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A national dialogue took place in Rockville, MD. The meeting included 65 members of families of youth impacted by the disease of addiction from 34 states and tribes across the United States, along with representatives from Georgetown University, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Family members identified several challenge areas in treatment and recovery for youth with substance use disorders. The top two challenges are 1) a lack of education and information support for family members and 2) a lack of access to substance abuse treatment for youth and their families. Other challenges include 3) a lack of integrated treatment for youth with both substance abuse and mental health disorders, 4) the stigma and misunderstanding of the disease of substance abuse and addiction, and 5) the quality of treatment for youth with the disease.
Work was begun at the conference to build a national clearinghouse to contain a centralized repository of information for families and others who need this information. Also, web accessible training will occur on topics such as financial strategies for providing treatment, recovery services, and education on addiction issues.
Family representatives from the states and tribes developed a plan to immediately begin working on the major issues in their state/tribe, to meet with state/tribe substance abuse agency heads and other parent organizations, and to make affirmative changes in the challenge areas not only in their state/tribe, but also in the nation. Attendees will continue to work as a group, and will be joined by others to fight this disease. Sharon Smith, one of the conference organizers, said, “We are building a national voice for positive change in youth substance abuse treatment and recovery.”
Families of Youth with Substance Use Addiction :A National Dialogue
Meeting Agenda: nfd%202009%20meeting%20agenda
NFD Webinar Series:
We held our first NFD webinar on January 27th, 2010. The guest speaker was Flo Hilliard, a national trainer and a faculty member and lecturer at the University of Wisconsin. She spoke regarding “ The Brain, Behavior and Addiction”. Here are just a few of the comments made by the participants:
- This meeting was very informative. So glad to see the NFD up and running with such valuable information and terrific presenters. As a freelance health writer, and a mother, this has greatly helped my own research into the brain science of addiction. Look forward to more NFD webinars in the future.
- Flo, your presentation was very informative.
- The webinar was absolutely incredible. I am ready to listen to Ms. Hilliard repeat it all! I would sit down to that presentation several times and still gain new, helpful information. I learned so much.
- This was a great webinar and so informative! Thank you!
- Excellent Webinar
- Ms. Hilliard is awesome by the way! This is so comprehensive
- I am so glad that you guys did this! Wow! I hate that I have to leave to get to class, but I will follow up. WONDERFUL JOB!
National Family Dialogue partnered with Faces & Voices to develop the teleconferences below. You can listen, following along with the Power Point presentation and downloading any additional handouts and materials. The webinar topics and handouts that are available for download include:
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