The next dual diagnosis conference will focus on the hot topic of intervention. Join us at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida from Sept. 28-30 for “The Moment of Change: Intervention Approaches for Professionals,” hosted by Foundations Recovery Network and Southworth Associates.

With nearly 50 expert speakers and dozens of exhibitors, there will be something for everyone. Issues to be covered in detail include intervention, disease concepts, family participation and practical business considerations. In addition to acquiring in-depth information about the process of intervention for addiction and mental illness, conference participants have the opportunity to receive up to 18 hours of continuing education credits.

Participants will be able to apply clinical skills from a broad range of professional care functions including alternative approaches to interventions, different therapy approaches and the mechanics of intervening. Attendees will also come away with a firm grasp of the advances made in the field of addiction and intervention as well as be able to differentiate between key philosophies of intervention and integrate methods into practice.

For more information on the Moment of Change conference, including how to register and lodging options, go to http://www.foundationsrecoverynetwork.com/events-moment-of-change-2009.htm.

Rachel isn’t the first film to shed light on substance abuse, treatment and recovery, though. Trainspotting, When a Man Loves a Woman, The Basketball Diaries, Leaving Las Vegas and a host of other critically-acclaimed movies have explored the complex topic of substance abuse and the devastation it visits not just on those who are addicted but everyone around them.

Rachel Getting Married

This recent film differs from some that have gone before by focusing primarily on the after-effects of addiction as Hathaway’s character tries to find a new role within her family after being released from residential treatment. The added pressure of her sister’s wedding brings unresolved issues to the surface shortly after her arrival. Rachel Getting Married also sheds light on the role that emotional issues or depression play in a large percentage of addictions and shows how not dealing with those underlying issues can lead to inevitable relapse.

Termed “co-occurring disorders,” this dual diagnosis (of an addiction along with an emotional or mental disorder) is something centers like La Paloma specialize in. Here’s hoping more honest depictions of addiction – and the role emotional issues and family dynamics play – will lead to more people seeking treatment.

Participants at this conference will gain in-depth information about process addictions and mental health treatment while also being updated on the field’s advances over the last five years. Attendees will include professionals in the field of addiction such as chemical drug and mental health counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, interventionists, and social workers.

Conference objectives:
· To learn how to assess and diagnosis clients with co-occurring mental health, process addictions and substance-related disorders
· To identify treatment strategies with special awareness to the needs of persons with dual disorders and culturally diverse populations
· To classify the applications of behavioral treatment, the integrated model, individual and group therapies, motivational enhancement and other approaches in providing treatment services for co-occurring disorders

With topics ranging from sexual addiction to pathological gambling, participants will have a wide variety of workshops to choose from. FRN has assembled some of the industry’s top professionals to speak at this conference.

In a field with few recognized experts, Robert Weiss, a director of a CRC Health Group facility, is an experienced therapist, author, speaker and professional trainer in the assessment and treatment of persons addicted to problem sexual behavior. After training under Dr. Patrick Carnes, Weiss has gone on to be a sexual addiction consultant for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. Today he is the founder and Executive Director of the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles. Weiss will be speaking twice about different aspects of sexual addiction at this conference.

Julie Holland is Vice-President of Business Development for the CRC Health Group’s Eating Disorder Program. She has been quoted in popular media like Mademoiselle and Glamour and made appearances on television programs including Prime Time Live and The Keith Ablow Show. At this conference, Holland is speaking on working through resistance to eating disorder treatment.

To speak on gambling, FRN has commissioned Henry Lesieur, PhD, PsyD. Dr. Lesieur works as a staff psychologist at Rhode Island Hospital and as a clinical psychologist in the Rhode Island Gambling Treatment Program. Founding editor of the Journal of Gambling Studies, Lesieur has also published work on problem gambling and criminology. And, along with Sheila Blume, MD, Dr. Lesieur developed the South Oaks Gambling Screen which has been translated into over 35 languages and continues to be used by researchers around the world.

Cheryl D. Knepper is the Executive Director of Adolescent and Adult Extended Care Programs at Caron Treatment Centers. In this role, she oversees program development, training and treatment at Caron’s extended care facility for adolescents ages 13 to 19. With over 20 years in the field, Knepper also specializes in art therapy and presents at conference internationally about addiction related topics. At this conference, she will be speaking on “Adolescent Addictions and Self-Injurious Behavior: Approaches to Treatment.”

Other speakers include Alan Downs, PhD, CEO of Michael’s House; Jack Kuo, MD, Consulting Psychiatrist for Promises Treatment Centers; Mary R. Stock, PhD, LCSW, Clinical Director at Pine Grove Behavioral Health; Steven Karp, MD, Medical Director of Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders; Dan Cronin, Intervention Specialist of FRN Services; Patrick Carnes, PhD, CAS, Executive Director of the Gentle Path programs at Pine Grove; and Claudia Black, MSW, PhD, Clinical Consultant of Addictive Disorders for The Meadows and a Hazelden author.

For more information about how to register for this and other Foundations Recovery Network events, visit: www.DualDiagnosis.org/events.

About Foundations Recovery Network
Foundations Recovery Network is a premier organization for treating persons with addiction and mental health disorders. The company oversees four dual diagnosis treatment centers: Michael’s House in Palm Springs, Calif.; La Paloma in Memphis, Tenn.; Alta Mira in Sausalito, Calif.; and The Canyon in Malibu, Calif.

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