VaRonica Little

Biography

VaRonica Little began working in the field of substance abuse and mental health 17 years ago and has worked with a variety of populations and in multiple settings. She earned her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Utah and has focused in the areas of trauma and addiction. In July of 2017 VaRonica accepted a position at the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to oversee the federal grants coming to Utah related to the opioid crisis. Since being hired she has overseen 3 federal grants and has become the State Opioid Treatment Authority for Utah. She sits as co-chair for the Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention (UCO-OP) steering committee and participated on many task forces and coalitions to connect and partner with communities and providers who are focused on helping Utah effectively combat addiction.

VaRonica believes that substance use is a chronic relapsing brain disease that affects all aspects of an individual’s life. Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives and strive to reach their full potential. She believes this disease requires holistic support, education, options/ opportunities, multiple interventions at different levels of intensity, in order to effect long lasting change. There is no wrong path to recovery.