Professionals from Around the Nation Work to Solve Addiction Crisis

Sunday, 24 September 2006 19:00

Methamphetamines, counselor burnout and disaster response among the topics at the 2006 conference

For Immediate Release - Burbank, CA

Donovan Kuehn
703-741-7686, ext. 125
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Addiction services professionals from around the nation will be gathering in Burbank, Calif., from September 28 to October 1st, 2006, to address pressing issues in the addiction profession. The gathering, the first national partnership of its kind in California, will feature speakers from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the federal government's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, among others. Five hundred counselors, educators, and addiction related health professionals are expected to attend the event.

Recognizing the diverse impact of addiction on our society and communities, the NAADAC annual conference will have eight separate information tracks, including tracks on methamphetamine, tobacco, advocacy and clinical issues.

NAADAC President Mary Woods, RNC, LADC, MSHS, welcomes the opportunity to collaborate and learn with other addiction services professionals. "Working together and building partnerships allows us to accomplish more and stretch our resources farther," she said.

The conference, a cooperative effort between NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, the California Association of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC) and the National Association of Lesbian and Gay Addiction Professionals (NALGAP), opens for registration on Wednesday, September 27, 2006.

Full details for the conference, including the conference program, are available at www.naadac.org or www.caadac.org.

Conference Highlights

September 28, 2006
Managing Methamphetamine
Donald MacNeil, MS, is a former Los Angeles County narcotics officer and drug enforcement commander with 20 years of experience.
September 28, 2006, (Thursday) 3:30-5:30 pm Academy 3 room
Available for interviews after the session.

Avoiding Counselor Burnout
Dr. Jean Ghanem-Ybarra is a professional in private practice who identifies when addiction services professionals begin to feel burnout and provides resources to deal with and prevent stress, overwork and compassion fatigue.
September 28, 2006, (Thursday) 1:00-3:00 pm Hollywood/Glendale room
Available for interviews after the session.

September 29, 2006
Plenary Session
Dr. H. Westley Clark is the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He leads the agency?s national effort to provide effective and accessible treatment to all Americans with addictive disorders.
September 29, 2006, (Friday) 8:30-9:15 am Academy 1 room

Plenary Session
Kathy Jett is the Director of the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) and directs and coordinates the state?s efforts to prevent or minimize the effects of alcohol related problems, narcotic addiction and drug abuse.
September 29, 2006, (Friday) 9:15-10:00 am Academy 1 room

The Science of Methamphetamine Recovery
Dr. C.C. Nuckols has been a clinical and developmental consultant for over thirty years and has been described as "one of the most influential clinical trainers in America."
September 29, 2006, 2:00-4:30 pm Vine A/B room
Available for interviews after the session.

September 30, 2006
Plenary Session
Dr. Bertha Madras is the Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The goals of the ONDCP are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence and drug-related health consequences.
September 30, 2006, (Saturday) 9:00-10:00 am Academy 4/5/6 room

October 1, 2006
Eating Disorders and Chemical Dependency
Gina Vanderham, MA, will focus on how eating disorders are found at a much higher prevalence in clients with chemical dependency than in the regular population.
October 1, 2006 (Sunday), 8:30-10:30am Festival room
Available for interviews after the session.

Katrina and Changing Horizons
Just over a year after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, speaker Connie Millimaki, CADC, NCAC II, speaks on her five SAMSHA emergency relief experiences in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and how the Katrina experience fundamentally altered her view of her career in addiction.
October 1, 2006 (Sunday), 8:30-10:30 am Celebration room
Available for interviews after the session.