We’re spotlighting 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. In a couple of weeks, we’ll spotlight another 10 sessions from Wednesday and Thursday.
Secure your spot at this year’s conference by registering today!
Prices increase at the end of this week. Reach out to conference@4bj.c9c.myftpupload.com with any questions.
Research Summit Sessions for Monday, July 9th:
Recovery From Alcohol and Other Drug Problems in the U.S. Population: Prevalence, Pathways, and Predictors
John Kelly PhD, Harvard University
The concept of “recovery” has become the organizing paradigm in many middle and high-income countries globally with a goal of orienting services in cost-effective ways to help sufferers achieve and maintain long-term remission. Despite this focus, little is known from an epidemiological and public health perspective about the prevalence, pathways, and predictors of recovery and the changes that ensue in quality of life and functioning with time in recovery. Using data from the recent National Recovery Study (NRS; Kelly et al, 2017), this talk will review a variety of findings on all of these aspects of recovery from significant alcohol and other drug problems.
Discussing the Current Landscape of Addiction and Recovery Research: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Headed?
Andrew Finch Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
We have seen significant progress in the field of addiction and recovery research over recent years. The work is still largely underfunded and the need for adequate data and outcomes is greater than ever before. This session will bring together thought leaders in the field to discuss the past, present, and future of the field. Where do opportunities lie, where have we fallen short, and what is the path ahead?
Why You Should Care about the Genetics of Addiction: Implications for Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment
Danielle Dick Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University
It is increasingly recognized that genetic influences play a role in why some people are more likely to develop substance use problems, but what does that really mean, and why should you care? In this presentation, Dr. Dick will explain what is currently known about genetic influences on addiction, why they make some people more at risk than others, and what we can do with that information to help prevent problems and develop better interventions.
Virtual Reality “It’s Smaller on the Outside”: Innovations in Substance Misuse Research and Treatment
Patrick Bordnick MPH, MSW, Ph.D., LCSW, Tulane University
This presentation will provide an overview of Virtual Reality applications for substance misuse research and treatment. VR has been established as a novel method to study craving, and now offers the foundation to use VR environments to teach coping skills and relapse prevention strategies to improve cessation rates. The use of Google Cardboard and other portable VR solutions to bridge the gap between clinical and real-world settings will be discussed. Overall, VR is a cutting-edge tool that can be used to augment traditional evidence-based interventions and enhance therapeutic gains.
Featured Conference Sessions for Tuesday, July 10th:
Legend: SJ- social justice track, S- student track, CRP- collegiate recovery track, APG- alternative peer group track, Tx- treatment track, R- research track, RHS- recovery high school track, F- family track
Advocacy Luncheon: Getting the Attention We Deserve – Creating an Impactful Collegiate Recovery Advocacy Agenda
Tom Hill MSW, The National Council for Behavioral Health
Advocacy has been a part of the development of collegiate recovery for the past thirty years. While most of the efforts to change systems and policies have been relegated to the individual institutions trying to create collegiate recovery programming, more is needed. There is a national recovery advocacy movement taking place at multiple levels. So far, collegiate recovery and recovery high school have played a small part in getting state and federal legislation passed, but we have yet to see a collective voice emerge from our ranks. Now is the time to empower our community to use its voice, share our students’ stories and advocate for our campuses.
Gender Today: Best Practices for Trans & Non-Binary Young People in Treatment (Tx, SJ)
Beck Gee-Cohen MA, LADC, La Fuente Hollywood
Fifty percent of transgender young people will attempt suicide at least once before their twentieth birthday. Addiction amongst trans youth are not easily assessed, however amongst LGBTQ adolescents it is known that rates of addiction are significantly higher than that of their straight and cisgender peers. Minority stress, stigma, and bullying are leading causes of higher rates of addiction, anxiety, and depression. As clinicians, we need to create a space for understanding and safety within the walls of our facilities for these youths. This workshop will help clinicians grasp terms and situations that trans youth are experiencing today. Participants will be able to assess their practices and be able to take with them an overarching understanding of the coming out process. Discussions will include policy & paperwork, talking to parents, creating safety within the group process, and how to effectively be an ally to trans and non-binary youth.
Recovery-Informed Education as a Means of Institutional Sustainability for CRPs (CRP)
Lindsay Montgomery BS in Psychology and Anthropology, Kennesaw State University, Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery
Jessica McDaniel BS, Kennesaw State University, Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery
CRPs are uniquely positioned to be valuable assets for universities to address substance-related issues in the collegiate environment. Utilizing the experience of students and staff members engaged in recovery support services empowers CRPs to implement alcohol and other drug (AOD) programming for the general student population. This presentation will outline how CRPs can implement education programs within their university in order to provide wider support and resources as well as challenge injunctive norms on campus. By employing various education initiatives, CRPs can reach a broader range of students while also attaining sustainability within the university structure.
Findings from Transforming Youth Recovery’s 2017 Collegiate Recovery Census (CRP, R)
Erin Jones MA, Transforming Youth Recovery
In 2013, Transforming Youth Recovery (TYR) published the “38 Assets for Building Collegiate Recovery Capacity” as a guide for its grant program, Seeds of Hope. Now, TYR is undertaking efforts to understand the diverse types of support services and resources that are being offered to students in recovery. In late 2017 and early 2018, TYR spent time conducting research to: (1) Validate the assumption that institutions of higher education are offering diverse types of prevention, treatment, and recovery support services and resources, (2) Offer an expanded definitional framework for school-based recovery support services in higher education to assist in the classification of resources for enhanced access by students and their families, and (3) Update census data on collegiate recovery services and resources in the U.S. The findings include responses from 118 unique institutions of higher education and provide the most comprehensive census the field has to date!
Roundtable Discussion: Social Media – The Meeting Before the Meeting (CRP, S, HS)
Jarmichael Harris MS, LCAS, East Carolina University
Kristine De Jesus PsyD, Montclair State University
Now, more than ever, many students’ first contact with your program very well could be from your social media presence. This roundtable will explore helpful communicating tips and tools to bridge the inter-generational gap between staff and students that will help participants engage students and introduce their program to a broader audience.
ARHE Keynote: Where Do We Come From, Where Are We Now, and Where Are We Going: Collegiate Recovery Science
Robert Ashford MSW, University of Pennsylvania
Austin Brown MSW, Kennesaw State University
Thomas Kimball Ph.D., Texas Tech University
Attendees will be provided with a brief history/timeline of collegiate recovery as a field, through the lens of research (with a focus on the explosive growth in knowledge in the last decade). This initial presentation will be followed by a synopsis of the current state of collegiate recovery science, focusing on recent studies in the field (CRP alumni survey; meta-reviews; and any large impact studies published in the last year, up to the month of the conference). The session will end with a presentation on the directions for the future, making clear calls that not only does the research need to continue and in what suggested ways, but also serving to inspire students to engage in the process as they are our best hope to continue the work in innovative ways we haven’t thought of.
Don’t miss out on these incredible sessions and much more groundbreaking content at #ARHEinHTown! Register today as rates go up after June 1st!