Session Description: An update on Iowa HHS Substance Use priorities.

Learning Objectives:

• Inform Iowans about Iowa HHS – substance use priorities.

Jennifer Robertson-Hill
Director, Services, Planning and Performance, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Jennifer Robertson-Hill, LMHC is a Director at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services overseeing Prevention, Treatment and Recovery within the Division of Behavioral Health. Jennifer has been working in the behavioral health field for the last twelve years, providing services as a mental health and substance use treatment provider as well as leading programs and grants aimed at improving the lives of individuals who are impacted by behavioral health. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts degree and her Masters of Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Community Counseling degree from the University of Iowa.

Monica Wilke-Brown
Project Director, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Monica Wilke-Brown, LMSW, is the Project Director for the State Opioid Response grant at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Her experience includes managing multiple opioid-focused grants that span the continuum of prevention, treatment and recovery, as well as the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grant, which integrated substance use screenings into primary care, other medical services, and the National Guard. Monica’s prior experiences include HIV Prevention work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, substance use and violence prevention services in central Iowa, and work with international students and immigrant groups in St. Louis. Monica spent ten years managing community-based programs at a Central-Iowa non-profit prior to joining the Department in 2015. Monica received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa and her Masters of Social Work degree from the Brown School, at Washington University in St. Louis.