Children and Non-Traditional Therapies top the Agenda  

For immediate release - Overland Park, Kansas

August 25, 2008         

Contact: 

Donovan Kuehn

703 741-7686, ext. 125

202 412-5863 (on-site)

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Addiction services professionals from around the nation will be gathering in Overland Park from August 27 to the 31, 2008, to address pressing issues in addiction. The gathering, the first national partnership of its kind in Kansas, will feature speakers from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the federal government’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Kansas state government. 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 conference will have several information tracks, including tracks on clinical issues, ethics and education.

NAADAC President Patricia Greer is pleased at the opportunity to bring national and state professionals together. “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 Kansas Association of Addiction Professionals (KAAP) and NALGAP, The Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and Their Allies, opens for registration on Wednesday, August 27, 2008.      

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

 Conference Highlights: 

August 28, 2008 - 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.August 28, 2008, (Thursday) 9 – 9:45 am Ballroom A&B (Available for interviews after the session.)

 August 29, 2008 - Plenary Session

This session will focus on the toll addiction takes on children and how patterns can be set that will impact their entire lives. Jerry Moe, MA, serves as the Vice President and National Director of Children’s Programs at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tex., and Denver, Colo.August 29, 2008, (Friday) 8:30 - 10:30 am Ballroom A&B  (Available for interviews after the session.)

 Is There a Hidden Danger in Your Medicine Cabinet?

People may not recognize how some nonprescription products’ ingredients could compromise their functioning. Isabel Burk, a nationally known expert on drug prevention issues and Director of the Health Network, will separate the myths from the facts concerning over-the-counter medications, herbal products and supplements. 

August 29, 2008 (Saturday), 10:45 am - 12:15 pm Courtyard 2 room

Available for interviews after the session.

  August 30, 2008 - 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. August 30, 2008, (Saturday) 8:30 – 9:15 am Ballroom A&BAvailable for interviews after the session. 

The Giant Client

Ed Mikenas, MM, CSAC, is the director of Non-Residential Services for the City of Lynchburg’s Department of Juvenile Services. His non-traditional use of drum therapy was described in the American Journal of Public Health (April 2003, Vol. 93, No.4).August 30, 2008, (Saturday) 10:30 am – Noon Maple roomAvailable for interviews after the session.  

August 31, 2008 - Final Plenary

Dr. Darryl S. Inaba is currently the Clinical Manager at Genesis, Asante Health Systems in Central Point, Ore., is a fellow at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic and is author of Uppers, Downers & All Arounders.August 31, 2008 (Sunday), 9 - 10:30am Ballroom A&BAvailable for interviews after the session. 

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  NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals, is the largest organization for addiction-focused health care professionals. Founded in 1974, NAADAC is committed to the professional development of individuals who treat and prevent addiction. NAADAC also works to improve the provision of treatment services through education and advocacy programs.“We help people recover their lives.”