On March 19, HHP will host the next installment of the D.K. Stanley Lecture Series featuring noted Stanford professor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences and former Obama administration senior drug control policy advisor, Dr. Keith Humphreys.

Dr. Humphreys served as senior policy advisor for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy from 2009-2010 and was one of the lead drafters of President Obama’s National Drug Control Strategy. He currently serves as the  associate director for the Center for Innovation to Implementation and is a senior research career scientist at the Center for Innovation to Implementation in the Health Services Research & Development Service of the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California.

Dr. Humphrey's research focuses on interventions ranging from mutual help groups and professional treatment to drug control policy for substance abuse and related behavioral disorders. His presentation “Effective Strategies for Responding to the Opioid Crisis” will discuss multiple strategies and tactics that have some effectiveness in reducing the opioid epidemic and associated harms.

According to the latest CDC report, Americans are now more likely to die from opioid overdoses than vehicle crashes, and younger people are over-represented among overdose fatalities. This striking fact and other issues surrounding the crisis will be covered in Humphreys’ lecture, including the ongoing Florida experience with the epidemic.

“The national scale and impact of the epidemic have accelerated addressing substance use disorders using  a multi-level public health approach that includes but is not limited to individual clinical treatment – Keith was one of the leading early innovators of this shift in the field,” said Dr. Jalie Tucker, professor and chair of the Department of Health Education and Behavior. “We strive for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach that involves partnerships in the community,  including with treatment providers, first responders, government, law enforcement, schools and families.”

The D.K. Stanley Lecture is presented annually by the College of Health & Human Performance. It was established in 1986 as a memorial to Dennis Keith “Dutch” Stanley in recognition of his many contributions to the professions of physical education, health education and recreation.

Each year, the subject of the series rotates between HHP departments. This lecture brings a a focus from the Department of Health Education and Behavior. Bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding of this issue will help attendees learn improved ways to promote healthy living.

The lecture is open to the public. Details, including parking, can be found on the HHP calendar.

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