USU Extension Co-Hosts 2025 Substance Use Disorder, Suicide Prevention Summit

Registration is underway for the 2025 Elevating Hope Summit, a statewide event that addresses the critical issues of substance use disorder and suicide prevention.

The summit will be March 20-21 in Price. A pre-conference session will take place March 19 for law enforcement, first responders and care teams. The summit brings together professionals, students, advocates and community members and is organized by Utah State University Extension, Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, the Southeast Utah Health Department, and a network of partners.

The 2025 summit, themed “Taking Substance Use Disorder and Suicide Prevention to New Altitudes,” follows the success of the 2023 Rural Opioid and Stimulant Wellness Summit, which included more than 200 participants. The 2023 event highlighted how essential it is for communities to address substance use and mental health in a collaborative manner, which helped lay the foundation for this year’s summit.

Session topics from the 2023 summit included substance use disorder stigma, harm reduction, treatment and prevention. Recordings are available for continued learning and engagement on the summit’s website.

Ashley Yaugher, summit chair and health and wellness faculty member of the USU Health Extension: Advocacy, Research & Teaching (HEART) Initiative, emphasized the importance of this year’s summit.

“We aim to equip professionals with evidence-based information and practical resources to navigate the complexities of substance use disorder and suicide prevention,” she said. “Our hope is to inspire collaboration and empower those working on the frontlines. Together, we can address these challenging topics.”

The 2025 summit will explore the overlap between substance use and suicide prevention, focusing on the shared risk and protective factors. It will continue the conversation from previous events about the need for collaborative, cross-sector approaches.

Amanda McIntosh, suicide prevention liaison for Four Corners Community Behavioral Health and co-chair of the summit’s planning committee said while the risk factors for substance use disorder and suicide prevention often mirror each other, they are too frequently approached in isolation.

“The summit will unite a diverse group of professionals and community members to address these challenges in a more connected way,” she said.

Participants will engage with the latest research and explore new ways to advocate for both upstream prevention and treatment as well as advocating for recovery supports and means restriction. Sessions will cover topics ranging from data overviews to mental health supports, ensuring that attendees leave equipped to take action. Continuing education credits will be available for social workers and other professionals.

“We believe that by coming together, we can make real progress toward preventing lives lost to substance use disorder and suicide,” McIntosh said. “This summit is an opportunity to inspire change and provide a hopeful path forward.”

Registration spots are filling for the summit. For more information and to register, please visit the Elevating Hope Summit website.