We’re just a few weeks away from the 2018 ARHE/ARS/AAPG National Conference and we have some more featured content to spotlight!
A few weeks ago we highlighted 10 outstanding conference sessions from this year’s lineup for the Recovery Research Summit on Monday, July 9th and from the first day of the conference on Tuesday, July 10th.
Secure your spot at this year’s conference by registering today!
Reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Here are 10 can’t miss sessions for Wednesday and Thursday:
Featured Conference Sessions for Wednesday, July 11th
Legend: SJ- social justice track, S- student track, CRP- collegiate recovery track, APG- alternative peer group track, Tx- treatment track, R- research track, HS- recovery high school track, F- family track
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Breakout Session
Session Title: Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Problem (GCSTOP): A Model for University/Community Partnerships (R) Heights Room
Stephen Sills PhD Sociology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Center for Housing and Community Studies
Charles Holleman LCSWA, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Center for Housing and Community Studies
Kenneth Gruber PhD, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships
There were over 700 overdoses and 180 deaths from opioids in Guilford County, NC in 2017. The Guilford Solution to the Opioid Problem (GSTOP) project leverages one-time funds allocated by the STOP-Act to design, implement, and evaluate a rapid response program intended to decrease mortality from opioid overdoses. The program engages citizens who overdose in harm reduction practices, distributes naloxone kits to high-risk users, conducts community health education, coordinates community resources through the CURE Triad collaborative, and builds relationships focused on ending opioid overdose. This presentation will review the development of the partnership between Guilford County Emergency Medical Services and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro that has resulted in the GSTOP demonstration project. The presentation will include background on the opioid epidemic in Guilford County, the development of CURE and GSTOP, the unique features of hosting such a program within a university, the evaluation design, and preliminary findings.
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM: ARHE Keynote
Session Title: Social Justice, Diversity & Inclusion Keynote: Are We There Yet? Gender Equity in Recovery Settings
Theater
Amy Boyd Austin MSS, The University of Vermont
Becky Flood MAHS, NCAC-II, BRI-II, LCADC, Ashley Addiction Treatment Center
Sierra Castedo BA, PRS, The Center for Students in Recovery at the University of Texas at Austin
Mariel Hufnagel MPA, Ammon Foundation
Emily Eisenhart MA, Georgia Southern University Center for Addiction Recovery
Mercedes Avila PhD, University of Vermont, College of Medicine
Social justice, diversity and inclusion have been the subject of two previous keynotes at the annual National Collegiate Recovery Conference. This year we are continuing the tradition of addressing this important topic, but will begin addressing different topics within this overarching theme. Gender equity in recovery settings is the first topic we will tackle. Women represent just over 57% of the undergraduate college population in 2015, and are projected to climb to nearly 58.8% of the total college population by 2024 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). While not nearly as underrepresented as people of color in collegiate recovery programs (CRPs), women do make up a smaller share of CRP participants at 42.8% (Laudet, Harris, Kimball, Winters, & Moberg, 2014). While women are just as likely as men to become addicted to substances, they have lower rates of substance use and substance use disorders overall, and experience unique obstacles to treatment (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016). Women of color may face additional obstacles and are at greater risk of being subjected to violence (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016). We invite men, women, and transfolk alike to join our feminist recovery panel as we delve into issues of equity and inclusion. While some have deemed feminism, “the other “F” word, we will talk about how feminism benefits everyone. We bring an intersectional lens – realizing that no one shows up or experiences life through one aspect of identity. Our panelists will share from research, personal experience, and program data in order to describe how current societal structures inhibit the opportunities for women to get sober and work a program of recovery and the negative impact on men, collegiate recovery programs, higher education, and society as a whole. Considering an individual, group, and institutional framework for feminism, we hope to inspire attendees to challenge themselves to bring a feminist lens to their work to better create equity and access within collegiate recovery.
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Breakout Sessions
Session Title: RecoveryZone: Building Recovery-Minded Campuses (CRP, R, SJ)
Heights Room
Rachel Ryding MA, University of Delaware
Eric Beeson PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS, The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Modeled after SafeZone, RecoveryZone is an ally-training program developed at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro to help faculty, staff, and other students become more aware of issues facing students in recovery and to promote a more recovery-minded campus culture. This presentation first discusses the importance of ally-training programs for marginalized groups on college campuses and the need for reduction in stigma surrounding behavioral health disorders. We then describe the pilot implementation of eRecoveryZone, the online version of this training, which was launched in the 2016-2017 academic year. Participants who completed the online ally-training modules were given pre- and post-tests to determine whether completion of the eRecoveryZone program improved participants understanding of recovery in order to reduce stigma related to substance use disorders. Results indicate statistically significant reductions in various elements of stigma and increases in self-reported ally behavior with moderate to large effect sizes.
Session Title: The Wounded Griever: Grief Competency for Substance Use Disorder Counselors (Tx)
Bayou City Room
David Chastain Ph.D., CSAC, Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies
The process of grief, effects of loss, and the understanding of fears related to death can complicate both the onset and maintenance of recovery. This presentation addresses skills counselors need in order to effectively address issues associated with the grief process, the experience of loss, and the realities of death. This also applies to teachers and peer leaders. In addition, the presentation challenges participants to address their own grief issues in order to be better prepared to help others.
