Wellness Summits

The 2025 Elevating Hope Summit was hosted by Utah State University Extension's Health Education: Advocacy, Research, and Teaching (HEART) Initiative, the Southeastern Utah Health Department, and Four Corners Community Behavioral Health. This was the 7th annual Wellness Summit, held on March 19th with a Pre-Conference for Law Enforcement and First Responders as well as March 20th-21st for two days of the 2025 Elevating Hope Summit. This event was a testament to the power of collaboration, bringing together health and well-being professionals, law enforcement, first responders, and community members to address the pressing issues of substance use disorder (SUD) and suicide prevention in our state. With the 2025 theme Taking Substance Use Disorder and Suicide Prevention to New Altitudes, we created a space for meaningful discussions on innovative strategies, best practices, networking, and community-driven solutions. 

March 19-21, 2025     |     USU Eastern, Price Utah

USU's Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) Initiative and the Tribal & Rural Opioid Initiative (TROI) presented the 6th annual Opioid Wellness Summit. The 2023 theme, Open Roads to Health and Wellness: Providing rural communities with many pathways to build strong and healthy families, reflected the commitment to sharing ideas, strategies, and best practices to address the opioid overdose and stimulant epidemic. This year's summit included a pre-summit ice-cream social and service project. Participants put together over 180 wound care kits, enjoyed conversation, and Aggie ice-cream. The summit gave community members and professionals a chance to discuss successes in the field of substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery, a time to learn and grow, as well as build readiness to address new and emerging rural wellness issues together.

October 25-26, 2023     |     USU Eastern, Price Utah

The 2022 Intertribal Opioid Wellness Summit theme was Nuh-Nuh-Muh: Reconnecting and Healing. The summit provided individuals who are affected by the opioid epidemic an opportunity to gather, share resources, and learn from leading opioid use disorder professionals. The summit was developed to bring professionals, family members of those suffering with substance use disorder, and individuals with a substance use disorder together. Over the course of the three days participants were heard 32 speakers who provided inspiring sessions that emphasize the Medicine Wheel, holistic health, and harm reduction, all of which can reduce stigma associated with substance use. An extensive expo highlighted local and statewide agencies, recovery homes, and holistic approaches.  A social pow wow, traditional to Northern Ute culture, was held as part of the summit. Complete with local food trucks and native artisan vendors. It was a community-based celebration of recovery and healing with singing, dancing, and great food. The event left participants and speakers with valuable knowledge, insight, and respect for one another. 

June 21-24, 2022     |     Vernal, Utah