This Listening Session explores the rapidly evolving intersection of high-tech innovation and the deeply personal landscape of recovery. As behavioral health systems increasingly look toward high-tech solutions for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) prevention and treatment, this session explores how technology is no longer just a tool for communication but a primary intervention. Participants will engage with app developers and AI researchers to examine how machine learning models that are trained on the nuanced behavioral data of lived experience communities are being leveraged to predict recovery trajectories and provide real-time support.
Attendees will explore the practicalities and ethical nuances of “automated empathy,” including the use of GPS geofencing to activate supportive nudges in high-risk locations and Virtual Reality (VR) environments designed for cue-exposure therapy and de-escalation training. The session will facilitate a dialogue on whether these advancements strengthen the provider-client bond or create new barriers to authentic connection. Grounded in the goal of sustainable work-life integration for the workforce, participants will leave with a sophisticated understanding of how to integrate emerging technologies into traditional workflows without compromising safety, ethics, and human-centered approaches.
Learning Objectives:
- Evaluate the efficacy and ethics of AI training models built on behavioral data from lived experience communities, focusing on how algorithms can accurately reflect the voice of the recovery population.
- Analyze the utility of geospatial technology (GPS geofencing) and wearable devices in providing real-time, low-barrier support for OUD prevention and relapse mitigation.
- Identify opportunities for Virtual Reality (VR) and immersive technologies to enhance provider training, clinical supervision, and client skill-building in high-risk environments.
- Discuss the ethical implications of data privacy, digital surveillance, and the potential for depersonalization when leveraging technology within the behavioral health workforce.
Moderator:
Bianca D. McCall, LMFT is a retired professional women’s basketball player. She is an international TED Speaker, and renowned mental health researcher and expert. Bianca is a licensed clinical therapist, with 25 years in Behavioral Health, and 12 years as a Healthcare CEO. In recent years, she has grown significantly in the digital health space, and created a first-of-its-kind social-emotional platform, designed to improve human health span.
For more than a decade, her work and research has been dedicated to psychological (mental) injury prevention and the discovery of innovations addressing existential isolation. Bianca is passionate about leading projects which promote ongoing research in mental injury prevention, integration of technologies, data analytics, and the discovery of culturally and linguistically responsive crisis interventions. Bianca represents Nevada, on national committees and namely the Suicide Prevention Resource Center; designated by SAMHSA, and Steering Committee for the U.S. Department of Public Health and is a contributor to the National Strategies for Suicide Prevention in areas of Clinical Education, Provider Standards, and Technology. Bianca is a subject matter expert, a curriculum developer, and instructor in higher education with the Centers for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT), Region 9, housed at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Panelists:
- Mark Lambert, LightHouseXR
Mark Lambert is a Co-Founder of Lighthouse XR and the creative director of The Retreat, a VRbased psychoeducational program for Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Over the past six years, Lambert has led the design, development, and multi-site deployment of The Retreat in a collaboration with the Veterans Health Administration, implementing residential, outpatient, and at-home care models. A co-author on multiple peer-reviewed studies, Lambert’s research focuses on feasibility, user-centered design, and engagement outcomes for VR in SUD treatment.
Mark has been on the leading edge of visual and spatial technology for 40 years. After creating groundbreaking computer graphics software in the ‘80s, he moved on to work with Hollywood and has contributed to over 30 feature films. At Sony Pictures, Mark headed up large “visual development” divisions creating the worlds for Harry Potter, Narnia and Polar Express. In 2015, he moved into virtual reality, creating VR experiences for companies such as PWC, PBS, Toyota, and AARP and directed projects from PBS documentaries to an endangered species series for the Dubai Aquarium. Lambert’s work is informed by both professional expertise and lived experience with the impact of addiction on family members, driving his commitment to creating effective, engaging SUD programs. - Morris Jackson II, ECQO
Morris Jackson is a strategic advisor and subject matter expert on innovation, systems-building, and the responsible use of emerging technology in human-centered environments. In connection with ECQO’s work, he brings a practical perspective on how AI, digital tools, and operational strategy can strengthen workforce capacity, expand access, and improve service delivery without losing the importance of trust, ethics, and authentic human connection. His perspective is grounded in hands-on leadership building technology-enabled, community-centered environments through Valhallan / XP League esports training academy, where he works at the intersection of youth engagement, digital community-building, structured competition, and human development. That experience has given him practical insight into how digital platforms can shape behavior, accountability, belonging, communication, and real-world outcomes when paired with strong leadership and intentional systems design.This perspective makes him a strong contributor to conversations about how emerging technologies can support human connection, skill-building, and responsible engagement without compromising safety, ethics, or authentic relationships, exactly the tension at the center of the NOCE listening session. - Robert D. Ashford, PhD, MSW
Robert Ashford is a recovery scientist focused on substance use, recovery communities, recovery support services and institutions, integrated behavioral health systems, linguistic patterns, and technological interventions for behavioral health disorders. Dr. Ashford received a doctorate in Health Policy from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and also holds a Bachelor of Social Work with minors in Addiction Studies and Psychology from the University of North Texas, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2) - Sam DeMello, Founder & CEO, Evive, Digital Health Innovator, Community Advocate
Sam DeMello is a technology leader and digital health entrepreneur transforming gambling harm reduction through innovative, user-centric solutions. As founder and CEO of Evive, Sam brings a unique combination of personal lived experience through his own recovery from gambling addiction and a technology-first approach to addressing one of the most overlooked public health challenges facing the United States today.
Continuing Education Units: 2 CEUs
This training is approved for continuing education by the boards listed here. This training is also approved by the Nevada Certification board for the following certifications
- Certified Community Health Workers (CHW)
- Peer Recovery and Support Specialist Certification and PRSS Supervisors (PRSS(-S)
- Prevention
Funding for this activity was made possible in whole or in part by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director’s Office through the Fund for a Resilient Nevada, established in Nevada Revised Statutes 433.712 through 433.744. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in our courses are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Nevada Opioid Center of Excellence or its funders.