Mission
The Virginia Association of Medication Assisted Recovery Programs (VAMARP) was founded in 2004 with the following goals:
Promote growth, coordination and communication and networking efforts within the methadone field, including patients, staff, community, and government in the State of Virginia.
Serve as a resource or participant in the development of and advocacy for legislation and/or policy relevant to the common interest of member programs and their patients.
Enhance patient care and the provision of treatment services to opiate dependent patients and their families.
Advocate for funding for behavioral health and medical treatment, educational/vocational programs, and other ancillary services that support best practice for patients.
Promote medication assisted treatment as a viable treatment and best practice for opiate dependent persons.
Assist others in the provision of suitable standards of care for opiate dependent individuals.
Advise its members as to changes in applicable laws, regulations, and advances in medically assisted treatment.
Educate state law makers and encourage legislation which facilitates and promotes quality treatment for opiate dependent individuals.
Work to reduce the stigma and discrimination against medication assisted treatment providers.
Promote the professional development of member program staff to ensure best standards of practice for all patients.
Leadership
PRESident
Nicholas Cawby
Nicholas Cawby has worked in the field of addiction recovery for over a decade. He started his career work in Corrections in Indiana. In 2014 he started working in MATs with Acadia Healthcare. In 2019 he moved to Virginia to work with Pinnacle Treatment Centers. Currently, he is the Assistant Regional Director for the state of Virginia for Pinnacle. In 2023 he was elected as the Vice President of VAMARP and in January of 2024 he was elected to the position of President for the organization. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing the ukulele, and crocheting.
Former PresidenT
David Cassise
David holds a BS in Psychology and a Master of Business Administration. David also has 20 years of experience in the mental health and substance abuse industry. David currently serves as the Director of Compliance at Johnson Health Center.
vice president
Asia Hall
Asia Hall is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Substance Abuse Practitioner. She has worked in mental health and substance use field for 17 years. She has worked in a variety of environments to include inpatient, residential, outpatient, and jail settings as she has a passion for working with populations that are underserved and overlooked. She currently serves as the Clinic Director for Lynchburg Comprehensive Treatment Center.
SOTA of VA
Diane Oehl
Diane Oehl is presently the State Opioid Treatment Authority (SOTA) with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services. Her career in Human Services extends over the past 20 years. She has worked in Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) as a counselor, a clinical director and a Program Director.
Ms. Oehl’s current position as the SOTA entails her working closely with Opioid Treatment Programs in Virginia through monitoring & oversight. Her work has her working closely with state and federal partners in the delivery of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Treatment.
Ms. Oehl obtained an Associate’s Degree in Human Services from John Tyler Community College. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with the focus on Substance Abuse from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Treasurer
Kelsie Carter
Kelsie is currently the Executive Director of FCCR Fredericksburg with Pinnacle Treatment Centers as of June 2023. Kelsie holds a BS in Public Health and Sociology from NYU and a Master of Business Administration from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Prior to working in the MAT field, Kelsie worked in mental health, developing and facilitating programing for adolescences aged 13-18 within an acute psychiatric in-patient unit in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Secretary
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer is a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) who holds a Masters in Clinical Psychology and is a graduate of High Point University. Jennifer initially gained experience in the field working with both mental health and substance use populations at a Community Service Board (CSB). In 2015, Jennifer transferred to Acadia Healthcare and began working in an Opioid Treatment Program first as a counselor and later promoted to Clinical Supervisor. Jennifer is currently the Clinic Director of Christiansburg Comprehensive Treatment Center (Acadia) which opened in March of 2022.
Technology
Kelsie Utz
Kelsie Utz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Virginia. Kelsie currently works at Pinnacle Treatment Centers in Richmond, Virginia as the Clinical Supervisor of FCCR Radford’s Opioid Treatment Program, Intensive Outpatient Program, and Outpatient Substance Use counseling programs.