student and faculty success in a variety of areas, from financial literacy and career development to work-life balance and diversity recruitment.
Provost Robel's vision has inspired arts and humanities engagement in Indiana's rural communities, along with initiatives focused on health and resilience.
Breakout Session 1: Preparing Your Community for More Frequent Floods and High Heat Events
Cities and towns across Indiana are experiencing more frequent flood events, heat waves, and freezing and thawing throughout the winter resulting in damage to roadways and other infrastructure. Attend this presentation to see a sneak peak of the Hoosier Resilience Index (HRI), a tool designed to help guide communities towards being prepared for these changes. During the session, the Environmental Resilience Institute, an IU Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge initiative, will walk attendees through the draft tool and collect feedback on the usefulness of the HRI, which will be launched in fall 2019.
Presenter: Andrea Webster is the implementation manager at Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute. She travels around the state of Indiana to meet with mayors, county officials, and their staff to learn about their successes and barriers to preparing for floods, heat waves, and related risks. Webster works with the Institute's faculty and staff to launch preparedness resources for local governments.
Breakout Session 2: Bias 101: The Awakening
In this training session, facilitator Brian Richardson Jr. will explore the common misconceptions and concerns related to acknowledging and addressing our own biases. Through the combination of small and large group discussions and case studies, you will be challenged internally to comfort you own biases while gaining a better understanding of the implications they could have in the workplace and in our communities.
Presenter: Brian Richardson Jr. the inaugural director of diversity, equity, and inclusion for Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Mr. Richardson is currently pursuing his doctorate in higher education and student affairs at Indiana University Bloomington. Mr. Richardson serves the Bloomington-area community as the vice-chairperson on the Commission for the Status of Black Males through the Bloomington Mayor's office and created a mentoring academy for 4th-6th-grade boys called the Krimson Leadership Academy.
Session 3: Regional Housing
Housing has been identified as a need in every county in the Uplands region. This panel will offer an overview of the findings in the recent study completed by Regional Opportunity Initiatives, highlight workforce and community needs, and discuss next steps for increasing housing inventory in the region.
Panelists: Lynn Coyne, president and CEO, Bloomington Economic Development Corp.; Amy A. Haase, Principal, RDG Planning & Design; Kerry Thomson, executive director, IU Center for Rural Engagement
Breakout Session 1: Public lands, recreation, and tourism opportunities in the Indiana Uplands
Rural Americans identified health and economic concerns as major challenges facing their communities. Research has shown that park and recreation resources contribute to health behaviors (Kaczynski, Potwarka, & Saelens, 2008) and tourism can contribute to economic revitalization (Alonso & Liu, 2012). To better understand how public land, recreation, and tourism resources can improve health, economic sustainability, and quality of life, the Eppley Institute inventoried resources and engaged in focus groups with stakeholders in the Indiana Uplands. The focus groups discussed the use and future opportunities for the resources. In this session, you'll have the opportunity to discuss the findings of the study and recommendations.
Presenter: Gina Depper, Ph.D., is a senior project manager with the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University. She specializes in the human dimensions of natural resource management. Drawing from the fields of psychology, anthropology, sociology, parks and recreation, forestry, and natural resources, Dr. Depper uses social theories and social psychological constructs to better understand behavior and decision making as it pertains to the environment.
Breakout Session 2: The State of Broadband in Rural Indiana
This presentation will discuss broadband definition and technologies as well as certain metrics, at the census tract and county-level, that paint a picture of what broadband in rural Indiana looks like highlighting areas to focus efforts on.
Presenter: Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D., is assistant director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development and a Purdue Extension Community & Regional economics specialist. Dr. Gallardo has worked with rural communities over the past decade conducting local and regional community economic development, including use of technology for development.
Breakout Session 3: Food Systems and Community Resilience: Capacity Building for the Future
This session will focus the conversation on resiliency and food systems as they pertain to rural Indiana communities. Jodee Ellett, MS, and James Farmer, Ph.D., will lead a discussion on what food system resiliency means and how it pertains to food security in rural areas. You will have ample opportunities for participation and engagement centered on what is happening in local communities, prompting mechanisms, and outcomes of localized action. We will also discuss the role of food councils as a mechanism to support community resilience around food. Ms. Ellett and Dr. Farmer will highlight work occurring in Orange County concerning local food promotion.
Presenters: Jodee Ellett leads the Community Engagement element of our project in Indiana working to enhance partnerships with communities as they address food system issues. Her asset-based community development approach involves communities in the exploration of ideas and opportunities in the food system and provides ongoing support in sustainable food systems science. Ms. Ellett steers the Indiana Food Council Network, supporting our grassroots community food system councils and is working with farmers and buyers to build an Indiana Value Chain Network.
James Farmer convenes the Sustainable Food Systems Science initiative and is an associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. His research focuses on sustainable food systems and land conservation. Recent projects include a study of the utility of high tunnels for Indiana specialty crop producers; farmer diversification in the tri-state area of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio; and urban ecology and the role of municipal parks preparing for climate change. Dr. Farmer also convenes the Human Dimensions Lab and co-directs the IU Campus Farm.
Join fellow attendees to discuss topics including local food systems, community capacity and data, recreation and tourism, regional collaboration, community asset mapping, and IU student service in communities. Roundtables will conclude at 4:15, closing the conference.
Accommodations
Stay onsite with our group rate at the French Lick Springs Resort. To receive the group rate, make your reservation by April 15.
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Things to do
French Lick has a wealth of activities and dining experiences. Check out the Visit French Lick website to see what's happening during your visit.
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Collaborations
Orange County is the 2018-2019 partner through the center's Sustaining Hoosier Communities initiative. Learn about current collaborations.
Learn about collaborationsThanks to our partners
Healthcare Partners Planning Committee
State of Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs
For information about sponsorships, download the sponsorship details sheet.