Beck will be addressing education, understanding, and empathy as it relates to the transgender community. The trans community has higher rates of addiction, suicidality, and mental health issues than the general population. With use of experience and personal narrative, Beck’s hope is to diffuse any myths or falsehoods that society has created for this population. If we truly embrace, humanize, and create compassion, we will be better able to serve our clients and give hope in recovery.

Many treatment providers feel like they’re treating a “moving target” and want assistance in how to be more effective. As more and more residential centers, intensive outpatient treatment and sober living facilities pop up all over the country, the lack of a universal treatment platform and outcome measures leave great debate about what works and what doesn’t. Why does substance abuse treatment have such a high recidivism rate? What’s wrong with treatment? How the opioid epidemic developed and what’s the future with a cannabis and designer drugs.

Clinical diagnoses and negative social expectations can hinder a client’s treatment progress by leading them to fall short of their true potential for recovery. Yet nearly every manifestation of a disorder is unique with its own symptoms, strengths and weaknesses. Clinicians do their best at identifying conditions, causes and remedies, but the reality is that addiction treatment as a profession is an ongoing state of refinement, and labels are approximations at best. Our discussion will incorporate and expand on different cognitive biases such as Expectancy Effect and Stereotype Threat that exacerbate the feelings of shame in the recovery setting. We will discuss how to differentiate and identify the shameful labels used within the field and how they stop individuals from seeking help. In addition, we will talk about helping clients rise above the shame of negative labels.

Chronic Pain occurs as a complicated web of emotions and physical symptoms. The most common way to treat pain is to use opioid medications, which actually complicate the course of chronic pain and is responsible for countless complications and overdose deaths. During this show, we will review the statistics of the opioid epidemic to understand how we got here and where we are going. This session will also explore the interactions of pain, suffering and addiction with suggestions for intervention and treatment.

ORCHESTRATING CHANGE is the documentary film that tells the inspiring story of Me2/Orchestra, the only classical music organization in the world for people with mental illnesses and those who support them. Led by a once world-renowned conductor whose own career was shattered by his diagnosis of bipolar disorder, the Me2/Orchestra’s exhilarating performances challenge societal stereotypes about mental illness. Playing with Me2/ is transforming the lives of the musicians who face stigma and discrimination on a daily basis. They breakdown stereotypes, reconnect with society, foster acceptance, friendships and most important, realize their own abilities. The film’s final performance at a major concert hall will be an emotional triumph not just for the musicians but for the audience as well. To learn more and watch the presentation tape of ORCHESTRATING CHANGE please visit: www.orchestratingchangethefilm.com ORCHESTRATING CHANGE has the Endorsement of NAMI/Vermont.

Smoking is the number one cause of death in people with mental illness and tobacco use contributes to more deaths than the primary behavioral health condition. Helping people quit tobacco is the risk-factor intervention that will have the greatest impact on the health and wellness of individuals with behavioral health conditions. In this Podcast we will discuss some of the barriers that prevent behavioral health organizations from fully embracing tobacco cessation treatment and the importance of incorporating cessation interventions along with other behavioral health services. Ms. Aubrey will share evidence-based strategies that encourage individuals to make a tobacco quit attempt and increase the likelihood of success with quitting. She will describe her experiences working with behavioral health organizations and Peer Recovery Specialists to expand access to tobacco cessation treatment.

Our guests will review traditional treatment methods verses evidenced based practices and challenge current treatment myths and misconceptions of participants who struggle with co-occurring disorders. Jim and Gordon will explore the barriers that participants and providers face when 12 step support meetings are a recommendation and how to overcome them. They will review in detail the steps necessary through evidenced based practices to introduce, orientate and integrate participants who struggle with Co-Occurring disorders into the 12 step community using specific strategies that WestBridge has developed over the past 15 years.

Steven Herndon serves as president and co-founder of Safety Net Recovery, a structured sober living community for men. Steve's commitment to sobriety and helping others is unrivaled except for his long-time partner, Taylor Hagin. Together in 2009, they formed Safety Net Recovery where they and a team of professional counselors provide support, structure and guidance to each client, giving them the best opportunity to learn and practice the spiritual principles of recovery. Steve is licensed as a Level II Certified Addiction Counselor (CACII) and Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS). A talented public speaker, Steve shares his personal journey to recovery to motivate others to achieve their best.

Dr. Carnes will be discussing the state of the field of sex and pornography addiction treatment, including diagnostic controversies, and the newest neuroscience research. She will address the importance of de-stigmatizing sex addiction and addressing the impact of sex and pornography addiction on individuals and families.

Recovery Unplugged is an addiction rehabilitation program with facilities in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Austin, TX. Its key modality is to immerse its clients in a musical experience that helps therapists find pathways to the soul, and serves as a catalyst for long-lasting recovery.

Addiction impacts about 10 percent of the general population and has the same prevalence rate in healthcare providers. One of the most tragic outcomes of untreated addiction and mental health conditions is suicide and it is on the rise among healthcare providers. Whether you treat healthcare providers, care about your colleagues or have suffered yourself, understanding how, where and when to get help is critical. Dr. Goldenberg has presented workshops and educational seminars at national and local conferences and will be joining us to discuss this very important topic. He will also share his thoughts on how improving the health and wellbeing of the health care provider workforce can improve patient outcomes and reduce medical costs.

