Traditional clinical interventions for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) are foundational to recovery, but true sustained healing often requires replacing the profound void left by addiction with purpose, community, and physiological wellness. This NOCE Listening Session explores the validated efficacy of physical fitness, outdoor recreation, and targeted nutrition as powerful adjunct modalities in OUD treatment.
Panelists will discuss the neurological and psychological benefits of movement, the importance of rebuilding community through shared physical challenges, and how replacing destructive behaviors with the positive attributes of athletics can transform the trajectory of recovery. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to integrate holistic, active modalities into traditional behavioral health frameworks to support long-term, sustainable sobriety.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze and identify the specific physiological and psychological mechanisms by which structured physical fitness, outdoor recreation, and nutritional support mitigate withdrawal symptoms, reduce distress intolerance, and support long-term OUD recovery.
- Develop actionable strategies for behavioral health professionals and social service providers to incorporate holistic wellness interventions, including adaptive sports, team-based fitness, and nutrition into traditional clinical treatment plans for patients with OUD.
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:
- Blu Robinson, SUDC, CMHC, Founder & Headcoach of Addict II Athlete
Blu Robinson is a licensed substance abuse counselor and clinical mental health therapist dedicated to helping individuals and families create sustainable change through accountability, connection, and purposeful action. As the founder of Team Addict to Athlete, a nonprofit recovery community program in 2011, Blu has developed a model that blends education, therapeutic support, physical activity, recreation, service, and peer connection to help people build sober, healthy, and meaningful lives. He believes Movement is Healing. Blu’s work is grounded in the belief that recovery is not punishment or simply the absence of substance use, it is ongoing training. Through counseling, groups, community events, and endurance-based challenges, Blu helps participants strengthen emotional regulation, resilience, self-awareness, healthy coping skills, and personal responsibility.Known for a direct, compassionate, and action-oriented approach, Blu encourages people to focus less on controlling outcomes and more on choosing the next clean action. Their work serves individuals in recovery, families, athletes, and community members seeking greater wellness, belonging, and long-term personal growth by turning the mess of addiction into the message of healing. - Carlos Sanchez, M.S., B.A, CADC-I, Fitness Coordinator Vegas Stronger
Carlos Sanchez is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC-I), National Personal Training Institute graduate, and fitness professional who specializes in integrating movement, physical wellness, and evidence-based behavioral health practices into substance use recovery. He serves individuals involved in specialty courts, intensive outpatient treatment, and veteran populations while developing innovative programming that emphasizes resilience, purpose, and long-term recovery. Carlos brings a unique perspective shaped by both professional expertise and lived experience. A former law enforcement officer and DOD Security Forces Training Officer, he navigated opioid addiction, PTSD, chronic pain, and cancer before rebuilding his life through recovery. These experiences inspired the creation of Recovery Through Movement (RTM), an approach that combines fitness, accountability, and community to strengthen both physical and emotional resilience. He is currently expanding this vision through Relentless in Recovery, an initiative focused on empowering individuals to build lasting recovery through resilience, purpose, and movement. Outside of his clinical work, Carlos remains committed to his own wellness journey. After recovering from a distal biceps tendon repair and a broken wrist, he continues pursuing fitness while adapting to new challenges. A longtime competitor in Nevada's top baseball and softball leagues, he now dedicates much of his free time to advancing his education in addiction studies and writing a self-biographical collection of poetry, with plans to publish his first book in 2027. - Sophie Moeller, Development Director| Achieve Tahoe
Sophie Moeller is the Development Director for Achieve Tahoe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building health, confidence, and independence in people with disabilities through outdoor recreation. Her professional background includes nonprofit leadership, nutrition education, and recovery support services, with more than a decade spent working in the health and human services sector. Prior to joining Achieve Tahoe, Sophie served as Executive Director of Reps 4 Recovery, a Reno nonprofit that supports individuals in recovery through fitness, community, and service. She also taught Nutrition at STEP2 for eight years, helping women in recovery develop practical skills to support their quality of life. Sophie holds a Level 1 Precision Nutrition Certification and is passionate about helping people build sustainable and realistic healthy lifestyles. In addition to her professional experience, Sophie brings a personal perspective to the conversation. She has been sober for more than a decade and credits recovery with changing the trajectory of her life. Today, she and her husband both embrace a life grounded in recovery and well-being. Sophie was recently honored as Truckee Meadows Community College’s Alumna of the Year, an achievement she attributes in large part to the opportunities that sobriety and healthy living have made possible. Sophie leans into the belief that movement is medicine. Whether through fitness, recreation, or simply staying active in daily life, she has seen firsthand how movement can improve physical health and support mental well-being for long-term recovery.
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)
- Birth Doula
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.