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2007-2009 Board of Directors • Candidates & Biographies
For the term of Fall 2007-Fall 2009 Listed below are the candidates for election to the IntNSA Board of Directors, Officers, and Nominations Committee.
OFFICERS DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY
The secretary will be eligible for two (2) consecutive two-year terms. The secretary shall keep an accurate record of the meetings of the board of directors and the annual business meeting and shall provide the minutes of the last official annual business meeting for approval of the membership. The secretary shall preserve records, documents and correspondence as directed by the board of directors and assure that they are properly archived, shall cause notice to be given of all meetings of the board of directors and shall perform all other duties incident of the office of secretary as assigned by the board of directors. CATHERINE (CATHY) BUFFINGTON, BSN, MS
Frazer, PA Candidate Bio/Statement
I am honored to have the opportunity to run for the position of secretary on the IntNSA Board of Directors. Having recently served as both a member and secretary of the board, I have seen our organization grow and expand as the leader in addictions nursing. Previously I was a member and held several offices including President of the Drug and Alcohol Nursing Association. As President, I joined Karen Allen (President of NNSA) and Lois Widly (President of CANSA) in merging our three organizations to form our current organization, IntNSA. Our goal was a strong organization to face the challenges of the future. IntNSA has met that challenge and will continue to do so. I received my BSN from Villanova University and a MS in Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. I am currently vice president of the Delaware Valley Chapter of IntNSA. I have actively participated in the planning for both the 2006 and 2007 annual IntNSA educational conferences. I also participate in a community organization (Chester County Council on Addictive Diseases) and will serve as its president for the term 2007 - 2008. The expertise of addictions nurses is more important than ever. IntNSA offers many opportunities for our members to achieve this. Excellent educational programs, networking with other professional organizations and staying connected to peers in our specialty. Being active in our organization is the primary way to meet these goals. Participation of grassroots members in our committees and any additional activities is essential to maintaining knowledge, skills needed and the integrity of our organization. My goals as a member of the IntNSA board will be: - Assure that nurses in our specialty have adequate education in addictions by continuing to strengthen the educational offerings at our annual conference,
- Participating in effective leadership on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee and with all those who work in the addictions field,
- Accountability to our membership by improving communication between officers and members, and
- Increasing the active participation of the membership to achieve our goals.
I ask for your vote for secretary of the Board of Directors.
DUTIES OF THE TREASURER
The treasurer will be eligible for two (2) consecutive two-year terms. The treasurer shall be chair of the finance committee. The treasurer shall be the custodian of the society’s funds. This person shall ensure that all monies designated for IntNSA are appropriately deposited. In accordance with the budget adopted by the board of directors, this person shall approve distribution of the funds of the society. At least once a year the treasurer shall provide an accurate accounting of all transactions and the budget for the next fiscal year.
SUZANNE A. KINKLE, BS, RN, CARN, CPAS
Regional Risk Reduction Coordinator
Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative
Erial, NJ Candidate Bio/Statement
I am submitting my name for consideration for the board position on the International Nurses Society on Addictions as treasurer. As you can see I have been a member of IntNSA for seven years and been a board member for the past two years. While on the board, I have been a member of the finance committee for the past two years along with being the conference chair for the 2007 Annual Conference in Arlington, VA. While a member of the finance committee, I have gained insight into the financial structure of IntNSA. I have worked in the addictions field for more than 17 years in a variety of settings. In my current position, I am a coordinator of a Perinatal Addictions Prevention Project that encompasses the southern counties in New Jersey. I have had the lead role in designing additional questions to Ira Chasnoff “4 P’s Plus Screening Tool” to ensure the data collected will be useful to the state of New Jersey for future planning considerations. I currently sit on a committee on the state level that is investigating ways Medicaid providers can get reimbursed for Screening and Brief Interventions using the 4 P’s Plus Tool with pregnant women. I have also taken the lead role in the development of a training manual and quick reference guide for providers to use when screening during pregnancy. I am a resource in my region to both professionals and consumers seeking treatment options for pregnant women. I had also been an active participant on the certification planning board in New Jersey to offer a new certification, the Certified Perinatal Addiction Specialist. This specialty certification was approved by the Certification Board of New Jersey two years ago. As treasurer on the IntNSA board, I would like to look at options for increasing our revenue, without having to rely so heavily on our annual conference each year I feel my experiences on the board and also on the finance committee can be an asset to the board of IntNSA. It is my hope you will consider me for the treasurer position.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
There shall be a board of directors, composed of the officers of the society, president, president elect, secretary and treasurer and seven (7) at large directors. The editor of the official journal of the society (1) and the chair of the Addictions Nursing Certification Board (1) are appointed to the board by the president and approved by the board of directors. The journal editor, the chair of the Foundation and the ANCB chair positions are non-voting. The governing body of the society shall be the board of directors. The board of directors may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as should be deemed advisable and may, in the execution of powers granted, delegate certain of its authority and responsibility to the officers. The board shall provide administrative staff for the society. The staff, under the direction of the chief administrative officer, shall be responsible for the effective administration of all affairs of the society and shall be responsible for all activities as directed by the president and the board of directors. Three (3) directors shall be elected in odd years and four (4) elected in even years.
