NAADAC's 2009 Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah

 NAADAC

1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 201, Alexandria, VA 22314 • 703.741.7698 • 800.548.0497                                • Fax: 703.741.7698  800.377.1136 •  www.naadac.org             

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2009                                                                                  CONTACT: 

         Donovan Kuehn

         703 741-7686, ext. 125

         202 412-5863 (on-site)

                                                                                                          This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

  Addiction Focused-Professionals From Around the Nation Gather in Salt Lake City  

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Addiction services professionals from around the nation will be gathering at the Grand American Hotel in Salt Lake City from August 18 to the 22, 2009, to address pressing issues in addiction. The gathering will feature lectures on a broad range of topics covering many hot issues currently concerning the addictions field. Eight 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.  Lecture topics include: “Behavioral Addiction Recovery & After Care – Using Interactive E-Learning, E-Therapy, Online Tracking and Coaching”; “Abuse Diagnosis and Treatment for Native American Adolescents”; “Combating Compassion Fatigue”; and “Children of Substance Abusers:  The Forgotten Victims in the War on Drugs”. A special session focused on members of the Military will start the conference. 

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 will be hosted by NAADAC in conjunction with the Utah State Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health; the Association of Utah Substance Abuse Professionals (AUSAP); the Mountain West Addiction Technology Transfer Center; the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) of the U.S. Air Force; and NALGAP, The Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and Their Allies.

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

 Conference Highlights: 

August 18, 2009 Special Session – Seeking Safety Seeking Safety is a present-focused therapy designed to help people attain safety from both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse. Developed by Dr. Lisa Najavits and Harvard Medical School’s McLean Hospital, this treatment approach is based on over ten years of research and has shown positive results in all seven studies completed to date. August 18, 2009, (Tuesday) 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, Grand Ballroom A

 August 19, 2009 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.  He will be speaking before Dr. Tim Condon, the Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).August 19, 2009, (Wednesday) 9:00 – 10:30 am, Grand Ballroom AD 

Movie Screening: Finding Hope in RecoveryFinding Hope in Recovery: Families Living with Addiction is a documentary of challenging and heartbreaking stories of families facing addictions and traveling the stages of recovery—and setback. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with film makers Burton and Mary Buller. August 19, 2009, (Wednesday) 7 to 9 pm, Grand Ballroom B    Open to the Public 

August 20, 2008 Plenary Session – Addiction and Trauma Dr. Stephanie S. Covington is a nationally recognized clinician, author, organizational consultant, and lecturer. She is a pioneer in the field of women's issues, addiction, and recovery. She has developed an innovative, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed approach to the treatment needs of women and girls that results in effective services in public, private, and institutional settings. August 20, 2009, (Thursday) 8:30 - 10:00 am, Grand Ballroom AD

 August 21, 2008Plenary Session – Children and Addiction Jerry Moe is the National Director of Children’s Programs at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California with satellite programs in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, and Denver, Colorado. He is internationally known as an author, lecturer and trainer on issues for young children from addicted families. He has been developing programs and facilitating groups for children from addicted families since 1978 when he founded The Children’s Place Program in Redwood City, California. August 21, 2009, (Friday) 8:30 – 10:00 am, Grand Ballroom AD 

Movie Screening: Happy Valley Happy Valley, the award winning documentary film, will be screened. Written by Ron Williams, this movie was filmed on location in Utah. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with film makers. August 21, 2009, (Thursday) 7:00 – 9:00 pm Open to the Public 

August 22, 2009Seminar - Best Practices in Substance Abuse Prevention Programming Designed as a primer for addiction counselors, this presentation will focus on evidence based substance abuse prevention programming.  Elements of successful community programming, examples of best practices, and resources for planning, implementation and evaluation of primary prevention programs will be discussed. Session facilitated by Ernesto Randolphi, PhD, prevention professor in the School of Medicine at St. George’s University.
August 22, 2009, (Saturday) 9 am – noon, Grand Ballroom D

   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.”