On April 20, the UNMC College of Nursing welcomed Chizimuzo (Zim) Okoli, PhD, to campus as its Behavioral Health Visiting Scholar.
Dr. Okoli's visit, which included two presentations, was in collaboration with the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska.
Dr. Okoli's first presentation, titled "Best Practices for Tobacco Treatment in People Living with Mental and Behavioral Health Challenges," focused on evidence-based practice on tobacco treatment among people living with mental and behavioral health challenges. The talk was geared toward nurses, faculty, students and other health care professionals involved in tobacco treatment for those living with mental and behavioral health challenges.
His second presentation discussed compassion fatigue with students and faculty.
Dr. Okoli is a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and directs the tobacco treatment and research and evidence-based practices at Eastern State Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. He serves as executive director of mental and behavioral health of Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning and is co-director of Tobacco Treatment and Prevention, Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Towards Healthy Environments.
His primary research focuses on enhancing substance use treatment, particularly tobacco use, among people living with mental and behavioral health challenges. He is internationally recognized for developing and integrating tobacco treatment approaches within mental and behavioral health systems and training tobacco treatment providers. He served as principal and co-investigator on several grants from the Canadian Institute of Health Research, National Institute of Health, Kentucky Department of Public Health and Kentucky State Department of Medicaid.