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The 2025 Healthy MS Conference – also known as the Empowering Communities for a Healthy Mississippi Conference (ECHMC) – was held from June 4-6, 2025, at the Sheraton Flowood The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center in Flowood, Mississippi. UMMC, School of Nursing's SUD and IPV among Mississippi's Moms: Initiative to Prevent and Treat (SIMM Initiative) research team had the opportunity to attend and provide a vendor table for more exposure. Mississippi's community-based service providers for pregnant and postpartum women suffering from IPV need to be trained to screen and refer patients for SUD. The conference united hundreds of healthcare professionals, public health leaders, and community advocates to tackle health disparities across the state.

Jump to Presentation Highlights

Conference presentation with a speaker at a podium and a staff member standing nearby, in a meeting room with patterned carpeting and presentation equipment. Conference presenter standing behind a clear podium and laptop while delivering a presentation in a meeting room.

Person in business attire speaking during a conference session, standing between meeting tables and gesturing while addressing attendees in a training room. Conference speaker standing at a clear podium, gesturing while delivering a presentation in a meeting room.

Domestic violence awareness slide featuring illustrated portraits of diverse individuals with the message: “Domestic Violence Can Happen to Anyone,” displayed on a presentation screen.

Presentation Highlights

SIMM Initiative

Goal

To develop, evaluate and disseminate an integrated training program for healthcare providers who work with pregnant and postpartum people with co-occurring SUD and IPV in the state of Mississippi

Funding

Office on Women's Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (ASTWH220111) – 3 year grant (2022-2025)

PIs

Lei Zhang, PhD, MBA; Matthew Morris, PhD

Alcohol-Related Emergencies and Deaths

Alcohol-Related Deaths in the United States

More than 140,000 people died from alcohol-related causes annually from 2015 to 2019.

Source: CDC/OASH

  • Alcohol contributes to approximately 18.5% of emergency department visits (Jones et al., 2014)
  • Alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk of drowning and injuries from violence, falls, and motor vehicle crashes(Cherpitel, 2007; Driscoll et al., 2004; Taylor & Rehm, 2012; Taylor et al., 2010)
  • 22.1% of prescription opioid-related overdose deaths involved alcohol (Jones et al., 2014)

Spirit of Motivational Interviewing

Non-Motivational InterviewingMotivational Interviewing
ConfrontationCollaboration
EducationEvocation
AuthorityAutonomy
  • Express empathy
    • Non-judgmental
      • Avoid stigmatizing language
    • Avoid confrontation
    • Goal is to clarify and amplify the patient's experiences
  • Develop discrepancies
    • Current actions vs future goals and values

Domestic Violence Definition

EVERY1 KNOWS SOME1
Domestic Violence Awareness Month

do•mes•tic vi•o•lence [ duh-mes-tik vahy-uh-luhns ] n. 1 a pattern of coercive behavior used by one person to gain power and control over another in an intimate or familial relationship

Mississippi law defines domestic violence in its Domestic Abuse Protection Act. It begins by defining "abuse" as an occurrence of one or more of the following acts:

  1. attempting to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing serious bodily injury with or without a deadly weapon;
  2. placing, by physical menace or threat, another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury;
  3. criminal sexual conduct committed against a minor (fondling a minor);
  4. stalking;
  5. cyberstalking; and
  6. rape and sexual battery (including statutory rape).

To be considered domestic violence under Mississippi law, these acts must occur between spouses, former spouses, persons living as spouses or who formerly lived as spouses, persons having a child or children together, or other individuals related by blood or marriage who reside together or who formerly resided together, or between individuals who have a current or former dating relationship.

Domestic Violence is NOT Caused by:

  • Mental or physical illness
  • Genetics
  • Alcohol
  • Out of control behavior
  • Stress
  • Anger
  • Victim's behavior or relationship problems

100% of Domestic Violence is caused by the abuser.