Health Care Social Workers Symposium 2019

Dr. Barile is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey (GOCCNJ), a non-profit partnership of leading healthcare providers, government agencies, and community organizations dedicated to helping patients get the care they need and no less and the care they want and no more. GOCCNJ provides valuable tools and information to help facilitate conversations about medical decisions at the end of life and is working to set a new standard of care in NJ by helping healthcare providers, patients, and families make medical decisions that genuinely reflect a person’s wishes. In addition to his roll with GOCCNJ, Dr. Barile is Director of Palliative Medicine Services and Medical Director of the Acute Care for the Elderly Unit at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center. He is also the Medical Director at Princeton Care Center Skilled Nursing Facility, Greenwood Hospice, and Goldenview Memory Home.

Morgan Thompson, M.S.W., is the CEO of Prevention Links, a Union County-based nonprofit focused on substance use prevention and recovery support. Ms. Thompson was instrumental in the launch of the Raymond J. Lesniak Experience Strength and Hope Recovery High School, the Experience Strength and Hope Recovery Center, and the New Jersey Coalition for Addiction Recovery Support (NJ-CARS). All of these innovative solutions to the addiction crisis our state and country are facing were driven by passion and lived experience of addiction recovery. Ms. Thompson is a person in long-term recovery, having been alcohol and drug free since 2009. Ms. Thompson entered recovery at the age of 18 and speaks candidly about her experiences as an adolescent navigating the continuum of care and recovery support services. Ms. Thompson is a graduate of the Rutgers School of Social Work.

Sam Young is currently the Philanthropy and Planned Giving Officer for Compassion & Choices -- America's oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to improving care, expanding options and empowering everyone to chart their end-of-life journey. In this role, Sam is responsible for overseeing planned giving, leadership gifts, and foundation grant development. He began his career practicing law in Texas and New York. After 8 years, he transitioned to nonprofits, wanting to give back to his community. Previously, Sam served as the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest New Jersey and had senior development roles at Wildlife Conservation Society, Einstein College of Medicine, and Bancroft Special Needs School. Sam holds a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University, a Masters in Social Work from Yeshiva University, and dual bachelor degrees in Journalism and Communications from The University of Texas at Austin. He is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington, D.C. He is also an NJ Licensed Social Worker. Previously, Sam served as the 2nd Vice President of the NASW-NJ Chapter. Sam resides in New Jersey with his wife Debbie, twin 11-year-old sons, and a Golden Retriever named Dakota.

Matt Whitaker is a former clinician with extensive experience in health policy and advocacy. In his role as Director of Integrated Programs at Compassion & Choices Matt works to support medical education and client services nationwide. Matt has spoken at numerous conferences on bioethics and person-centered care across the country and testified as an expert resource on end of life choice to numerous legislative committees. A Georgia native, Matt is a graduate of the University of Georgia, a board certified Music Therapist and a graduate student in Integrative Theology at the Twin Cities School of Theology.