SUZAN BLACHER, RN, BSN, CD, CARN
Nurse Clinician/Educator
South Miami Hospital Addiction Treatment
Miami, FL Candidate Bio/Statement
I became involved with addictions nursing purely by accident. While searching for a place to call my “professional home”, I saw an ad for a job as the nurse clinician/educator in the addictions treatment Program of South Miami Hospital. I knew nothing about addictions. However, I knew I could teach. The nurse manager, an experienced addictions nurse, said she would teach me about addictions nursing. I became a sponge for knowledge about chemical dependency. I read everything I would get my hands on and I searched the web for still more information. I had found my “professional home”. The new nurse graduate programs asked me if I would give a lecture to the new graduate nurses of addictions in the acute care patient. Soon, I was also giving talks to nurses on the med-surg units of my hospital as well. During my Internet search for addictions information, I came across the website for IntNSA. In 2004, I became a member. I was ecstatic. There were nurses from all over the country and the world who could help me on my quest for addictions nursing information. In 2006, I became a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse. I am the first CARN in the five-hospital Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) system. I hope to bring three nurses to the 2007 conference and add three more CARNS to that list. We will also have an exhibitor table at the conference. I am also hoping to start a South Florida chapter this fall. I am pursuing my Master’s Degree in Nursing in the Family Nurse Practitioner Track. I am a dedicated and hard worker for the cause of addictions nursing and I think I would be an asset to the Board of Directors of IntNSA.
NANCY CAMPBELL-HEIDER, PHD, FNP
Associate Professor
University of Buffalo, School of Nursing
Buffalo, NY Candidate Bio/Statement
I first encountered IntNSA in 2001, when I was invited to present my research for the Keynote Address at your annual conference. In the course of preparing my presentation, I became familiar with your website, mission statement, and activities and was so impressed with the group that I immediately joined! I represented IntNSA at a conference on adolescent substance abuse and was then asked to work on a position statement on this subject. I have written one editorial for the Journal of Addictions Nursing and am anxious to get more involved. I have spent many years in academia and working clinically with high risk adolescents who are frequently affected by substance problems in the families or peer groups. These experiences convince me that we must broaden the exposure of all nurses to addictions theory and clinical applications in all types of practices. In my specialty of primary care, the needs for this content are underscored by the large numbers of patients whose chronic and acute health problems are complicated by some form of addiction. I have a vision of broadening the members of IntNSA to include more nurses in primary care practice and other nursing specialties outside of mental health and addictions nursing. Nurses in other areas are in a position to improve the diagnosis, primary care treatment and referral to specialty care. These nurses need more training and supervision in addictions nursing theory and practice. IntNSA can take a leadership role in this area.
CYNTHIA SULLIVAN, MSN, NPC, CARN
Hospital Consultant
Galloway, NJ Candidate Bio/Statement
I have been a Registered Nurse for many years and began working in the addictions field in 1991 in a 30-day residential rehab. I became extremely interested in the field and it has been the focus of my career since then. I moved onto director of nursing positions in two different nonprofit methadone clinics and earned a Master’s Degree in 2000. I continued working in the field as a Nurse Practitioner under the direction of a physician certified in addictions. In addition to caring for the Methadone patients, I managed detoxifications from alcohol and benzodiazepines on an outpatient basis. I functioned as a grant administrator managing Ryan White funds that provided substance abuse for HIV+ patients who had no resources to pay for treatment. I was responsible for the grant applications and the periodic reporting to the State of New Jersey. My collaborating physician has been in the forefront in developing protocols for the office-based use of Suboxone, so I have had the privilege of watching the development of this exciting new tool in the treatment of opioid dependence. I hope that IntNSA can be helpful in obtaining the approval for Nurse Practitioners to begin prescribing Suboxone. My current position is hospital consultant. I work for my collaborating physician seeing hospital patients for substance abuse programs, managing detox, and referring patients for follow up treatment. I have privileges at three local hospitals. I was fortunate to be part of the delegation of addictions specialists that visited China is 2005 with Dr. Christine Savage. I have been a member of The Garden State Chapter of IntNSA since its inception and have held the office of treasurer. Meeting other addictions nurses and networking with them has been a pleasure. I hope I can be of service on the Board of Directors.
