Dr. Pamela Hamilton-Stubbs specializes in integrative sleep medicine, the medical practice of investigating problems and resolutions for sleep issues. She is a frequent presenter who has authored numerous publications on the subject.

But these days, Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs is focusing on a topic far removed from the subject of sleep. As the volunteer chair of the Henrico Branch NAACP’s Health Committee, she has turned her attention to the opioid epidemic that is wreaking havoc on individuals and families in Greater Richmond.

“Some members of the African-American community are angry because so many African-Americans were jailed and not offered treatment” for drug addiction, she says.

“The Henrico NAACP hopes to help the community heal by starting a discussion on mass incarceration and the new approach of treating addiction as an illness rather than a crime.”

With fatal drug overdoses increasing by 38 percent in 2016 and becoming the leading cause of accidental death in Virginia, the state health commissioner declared an opioid epidemic in the state.

Through the efforts of Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs’ committee, the Henrico NAACP has collaborated with health providers, community leaders, elected officials and churches to provide a series of community information sessions about substance abuse, its treatment and prevention and recent changes to state law.

The next session, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, will be with Henrico County Supervisor Patricia S. O’Bannon at the Tuckahoe Library, 1901 Starling Drive. The presentation will cover substance abuse among teenagers and how schools are responding to the opioid epidemic.

More than 200 people have attended the programs to date.

“Our programs address the needs of the community and are a major way for minorities to learn about changes in drugs of abuse, the criminal justice system and resources for treatment and prevention of substance abuse,” Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs says.

The goal of these programs is to raise community awareness about the new dangers of opioid addiction and resources for treatment. Genetics plays a role in aspects of addiction, she says, and research into genetic intervention may be able to create advance treatment.

The Medical Society of Virginia and the Virginia Dental Association have developed new guidelines for prescribing opioids. Doctors are encouraged to use non-opioid methods for pain control. And physicians are using prescription monitoring programs to avoid over-prescribing medications to patients.

In addition to tackling the opioid epidemic directly, the Henrico NAACP also is concerned with another health crisis — the high number of African-Americans being diagnosed and living with HIV. Because of the relationship between substance abuse and HIV infection, the organization also offers information about HIV prevention during their events.

Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs joined the NAACP in 2012 to honor her mother, a life member of the Akron Branch NAACP in Ohio. The organization’s mission includes a focus on the rights of African-Americans and other people of color to have optimal health outcomes and access to timely, quality and affordable health care.

“I chose (the opioid issue) to spotlight because I wanted to be sure that minority communities received life-saving information about the epidemic,” Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs says. “Hearing participants say the program was helpful and connecting people to affordable treatment make me feel good.”

Meet this week’s Personality and health advocate, Dr. Pamela Hamilton-Stubbs:

Occupation: Physician.

Top volunteer position now: Chair, Henrico Branch NAACP Health Committee.

Duties of volunteer position: As chair of the Health Committee, I help develop program content based on community needs, identify sites for the program in locations accessible to the target population and enhance relations between the Henrico NAACP and government agencies, elected officials, churches, community leaders and health providers.

Date and place of birth: March 31 in Akron, Ohio.

Current residence: Henrico County.

Education: Bachelor of science degree in nursing and bachelor of arts degree in psychology, Kent State University; doctor of medicine degree, Meharry Medical College; pediatric residency, Medical College of Georgia; adult neurology residency and child neurology fellowship, VCU/Medical College of Virginia; sleep disorders medicine — self-guided training at Stanford University Sleep Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins University Sleep Disorders Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Family: Husband, Jonathan Stubbs, and Amanda Washington-Lockett and Darryl Lockett.

Area organizations partnering with Henrico NAACP in this effort: Henrico County Mental Health and Developmental Services, Henrico County Heroin Task Force, Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church, Quioccasin Baptist Church, Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs’ Sleep & Total Wellness Institute, the VCU HIV/AIDS Center, Black Treatment Advocacy Network of Richmond and Petersburg, Chesterfield Branch NAACP, Hanover Branch NAACP and Richmond Branch NAACP.

Substance abuse is: The terminology in this area of medicine is changing. The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” no longer uses the term substance abuse. Rather, it refers to substance use disorders. The National Institute of Drug Addiction continues to use the term substance abuse. People use substances for a variety of reasons. It becomes drug abuse when people use illegal drugs or use legal drugs inappropriately. This includes the repeated use of drugs to produce pleasure, alleviate stress and/or to alter or avoid reality. It also includes using prescription drugs in ways other than prescribed or using someone else’s prescription.

Reason for increase in substance abuse: The increase is linked to prescription narcotics. Most people who are addicted to opioids became addicted by taking pain pills prescribed by a doctor. When legal drugs become inaccessible due to cost or inability to find a prescribing health provider, some people turn to illicit drugs that may cost less than prescription drugs but are unregulated. The street drug may be sold as heroin but contain more potent synthetic opioids. Synthetic opioids have been linked to overdoses and death.

Opiods are: A class of medications commonly used by physicians to control pain. Because opioids relieve pain and produce a feeling of peaceful well-being, opioids are commonly abused.

Importance of family support: In my book, “Beating Heroin Addiction: When Prayer is Not Enough,” I list risk factors and preventive factors. Something as simple as having a family meal two to three times per week can reduce the risk of addiction. Other family behaviors that reduce the risk of addiction include enforcing rules, modeling the behavior you want from your child and getting involved with your child’s school to encourage children to achieve academically.

What more needs to be done at the state or local levels: Additional educational outreach and treatment programs.

Henrico Branch NAACP could do more if: We had more volunteers and financial resources.

Other health projects: A health fair is planned for later this year, along with a roundtable discussion on the strengths and weakness of the black family and how to support black families. We also are forming partnerships with other nonprofits to address food insecurity.

Other upcoming projects: The Henrico NAACP Health Committee is working with the Old Dominion Bar Association and law enforcement personnel to screen selected parts of Ava DuVernay’s documentary, “13th.” Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion on mass incarceration and changes in how the criminal justice system responds today to individuals with addiction. Additional information will be posted at http://henriconaacp.org and www.drhamiltonstubbs.com/events.

What makes me tick: Knowing that my work in the community reflects the mission of my medical practice: “To provide excellent medical care in the spirit of Christ who served the wealthy and the poor.”

Three words that best describe me: Kind, determined, leadership.

Who or what influenced me to do what I do: My younger brother, Michael Hamilton.

Best late-night snack: Berries.

Quality I most admire in others: Courage.

Greatest source of inspiration: A smile from someone who benefited from my work.

When I get restless, I: Go to a quiet place and talk with God.

A really great evening for me is: A delicious meal with family and friends.

Best advice given to me: Stay close to God. Only He determines your future.

What I’m reading now: “Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age” by Jo Ann Jenkins.

Next goal: To complete the print edition of my book, “Beating Heroin Addiction: When Prayer Is Not Enough.”