Claim handling procedures are ever changing. Healthcare providers and families need to have expert advice and resources at their fingertips to navigate all of the complicated administrative appeal processes. Our guests today are from Denials Management, Inc., the nation's premier Healthcare Advocacy Firm delivering families and health care providers high quality insurance billing, claims, and appeal services in the medical and mental health spheres. The knowledgeable staff tenaciously advocate for benefits and reimbursement owed to clients. They strive to hold insurance companies accountable to state and federal laws by demanding compliance. The mission of the company is to influence the way insurance companies do business, one appeal at a time.

Depression is experienced by many in the United States -approximately 9 percent of the population-, yet there remains a strong stigma against revealing depressive symptoms or being treated for it. This is one of the factors helping to create a phenomenon of hiding depression. Dr. Margaret Rutherford has been researching what she terms Perfectly Hidden Depression, and will talk about how someone with PHD adopted such a strategy, what it looks like in daily life, what doctors and therapists need to look for in order to treat it, and how someone with PHD can change to have a healthier life.

The topic today is mindfulness (what it is, what it isn't, background, outcomes, benefits, research around the topic and how it's applied in recovery). Mindfulness meditation is a grounded, 'in the body' presence which enables a greater capacity for self-awareness and equanimity; it is not an esoteric 'out of body' experience. • Mindfulness is a practice, rather than a philosophy; it is not enough to simply read about and 'understand' mindfulness. • Mindfulness is the process of engagement and cultivation of experiencing right now; it is not a 'technique'. • Mindfulness is a way of being that reconnects us to our own innate wisdom and wholeness. • Mindfulness in our culture today finds its roots in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program created by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, in 1979 for the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

Resilience is defined as the inner capacity to cope with stressors in a positive way. If you are resilient, you have the ability to manage past, present, and future stressful events. You are able to use you inner resources to remain competent, skillful, and focused on your goals in the face of adversity. You also recover more quickly from illness and setbacks than less resilient people. Join our guest, Beth Terry, a resilience expert who has been speaking on the topic for more than a decade and learn how to tap the resilience that exits within you.

The Delray Beach Drug Task Force was created to provide education and support to the community with regards to substance use disorders. It's members are comprised of leaders in the community who wish to act as agents of change. This Task Force has implemented initiatives aimed at supporting the community at large. Project Trailblazer was created to help bridge the gap between employers and individuals coming out of treatment and looking to join the workforce again. The Heroin Task Force was created to address individuals who had received Narcan by first responders and the hospitals who then needed clinical interventions in order to get them back into treatment. Along with SUD Talks, an event brining in professionals to speak about the issues around addiction, are just some of the ways in which the Task Force is taking action to instigate change. Jeff Messer is a member and also a part of the Sober Home Task Force which has been responsible for over 20 arrests thus far in South Florida.

Dr. Kevin Sabet, author of 'Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana,' will discuss latest developments over the battle to legalize marijuana, and will review latest science about the drug. He will provide an overview of the current drug policy trends in the U.S., and debunk some of the most cited marijuana use myths i.e. it is harmless, non-addictive, and legalization will solve government’s budgetary problems. Dr. Sabet claims our greatest concern should be an inevitable rise of a second Big Tobacco industry, this time marketing marijuana to children and youth. He will cite rising problems in Colorado and Washington state. His presentation concludes with an overview of policy options, describing a smarter, science-based approach to marijuana policy that neither legalizes marijuana nor demonizes users. You will hear more about marijuana and marijuana policy, health effects of the drug, and current political landscape in this presentation than you likely ever have.

The experience of grief is unique to each person. Working with clients who have experienced loss and substance abuse requires an individualized approach. Dan Stone provides counseling that will assist people in making the transition through difficult times. His training and experience in the fields of bereavement and addiction have helped many to regain hope and empowerment.

Our guests will review traditional treatment methods verses evidenced based practices and challenge current treatment myths and misconceptions of participants who struggle with co-occurring disorders. Jim and Gordon will explore the barriers that participants and providers face when 12 step support meetings are a recommendation and how to overcome them. They will review in detail the steps necessary through evidenced based practices to introduce, orientate and integrate participants who struggle with Co-Occurring disorders into the 12 step community using specific strategies that WestBridge has developed over the past 15 years.

MarijuanaX is a documentary film showing the dramatic difference in the drug marijuana throughout the legalization movement. According to a 2015 study by Pew Research Center, most American adults favor marijuana legalization. Roughly 56 percent think it should be legal, while only 44 percent believe it should be illegal. The pro-pot sentiment is even higher for those under 35 years of age – 68 percent. But, what is marijuana? Why isn’t anyone asking that question? Why isn’t anyone asking why we’re still calling it Marijuana? It’s not Marijuana anymore, but people refer to it as if it was the same thing it was in 1980. Botanists grew marijuana, now industrial scientists grow it. The 2 percent to 5 percent flower that got you high 30 years ago is now a wax or an oil that can be 97 percent pure THC.