THERESA VARELA, PHD, NPP
Director of Mental Health Services/Research Coordinator
Project Samaritan, Inc.
Bronx, NY Candidate Bio/Statement
Providing health care as a nurse, for many years, I have been afforded with opportunities to serve in various capacities. My experience in clinical practice, education, and research are areas that overlap. My interests and foci have been HIV/AIDS, mental health, spirituality, and diversity and cultural competence. Addiction and its sequelae are represented in all facets of life. My realization, based on my experience and interest, is that many of us are involved in the recovery process whether it is with our clients, friends, families or ourselves. I am currently a member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses and Sigma Theta Tau-Nursing Honor Society. I serve on the IntNSA newsletter editorial board. My work now is as director of mental health services and resource coordination at a nursing home/drug treatment program for people living with HIV/AIDS. In this role I have been very involved in program development and creating policies and procedures. I have been mentored and supported by nurses and others in this profession through organizational involvement at the board level with IntNSA. Interfacing with others on the personal and organizational level allows me to share my vision, co-create, and co-develop as we collectively advance the art and science of nursing. Areas that I can impact while serving on the IntNSA board include the continued promotion of professionalism with a focus on policy. I would also plan to continue my work on the IntNSA newsletter. Probably, one of the greatest assets, I can contribute to the board is the basic tenet of willingness. My role will be determined by the needs of the board as required by the people that we serve.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE DUTIES OF THE NOMINATING COMMITEE
A nominating committee of three (3) society members will be elected annually by ballot, two of whom shall be elected in odd numbered years and one of whom shall be elected in even numbered years. The Committee will be responsible for presenting the slate of candidates for the following year’s election of officers and directors. The committee shall choose its own chairperson. The committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for each office whose term will expire at the annual meeting. The nominating committee shall prepare and submit to the membership at least one (1) nomination for each of the elected offices of IntNSA. Each person considered for nomination will submit a written letter of intent with a statement of willingness to serve and a short professional biography for their nomination package. Election of the officers and directors and nominating committee shall take place via a ballot, to all active members, mailed to the last known address of each member not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the annual meeting. Each voting member of the society may cast one (1) ballot either by mail or by facsimile with signature of member. A majority responding to the ballot shall determine results of the election. Results of the election shall be announced at the annual meeting. The nominating committee shall accept and place into nomination for office a candidate presented by a petition signed by at least twenty (20) active members, provided that the petition be received by the committee at least ninety (90) days prior to the annual business meeting.
DOROTHEA A. SHOEMAKER, RN, CARN
Berwyn, PA I have served on this committee for the past three years, as well as co-chair and board liaison for IntNSA Chapters. I was the founding president and the immediate past president of the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of IntNSA. Prior to retirement I have worked in the field of addiction nursing for 20 years as well as five years in marketing for a nationally known recovery center as well as three years in an advocacy study in follow-up of graduates in their recovery program.
PHYLLIS TIPTON, RN, PHD
Nursing Instructor
McLennan Community College
Waco, TX I am interested in serving on the IntNSA Nominating Committee. I have worked in a number of positions in the 28 years. I have been a RN beginning as a staff nurse upon completing my ADN. For the past 16 years I have worked as an instructor in an ADN program teaching psychiatric and medical-surgical nursing. After completing my PhD in nursing in 2005, I began working part time as a nurse researcher for one of the local hospitals. I have been a member of IntNSA since 2003 and currently serve on the Peer Assistance and Research Committees. I have had been able to attend the annual IntNSA conferences beginning in 2004 and was able to present the results of my dissertation, "Predictors of Relapse of Nurses Involved in a Peer Assistance Program" at the 2005 conference. I served as the nominating chairperson for the Texas Organization of Associate Degree of Nursing in 1999 and this experience should be beneficial in helping me to a contributing member of the IntNSA Nomination Committee.
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