The UTHealth Houston Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research oversees multiple initiatives addressing substance use disorder (SUD) and behavioral emergencies across Texas. One such initiative is the Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON), which is funded through the Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR), a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Texas ICON was established to develop and implement recovery-oriented systems of care that support treatment access, recovery services, overdose prevention, education, and patient navigation...
ICON operates through a centralized management team...
Meredith O’Neal started with UTHealth in March 2019 and is a Program Manager at the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research. She is the program lead for the Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON) and the Heroes Helpline. Meredith has a Master’s in Cultural/Medical Anthropology (2019) and a forthcoming Master’s in Business Administration (August 2024). She has experience designing and implementing sociocultural and public health research and delivering community-centered programming for underserved populations, particularly for those experiencing substance use disorder and mental health concerns.
Brandie started with UTHealth in February 2023 and is a Community Health Liaison at the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research. She is responsible for our efforts in Bastrop County/Bastrop, Texas, as part of the Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON). Brandie has lived experience with substance use disorder and mental health as a caregiver to multiple family members living with addiction. She has worked in residential treatment, medical detoxification, and outpatient treatment settings. She has also worked as a CPS liaison and family crisis advocate, teaching nurturing parenting classes. Brandie hopes to become a licensed chemical dependency counselor and eventually obtain a degree in psychology. To Brandie, helping others help themselves is the greatest feeling ever.
Mary Boone is a Community Health Liaison at the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research at UTHealth, where she joined the team in July 2023. She supports Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON) efforts in Southeast Texas, working with community partners to strengthen local opioid and behavioral health response.
Mary is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with clinical experience in medication-assisted treatment (MAT/MOUD), drug intervention programs, and residential and outpatient treatment settings. She is committed to connecting individuals and families to services and organizations that support recovery and improve quality of life.
Valerie Adames is a Certified Community Health Worker from Victoria, Texas, and serves as a Community Health Liaison with Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON) at UTHealth Houston. She supports Victoria County and the surrounding Golden Crescent region by connecting individuals and organizations to prevention, risk reduction, and recovery resources, and by providing education on substance use risks, overdose prevention, and recovery pathways.
Before joining UTHealth Houston in 2025, Valerie worked with Texas A&M University College of Nursing as a Maternal Child Health Navigator for the Golden Crescent Management of Opioid Risk in Mothers (GC-MOMS) program, supporting mothers affected by or at risk for substance use. Valerie is deeply rooted in the community she serves and is committed to reducing barriers to care and supporting individuals and families as they navigate pathways to stability and recovery.
Payton Lykes is a Research Coordinator and Counselor at the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research at UTHealth Houston, where she has worked since January 2025. Payton supports multiple research initiatives focused on substance use disorder, behavioral emergencies, and mental health, including community-based and statewide efforts.
Payton holds a Bachelor of Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin. Her work includes coordinating research initiatives, supporting data collection and analysis, engaging with participants and community partners, and providing counseling-informed support. With experience spanning research coordination and direct client support, Payton is committed to advancing evidence-based practices that improve access to behavioral health services and support long-term stability and recovery.
Diana is a Licensed Master Social Worker and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with over 27 years of experience in the chemical dependency field. Her background includes inpatient and ambulatory medical detoxification, as well as residential and outpatient treatment settings. For more than a decade, her work has focused on individuals with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders across both residential and outpatient programs.
Diana has dedicated her career to supporting men, women, and families affected by mental health and substance use challenges. From 2021 to 2025, she worked with the Houston ER Opioid Engagement System (HEROES), and she currently serves as a counselor with the Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON). Both programs are housed within the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research at UTHealth Houston, where she brings extensive clinical experience to community-based opioid response and recovery support efforts.
Michelle Alezano is a Community Health Liaison serving the Liberty County and Cleveland area at the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research at UTHealth, where she joined the team in March 2026. In her role, she advances the Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON) by building strong partnerships with local stakeholders, increasing access to opioid prevention resources, delivering substance use education, and helping connect individuals and families to recovery support services and evidence-based treatment.
Michelle earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health from Texas A&M University. She is deeply committed to reducing barriers to care and empowering communities through education, collaboration, and compassionate outreach. Her work focuses on helping individuals and families navigate pathways toward stability, recovery, and improved quality of life.