In 2018 the Summit engaged attendees from multiple disciplines and backgrounds during the two-day conference, March 7-8. Sessions included the following:
- The Opioid Epidemic in Illinois: Research, Data, and the State Response
- Pain and Addiction Treatment Methods for Opioids, Challenges and Controversies: Letting Go of Old Ideas
- The Opioid Epidemic: How Did We Get Here? Innovative Assessments with Tailored Solutions in Treatment
- Slipping Through the Cracks: Intervention Strategies for Clients with Multiple Addictions and Disorders
- Medication-Assisted Treatment: Is It Right for You, Right for Your Recovery?
- Treating Our Dependence on Opioids: Clinical and Policy Solutions for Today
- Implementing Community-based Programs to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
- Managing Burn-Out and Countertransference: Key Strategies for Therapists and other Stakeholders During the Opioid Epidemic
Speakers on these topics included:

John Briere, PhD,
University of Southern California,

Mel Pohl. MD, DFASAM,
Las Vegas Recovery Center
Las Vegas Recovery Center

Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH,FAAFP, FASAM, FACPM, Medical Director of Behavioral Health, Chicago Department of Public Health

Lloyd I. Sederer, MD

Nirav D. Shah, MD, JD, Director, Illinois Department of Public Health

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC

Chelsea Laliberte,
Executive Director, Live4Lali
Executive Director, Live4Lali

Amanda Kim, J.D., Deputy Director and Head of Strategic Health Initiatives, Illinois Department of Public Health

Ali Abbasi, MSci MPhil
Medical Student, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Office of the Director, Illinois Department of Public Health
Medical Student, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Office of the Director, Illinois Department of Public Health