Credit for Attendance
VSIAS is an education provider for a number of credentialing and academic organizations. VSIAS exercises its ethical responsibility to ensure that contact hours are earned fairly and honestly by awarding contact hours for session attendance only if an individual attends a minimum of 80 percent of that session. VSIAS Faculty can not make exceptions to this policy and will take required professional action in cases of misrepresentation.

Sandy Downey, LPC
Sandra Downey has over seventeen years of experience as an outpatient therapist at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board. She provides integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment in individual and group therapy modalities. Ms. Downey works as part of a team responsible for the development and implementation of an Intensive Treatment Program for clients with substance use and co-occurring disorders. She has had extensive training in the therapeutic use of motivational interviewing since 1998. Ms. Downey has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT, Inc.) since 2004.

Motivational Interviewing Clinical Skills Development Training – Intermediate Level
(Limited to 30 participants)

Continued through these times:
Day/Date/Time:
Monday, July 19, 1:15 – 4:30 PM
Tuesday, July 20, 8:30 – 11:45 AM & 1:15 – 4:30 PM
and Wednesday, July 21, 8:30 – 11:45 AM

This workshop is designed for practitioners who have previously attended at least six hours of introductory training in motivational interviewing (MI). It will offer a brief review of current theory and the fundamental spirit, principles and methods of MI, and then focus intensively on clinical skills development. Participants will learn and practice strategies that help clients discover their own reasons for making changes and begin to take steps towards a brighter future. The format of the workshop will be interactive in nature, and participants will be afforded an opportunity to directly observe, experience, and practice basic MI skills. This workshop is a continuation that begins Monday afternoon, continues through a full day on Tuesday, and ends Wednesday morning. Participants are expected to attend all four sessions of this workshop. (Limited to 30 participants)

Objectives:

• Deepen their understanding of the fundamental spirit, principles and methods of motivational interviewing.
• Be informed of current theory underlying the efficacy of MI.
• Increase skillfulness in applying motivational interviewing (e.g. use of OARS, building trust, helping clients discover reasons and confidence to change, supporting clients in taking action) in clinical work.
• Learn practical clinical activities that can be used with clients in a variety of clinical settings and populations.

Jennifer Smith, LPC
Program Manager for Central Virginia Community Services Child and Family Department, providing clinical and administrative management of their Adolescent Substance Abuse and Co Occurring Disorders program. Licensed Professional Counselor since 1999.  Certified Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MET/CBT) clinician and supervisor, GAIN clinician and local trainer, and an ACRA (Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach) clinician and clinical supervisor. 

Implementing Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MET/CBT) with Substance Abusing Adolescents
(Limited to 50 participants)

Presentation on the SAMHSA evidence-based treatment model for substance abusing adolescents called MET/CBT/FSN (Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Family Support Network). 

The content of the presentation will include:

• Brief review of the research that made the MET/CBT/FSN model evidence-based/brief history – didactic/lecture
  
• Outline of the philosophy of the MET/CBT/FSN model – didactic/lecture
  
• Outline of the goals of MET/CBT/FSN – didactic/lecture
  
• Specific training on several of the techniques used in MET/CBT/FSN i.e.
• Functional Analysis of Substance Use,
• Use of the Personalized Feedback Report for treatment planning,
• Audio/video of client sessions to give examples of how techniques are used in session - experiential

Objectives: 

• Participants will become familiar with a SAMHSA evidence-based treatment model for adolescent with substance abuse/co occurring disorders
  
• Participants will be able to demonstrate several MET/CBT techniques
  
• Participants will understand the research and philosophy behind the MET/CBT/FSN model
  
• Participants will be given resources to further study and learn about MET/CBT/FSN

Shannon Weatherly, MA
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy as a Policy Analyst with the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. Assists in overseeing the administration aspects of the DFC program to include the National Cross-Site Evaluation, contract management and working with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in daily operations of the DFC Program. 

Environmental Prevention Strategies: Possibilities and Possible

This session will provide an overview of the fundamentals related to environmental prevention strategies.  The session will also include real life examples of community changes that can lead to behavioral changes simply by changing the environmental in which people live.

Objectives: 

1. Participants will have an understanding of what strategies are considered “environmental”. 
   
2. Participants will gain knowledge related to the planning and implementation of possible strategies to change local environments.

Dr. Michael Weaver, FASAM
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry in the Division of General Medicine and the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. 

Alcohol and Prescription Drug Abuse in the Older Adult
(Limited to 70 participants)

Dr. Weaver has lectured to professionals in Virginia for the Alcohol and Aging Awareness Group (AAAG) about problems with alcohol and prescription drug abuse in Older Adults.  For this workshop, he will provide information to attendees about alcohol and prescription medications in Older Adults, and how to effectively screen and intervene with this population (see objectives below). Attendees will then break out into small groups to discuss cases and each group will present its conclusions to the rest of the groups so that all can enhance the learning process.  Finally, attendees will work together in role-playing scenarios to ad-lib from loose scripts to practice techniques for getting information to make a diagnosis of addiction in an Older Adult, or to initiate a brief intervention.  Dr. Weaver will provide facilitation to each role-playing group with personalized feedback. A final wrap-up will help attendees consolidate the new learning about this population.

Objectives:  At the conclusion of this program, the participants will be able to:

1. Describe the prevalence of alcohol and prescription drug abuse among Older Adults, including reasons for under-diagnosis and gender differences.
2. Identify effects of alcohol and prescription drug abuse among Older Adults, including differences from younger individuals.
3. Describe ways to recognize problems due to alcohol and/or prescription drug abuse among Older Adults.
4. Practice opportunities to screen for and present a diagnosis of addiction to an Older Adult or caregiver.

