Listen to this article here
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — On October 22, Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) hosted a panel discussion on opioid addiction and awareness, drawing in more than 150 attendees eager to engage with experts on this pressing issue.

The event, which was free and open to the public, brought together medical professionals, educators, and community leaders to explore the opioid crisis and discuss solutions for Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma City Community College is proud to serve as a forum for important discussions addressing opioid awareness and addiction,” OCCC President Dr. Mautra Staley Jones said in a statement. She broke barriers and made headlines when she became the college’s first Black woman president in 2022.

opioid panel
Dr. Mautra Staley Jones (Oklahoma City Community College)

“Our goal is to raise awareness, educate and provide resources that promote a more compassionate and proactive community,” President Dr. Jones stated.

The event was moderated by OCCC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Juanita Ortiz and featured panelists Professor Jennifer Allen, Ph.D., chair of the Psychology Department, OCCC; Dr. Jason Beaman, chief medical officer, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Brian Couey, Psy.D., executive director at INTEGRIS Health Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery; and Jeff Hargrave, J.D., general counsel and director of operations at the Whitten Newman Foundation.

Opioid Panel at OCCC

In addition to the discussion, attendees who had completed a pre-event screening of the seven-part documentary Killing Pain were awarded an Understanding Opioid Addiction micro-credential. Killing Pain, released in 2018, dives deep into Oklahoma’s opioid crisis, examining its roots and the state’s efforts to combat the epidemic.

The documentary, produced by Lampstand Media and presented by Fighting Addiction Through Education (FATE), is available for free at killingpain.com.

With events like this, OCCC continues to fulfill its mission of “Student Success, Community Enrichment,” providing both educational resources and practical tools to address real-world problems.

For more information on the college and its ongoing initiatives, visit occc.edu.

Related Stories

The Black Wall Street Times is a news publication located in Tulsa, Okla. and Atlanta, Ga. At The BWSTimes, we focus on elevating the stories of our beloved Greenwood community, elevating the stories of...