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM: Breakout Session
Session Title: Assessing Adverse Childhood Events to Enhance Growth of Students (CRP)
Heights Room
Patrice Salmeri MA, LADC, Augsburg University
Beth Samuelson LADC, Insight Recovery High School
Childhood experiences are powerful determinants of who we become as adults. Until fairly recently, trauma exposure was thought to be unilaterally rare (combat violence, disaster trauma). More recent research indicates that trauma exposure is actually common across all demographics. If 56% of a general population adult sample reported at least one adverse childhood event, shouldn’t we do our best to assess our students and together create a plan of success? Stay tuned to learn more about Adverse Childhood Events (ACE) and become more adept at providing services that help students grow and thrive.
6:00 PM – 8:45 PM: Emerging Leaders in Recovery: Evening Reception and Forum (Open to all!)
Emerging Leaders in Recovery: Evening Reception and Forum— Appetizers and Reception Located in the Multipurpose Room. Programming Starts at 7:00 P.M. and is Located in the Theater. Keynote Speaker: Matthew Russell. Panelists: Ariel Britt, Robert Hilliker, John Bock, and Kimber Falkinburg.
Featured Conference Sessions for Thursday, July 12th
Legend: SJ- social justice track, S- student track, CRP- collegiate recovery track, APG- alternative peer group track, Tx- treatment track, R- research track, HS- recovery high school track, F- family track
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Breakout Sessions
Session Title: Collegiate Recovery Programs and Treatment Providers: Supporting Outcomes, Not Admissions (CRP, Tx)
Heights Room
Sierra Castedo BA, PRS, The Center for Students in Recovery at the University of Texas at Austin
Nico Doorn MEd, LCDC-I, Alpha 180
Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs), rooted in slow-moving academic institutions, can be contrasted with relatively fast-moving private treatment entities, and this contrast has great potential for both conflict and mutual benefit. Conflict may arise from a misunderstanding about the role of CRPs in the continuum of care – frequently thought to be a referral source, when, in fact, they work best as a post-treatment resource, improving outcomes for students in recovery. Young adults are the fastest growing demographic seeking treatment for substance use disorders, and, because of this changing age profile, more treatment entities are seeking to serve young adults and coming into contact with CRPs. This presentation explores the nuances and ethical challenges facing those interactions and describes the benefits of collaboration when pursued thoughtfully. The experiences of a CRP and a sober living/IOP facility in Austin, Texas will also be presented as a framework for collaboration.
Session Title: How to Build Recovery Capital for Students of Color in Emerging Adulthood via Collegiate Recovery Programs/Collegiate Recovery Communities (CRP, R, SJ)
Bayou City Room
Eric Klein MSS, LSW, Northampton Community College, CRP
Recovery communities on college campuses can build recovery capital for students of color inside their recovery community. This session will present a new framework for the development of recovery capital for all of the related systems of a person in recovery: micro (self), mezzo, and macro to foster institutional recovery capital and incorporate this concept into the formation of CRPs/CRCs. This may help avoid the intersectional and institutional biases that exist for students of color (SOC) in recovery. Some suggestions for the challenges we have experienced in building our CRP at NCC will be addressed with developmentally-sound programming changes and outreach ideas appropriate to supporting recovery for SOC. These suggested changes can help create an environment which is CRP-driven, burgeoning with recovery capital that grows the CRP/CRC, and supports other people in recovery on campus or in the community. In turn, this partnership will help an institution grow their recovery capital.
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM: Breakout Session
Session Title: Working with Latino Students in Recovery: Understanding Culture & The Role of the Family (CRP, F, SJ)
Space City Room
Kristina Canfield MEd, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
This presentation will explore the important role families play in the recovery process for Latino students involved in Collegiate Recovery Programs. Attendees will learn how the presenter learned the importance of understanding the vital role culture plays in different recovery communities and how that affects students in or seeking recovery.
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: ARHE Keynote
Session Title: ARE Closing Keynote: Best Practices for Staff Transitions in CRPs
Theater
Kristen McElroy MS, LPC, LCDC, The University of Texas San Antonio, Center for Collegiate Recovery
Elizabeth Brown MS, MS, LGMFT #549, The University of Texas Arlington
Kristina Canfield MEd, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Lilly Ettinger MDiv, Baylor University, Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center
Ahmed Hosni, The Ohio State University, Collegiate Recovery Community
Stephanie Epstein LMSW, LCDC, The University of Texas in Dallas, Center for Students in Recovery
Panelists will discuss their unique experiences with staffing transitions and coming on board after a staff vacancy. “Many CRPs operate with a limited staff and budget” (A. Laudet, et al., 2013) which leads to more difficulty in maintaining services when there is a vacancy or staffing change. Additionally, there are “significant differences in level of organization and structure, and on the breadth of key services” (A. Laudet, et al., 2015) among CRPs leading to a lack of standard operating procedures that can be widely applied. This discussion will examine strategies to reduce the loss of institutional knowledge during transitions, and ensure continuity of services with consideration for the diversity of each CRP.
Don’t miss out on these incredible sessions and much more groundbreaking content at #ARHEinHTown! Register today as online registration will close in early July!