 

Dr. Michael Gillette
Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and works full time as President of Bioethical Services of Virginia, Inc., a medical ethics consulting business. In addition to providing policy and case consultation services, Dr. Gillette is a dynamic speaker who presents to audiences around the country.

Ethics Case Studies in Addiction Services

This session will review a series of case studies involving ethics in substance abuse services.  After briefly reviewing a practical method for analyzing ethical issues, we will apply that process to a series of recent case studies.  Topics will vary depending upon audience participation, but will consider paternalism and the refusal of services, boundary issues, and confidentiality and public safety.

Objectives:

• To review a practical process to identify, analyze and resolve ethical issues.
• To identify the limits of individual choice in refusing therapy.
• To clarify the ethical conflict between individual rights and the public good.

Frank Watkins, Jr., MS, CRC
Director of SAARA Center for Recovery, Masters in Rehabilitation counseling from VCU. As part of this educational program, Frank interned at Richmond Behavioral Health Authority and Rubicon, Inc., a residential substance abuse treatment facility in Richmond. On the staff of The Family Counseling Center for Recovery and Richmond I.O.P.

Recovery Community Support Services: Roles, Boundaries & Integrity

This presentation will be very interactive in that it will challenge the attendees to expand their views on how persons in an active recovering community can become an integral part of the continuum of care for people with histories of substance abuse disorders, regardless of their state of recovery.

Using PowerPoint and a combination of didactic presentation and discussion, attendees will be presented with a brief history of Peer Based Recovery and then lead into how these services are being used as part of evidenced based practices in various programs across the country.

Objectives: 

• An understanding of how Peer Support has long been a factor in Substance Use Disorder treatments,
• How Peer Support Services can greatly expand the scope of recovery for persons suffering from addictions and their families,
• Clarify for professionals the roles and boundaries of Recovery Coaches and Recovery Support Providers, and
• Describe how the support services provided by people in longer term recovery can help agencies and organizations expand services in times of shrinking budgets.

Steven K. Nielsen, Ed.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor, Director of the Clinical Mental Health Program, Lynchburg College. 30+ years in the field which includes drug and alcohol treatment settings, group homes, residential psychiatric care, dual diagnosis treatment, family counseling, and university counseling settings. He currently maintains a private practice in Lynchburg, VA which focuses on clients struggling with co-occurring disorders.

Time: ALL DAY, 8:30 – 4:30 PM, You will need to purchase a boxed lunch or bring your own lunch to this session, as there will not be enough time to go out to lunch.

Administrative Supervision: Maximizing Professional Growth While Minimizing Liability
(Limited to 100 participants)

Supervisors in clinical and agency settings frequently find themselves torn between supporting the growth of their developing counselors and monitoring the comprehensive needs of their organization. This day-long workshop will explore the liability issues facing counselor supervisors, support the development of policies and procedures that encourage counselor development and minimize risk, examine the changes in today’s workforce, and explore ways to promote growth in difficult and resistant employees.

Objectives:
Participants will explore and understand

1. How leadership style affects the supervisory relationship
2. The different roles and responsibilities involved with clinical vs. administrative supervision
3. Ways for supervisors to minimize the threat of vicarious liability
4. The conflicting roles that supervisors juggle when protecting their organization, developing an effective workforce, and ensuring client welfare
5. The importance of informed consent and supervisory contracts to the supervisory relationship
6. Methods for conducting supervisory sessions that minimize risk and promote growth
7. The complexities of today’s

Lunchbox Sessions

“305.1 Where Are You” with Janis Dauer, MS, CAC/CCS
Of all the DSM diagnostic codes for substance use disorders, 305.1 seems to be the one that’s missing from the charts in spite of an occurrence rate of about 80%. Come find out how you can make sure the addiction treatment services you provide are complete, without adding significantly to the burden of your job. If you are not familiar with 305.1, this session is jus the thing for you – plus… there will be door prizes!

“Using 12 Step in the Recovery Process” with Melissa Warner, MD
This session will show how a 12 Step approach can be integrated into many treatment approaches. It will show you how to define the limits of a 12 Step approach. It will help you understand difficulties clinicians have with a 12 Step approach, and explore how the 12 Steps can be used within treatment systems.

“Meet your ATTC and Learn about Current National Initiatives to Strengthen Addiction Prevention, Treatment and Recovery” with Sandy Kanehl, M.Ed., CSAC

“DSM V” with Jack Mallery
The DSM-V will focus on the difference in the Addiction diagnoses between DSM IVR and DSM V and the implication.

Dr. Michael Gillette
Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and works full time as President of Bioethical Services of Virginia, Inc., a medical ethics consulting business. In addition to providing policy and case consultation services, Dr. Gillette is a dynamic speaker who presents to audiences around the country.

Ethics and Dual Diagnosis: Does Categorization Matter?

This keynote address will consider the ethical complications that develop when individuals present with dual diagnoses.  We will examine case studies that force us to consider the ethical implications of making a primary diagnosis as either mental illness or substance abuse, and we will discuss the practical results of serving individuals in a system that encourages this type of categorization.

Objectives:

• To review cases in which a distinction between primary diagnoses is made.
• To examine the ethical implications of making such distinctions.
• To identify ethical responses to cases involving dual diagnoses.