River Trevino (they/them) designs a variety of curricula for both Denver Prevention Training Center (PTC) and the Center for Addiction Medicine (CAM). Whether it is a class of 1 or a class of 100+, their instructional design process focuses on building a variety of curricula that meaningfully engages each learner with the content in an actionable way. Their guiding principle in collaborative leadership challenges them and those they work with to develop sustainable training solutions that match the desires and needs of both leadership and staff. As an avid advocate for cultural responsiveness, River recognizes that organizational and individual change requires both accountability and compassion. Therefore, they always strive to meet others where they are and help them to a place of self-awareness and action.

When they’re not at work, you can find River snuggling their pitty-mix Scout, empowering LGBTQ+ youth to be their authentic selves, honing their skills as an amateur nature photographer, communing with nature through meditation & nature walks, and being fabulously independent together with their amazing partner, Miss Jai.

Emily Elrick (she/her/hers) is honored to support CAM Academy through the development of comprehensive training programs, continuous learning, technical assistance, and professional growth opportunities. With a Master’s in Organizational Psychology from the University of Southern California, Emily is passionate about driving positive organizational change. She believes that innovative training solutions play a vital role in shaping organizational culture and elevating the quality of care for patients. The book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck sparked a transformative shift in her life, serving as a source of inspiration in her pursuit of personal growth. In her free time, Emily finds joy in living an active lifestyle and spending time with her partner and golden retriever.

Tyler Espinosa (Tyler/he/him) provides administrative support for the Center for Addiction Medicine (CAM) and works in tandem with management, SMEs, and trainers to produce educational materials for CAM Academy. Tyler is not new to work surrounding substance use and harm reduction, dedicating 3 years to Denver CARES, and 2 years to the Sexual Health clinic. Utilizing his time within the Sexual Health Clinic to start a Fentanyl Testing Strip Distribution System, is easily his proudest accomplishment... so far. Being raised on episodes of “How It’s Made” has made seeing the “behind-the-scenes" of healthcare, and the interconnectedness of various departments across the organization, Tyler’s favorite aspect of the job.

Outside of work you can find Tyler at archery ranges searching for arrows that missed the bales, or undoing stitches of his current cross stitch project (because counting is harder than you may think).

Josh Blum (he) treats clients with substance use disorders at Denver Health.  He loves hearing each patient’s unique story and cheering them on towards triumph, and is driven by the belief that no individual is beyond hope or redemption.  He is grateful to work alongside such committed, devoted, and talented colleagues, and is devoted to provider education. Dr. Blum was drum major of his high school marching band. The clear organization and structure of the band left him woefully unprepared for leading a department of behavioral health clinicians.

John Mills (he/him/his) leads project planning and implementation with CAM Academy. He considers himself somewhat of a weaver, piecing together different ideas, partners, and systems into one unique deliverable to achieve a specific goal. His commitment to Racial Equity has always been a part of his life, now he simply has the tools to name and promote it. His ability to connect with people from all disciplines within the healthcare workforce drives his work. Outside of CAM Academy, he enjoys spending time playing uncle to his nieces and nephews, hanging out with friends, and concert going around town. If he could be anything in the world it would be a Zookeeper, minus picking up the poo!

Judy Shlay (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director of the Public Health Institute at Denver Health and the Medical Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine (CAM). Her passion is to ensure that the work of CAM is operationalized at Denver Health and the learnings from the organization are shared with others locally, regionally, and nationally. Becoming a physician has been a tremendous accomplishment. Additionally, Judy is very proud of leading the HIV prenatal program at Denver Health where no baby has been perinatally infected with HIV. Judy likes to work collectively with others to solve problems and improve processes. She has a strong believe that we must always give each person the benefit of the doubt and that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. If she wasn’t doing her current job, she would be a park ranger because she loves the outdoors and wants to share that feeling with others.

Brooke Bender (she/her/hers) leads the Center for Addiction Medicine and its Academy in strategy, implementation, and sustainability. Brooke also leads the PRIDE Employee Resource Group at Denver Health to advocate for LGBTQ+ staff.  She strives for justice, innovation, and excellence by modeling transparency, collaboration, patience, reflection, and learning. Her favorite aspect of her job is hearing from community members how her efforts benefit people from marginalized communities. Volunteering in the Peace Corps in South Africa from 2003-2005 changed Brooke’s life and taught her many lessons and led her to do the community-based community-led programmatic work she loves doing today. In her free time, Brooke enjoys going to the mountains, snuggling her dogs, practicing yoga, connecting with people, and laughing – all of which feeds her soul.

Helen Burnside (she/her/hers) is honored to provide programmatic oversight of the Denver Prevention Training Center’s training and technical assistance programs and guidance to its program managers. Helen started her second career with a master’s degree in Community Health after reading Paul Farmer’s Mountains Beyond Mountains in Bolivia and has focused her work on HIV and STI prevention ever since. Helen is committed to advancing racial equity in health systems and believes that we can end the HIV epidemic by creating brave spaces for communities and healthcare providers to plan prevention strategies. She enjoys the people and the dynamic, changing nature of her work. Helen appreciates that she can solve complex problems by talking to her backyard bees, or hiking in the Flatirons, and still dreams of being a backup singer in a female jazz band.