Registration is open for a free substance-abuse and addiction conference Oct. 11 in Grand Rivers, Ky.

The Kentucky Rural Health Association is hosting the Western Kentucky Regional Community Education Day, designed to educate and stimulate community discussion around substance abuse and addiction. This year’s event is titled, “The Addiction & Substance Abuse Communities at a Crossroad.”

Attendance is free, but registration is required. The conference will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Grand Rivers Community Center, 155 W. Cumberland Ave. Click here to register.

The conference is inspired by Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland, a book that looks at how heroin took hold of rural American, who has long said “the antidote to this crisis is community.”

“Our communities need to come together to have frank discussions, reduce the stigma, and explore creative avenues and availability of dealing with pain and addiction,” says the registration flyer about the conference.

The conference will feature Lori Scott, author of the recently published Surrender at Rocky Point, a personal memoir about “tragedy, loss, redemption and healing.”

Presentation topics include: Harm Reduction/Needle Exchange Programs; Opioids at the Backdoor: How Prescription Drugs are Being Diverted in our Community; Signs and Symptoms of Addiction: Responding to Someone with an Addiction; and Facilitated Discussion: Community Actions/Ideas.