BH WELL Honors Leaders Advancing Tobacco Treatment in Behavioral Health

The University of Kentucky College of Nursing’s Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) recently recognized three leaders in behavioral health tobacco treatment during its virtual workshop, Tobacco, Cannabis, and Behavioral Health: Navigating Policy, Practice, and Emerging Products, held on February 25, 2026. The awards highlight organizations and individuals across Kentucky who are advancing the integration of tobacco treatment into mental and behavioral health care.

People living with mental or behavioral health challenges experience significantly higher rates of tobacco use and tobacco-related illness. BH WELL’s annual awards celebrate those who are helping address these disparities by advancing tobacco treatment, expanding access to cessation services, and promoting tobacco-free policies within behavioral health systems. The awards are made possible by support from the Kentucky Department for Public Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program. This partnership continues to strengthen tobacco treatment efforts across the Commonwealth.

The 2025 BH WELL Behavioral Health Tobacco Treatment Integration Award was presented to Owensboro Health for its leadership in expanding tobacco treatment services and addressing tobacco-related health disparities across its eighteen-county service region.

This recognition highlights the comprehensive approach taken by Owensboro Health’s Tobacco Cessation Program to expand access to tobacco treatment services and improve health outcomes across the region. The program features personalized, one-on-one counseling with Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTS) to help individuals stop using nicotine products. Patients are provided with free nicotine replacement therapy (e.g., patches, gum, lozenges) and cessation medication (e.g., bupropion, varenicline) to help reduce barriers to cessation. Owensboro Health has invested in training nurses to become certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists through the University of Kentucky’s BREATHE Online TTS Training, which has allowed the program to expand access to tobacco cessation services across the region. Tobacco use screening is now integrated into Owensboro Health’s electronic health record system, automatically referring patients who report nicotine use to the TTS program. In 2022, BH WELL recognized the growing program in this video. Since then, Owensboro Health has continued to build on this strong foundation by expanding services, increasing access, and strengthening its commitment to reducing tobacco-related harm across the region. 

The 2025 BH WELL Behavioral Health TTS Trailblazer Award was presented to Jessica “Jessie” Jurkiewicz, a nurse and certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist at Owensboro Health, in recognition of her leadership in expanding tobacco treatment services to new populations.

Jurkiewicz has played a key role in advancing Owensboro Health’s tobacco treatment program and identifying innovative ways to reach underserved groups. Recognizing that many individuals begin using nicotine during adolescence, she advocated for expanding tobacco treatment services to youth receiving behavioral health care. Her efforts have led physicians, psychiatrists, and mental health counselors to more consistently refer adolescent patients for tobacco cessation support. Jurkiewicz has also partnered with public schools to address vaping and nicotine use among students. Her work reflects a deep commitment to prevention, treatment, and supporting young people in making healthier choices.

The 2025 BH WELL Behavioral Health Tobacco Treatment Impact Award was presented to Casey Baker-Romans of the Northern Kentucky Health Department for her leadership in reducing tobacco use and promoting smoke-free environments across Northern Kentucky.

Baker-Romans is a Tobacco Treatment Specialist and Substance Use Prevention Health Educator with the Northern Kentucky Health Department. As an advocate for recovery and healing, she provides education on substance prevention and recovery and supports policy change to promote a healthy, equitable environment across Northern Kentucky. She has been a driving force in addressing the youth vaping epidemic and advancing tobacco prevention and cessation efforts throughout the region. She developed and launched Kentucky’s first vape disposal program, an innovative initiative that she has shared at state and national conferences to encourage replication in other communities. She currently supports 135 schools across Boone, Campbell, Kenton, and Grant counties, by providing nicotine prevention education and resources. Baker-Romans has also built partnerships with treatment centers, detention centers, and health care providers to expand tobacco education and treatment services. In addition, she works closely with multi-unit housing facilities to support smoke-free policies and ensure residents have access to tobacco cessation resources. Through her leadership and collaboration across numerous community coalitions, she continues to advance efforts to create healthier, smoke-free communities.

BH WELL Director Dr. Zim Okoli congratulates the 2025 award recipients for their dedication to improving health outcomes for individuals living with mental and behavioral health challenges sharing, “The incredible work being done by Owensboro Health, Jessie, and Casey exemplifies how integrating tobacco treatment into behavioral health care reduces health disparities, supports recovery, and improves quality of life. We celebrate their leadership and the meaningful impact they are making in communities across the Commonwealth.”