Palm Beach Post public forum to examine the 'Florida Shuffle' of addiction treatment

Palm Beach Post Staff
Updated ·1 min read

As county and state policymakers weigh the use of new money to combat the tragic toll of the opioid epidemic in Florida, The Palm Beach Post will convene a panel of experts to highlight necessary responses to some of the highest numbers of overdose deaths in the nation.

“Fixing the Florida Shuffle – Next Steps,” will be the topic of a Palm Beach Post community forum from 6:15-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Palm Beach State College Lake Worth Beach campus. The discussion will focus on what must happen to end the cycle of recovery, relapse and overdose that has come to be known nationally as the “Florida Shuffle.”

Read The Post's investigation: Florida Shuffle: State's failure to oversee addiction treatment leaves patients in deadly danger

The event is open to the public.

Registration is closed but it will be live-streamed.

Palm Beach Post Investigative Reporter Antigone Barton, who reported "Florida Shuffle: State's failure to oversee addiction treatment leaves patients in deadly danger", will moderate the panel discussion, which will include questions from the audience with:

  • Palm Beach County Chief Deputy State Attorney and Addiction Recovery Task force leader Alan Johnson;

  • Health Care District of Palm Beach County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Belma Andric;

  • Psychiatrist, addiction specialist, treatment center owner and task force member Dr. Robert Moran;

  • Amanda Davidson, whose experiences as an addiction treatment patient in Palm Beach County informed “Deadly Danger,” the Post investigation into oversight of addiction treatment and the cycle of recovery, relapse and overdose that has come to be known nationally as the “Florida Shuffle.”

More: Help coming on addiction treatment centers

To attend the event, use the QR Code.

To attend the forum “Fixing the Florida Shuffle – Next Steps,” hosted by The Palm Beach Post, from 6:15-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Palm Beach State College Lake Worth Beach campus, use this QR Code
To attend the forum “Fixing the Florida Shuffle – Next Steps,” hosted by The Palm Beach Post, from 6:15-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Palm Beach State College Lake Worth Beach campus, use this QR Code

Antigone Barton is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at avbarton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Post forum on Florida Shuffle of addiction treatment