Conference Agenda

Starting Strong

Pregnancy, Opioid Use, and Transforming Systems of Care

Thursday, September 24, 2026
Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Co-hosted by Motherhood Beyond Bars, CORAL, and Morehouse School of Medicine

8:15 AM

Check-In & Breakfast

9:00 AM

Welcome & Opening Remarks

  • Dr. Natalie Hernandez-Green — Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Amy Ard — Executive Director, Motherhood Beyond Bars
  • Commissioner Kevin Tanner — Trustee, Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust (GOCAT)
9:20 AM

Opening Keynote

Connecting the Cascade of Care: Why Maternal Health Behind Bars Matters for All

  • Dr. Carolyn Sufrin — Johns Hopkins University
10:20 AM

Break

10:35 AM

Morning Panel

Pregnancy, Birth & the Continuum of Care

  • ModeratorDr. Whitney Rice — Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
  • Dr. Aubrey Williams — Northeast Georgia Health System, NICU
  • Zoe Pappas — Grady Health System, Certified Nurse Midwife
  • Dr. J. Paul Seale — Augusta University
  • Dr. Kamille Williams — Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Sheriff Dave Roberson — Floyd County Sheriff’s Office
11:25 AM

Break

11:40 AM

Research Spotlight

Project ECHO: Findings from the CORAL/Emory Study

  • Victoria Snowden — Morehouse School of Medicine/Emory University
  • Jessie Blanchard — 229 Safer Living Access
  • Glori Coronati — Trafficking Survivor Advocacy
12:25 PM

Lunch & Poster Viewing

The Georgia Recovers Bus will be on site during lunch.

1:30 PM

Afternoon Panel

Treatment Providers on the Front Lines

  • ModeratorDr. Anne Dunlop — Emory University School of Medicine
  • Catherine Tootle — Freedom Through Recovery
  • Brittney Coleman — Hope House, Augusta
  • Tametrice Jones — Mary Hall Freedom Village
  • Eric Watts — Claratel Behavioral Health
  • Sonjah Callahan — Mothers Making a Change
  • Latosha Elbert — Heart of Georgia Healthy Start
2:30 PM

Break

2:45 PM

Policy Panel

Protecting Infants, Supporting Mothers: Policies That Choose Healing Over Punishment

  • ModeratorCamille Kramer — ARRWIP, Johns Hopkins University
  • Kristie Puckett — Second Chance Federation
  • Emilie Cook — Barton Child Law & Policy Center, Emory University School of Law
  • Dr. Madison Haiman — University of Houston, College of Social Work
  • Pamela Winn — Founder and CEO, RestoreHER
  • Kayla Bolden — Georgia Health Policy Center, Georgia State University
3:40 PM

Break

4:00 PM

Telling Our Story

Peer Voices on the Journey

  • Facilitated byAmy Ard and Demetra Boles
4:45 PM

Closing Remarks

  • Dr. Natalie Hernandez-Green — Morehouse School of Medicine

Agenda is subject to change.