Appalachian School of Alcohol
and Other Drug Studies Begins June 12
Jacksonville State University will hold its sixth annual Appalachian School of Alcohol and Other Drug Studies at the JSU McClellan Center June 12 - 15.

The program is designed for professionals in education, prevention, identification, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and enforcement of chemical abuse and dependency.

Featured keynote speakers will include:

-- David Austin Sky, storyteller, Monday, June 12, 10:30 a.m. Topic: "Paying Attention to Your Inner Village Idiot in the Quest for Happiness!"

-- Dr. William H. Hale, Jr., Thursday, June 15, 8:30 a.m. Topic: "How Did You Get That Way?"

Courses offered this year are:

Monday-Tuesday Courses (June 12-13)

Developing Resiliency in Children & Adolescents Exposed to Alcohol & Drugs in Their Homes & Communities--Instructor--Fred Dyer, MA, CADC, Chicago, Ill. Many children and adolescents have been exposed on a daily basis to the stresses of alcohol and drugs in their homes and communities. Without help many of them are vulnerable to developing drug abuse, delinquency, and violence. This interactive, skill-building workshop will give the teachers, social workers, and other school personnel the tools needed to help build resilience in children and adolescents who are at risk.

The Meth Addict's Brain: The Neurobiology and Pharmacology of Methamphetamine--Instructor-Merrill Norton, D. Ph. NCAC II, CCS. Scientists are using brain imaging techniques, like positron emission tomograph (PET), to study the brains of human methamphetamine users. They have discovered that even three years after long-time methamphetamine users had quit using the drug, their dopamine neurons were still damaged. Scientists don't know yet whether this damage is permanent, but this research shows that changes in the brain from methamphetamine use can last a long time. Research with animals has shown that the drug can also damage neurons that contain serotonin. This damage also continues long after the drug use has stopped.

This class is to explain the short and long term effects of methamphetamine on the human brain. This information is essential to all treatment providers to understand how the impact of this powerful psychoactive chemical on the individual is overwhelming and longlasting. Effective treatment modalities must grasp this level of cognitive impairment in order to provide appropriate treatment approaches to this population.

Grant Writing--Zocklein & Associates--"Best grant writing class in America."--according to numerous magazines and professionals.

Day One
¨ An overview of all available sources of revenue and resources for nonprofit organizations, government agencies and schools
¨ Discover over 1000 potential funding sources
¨Checklist for preparing to write a grant
¨ What an organization needs to be funded
¨ Grant writing method using goals and objectives

Day Two
¨ Hands on practice grant writing using a variety of grant applications in order to understand differences among private, corporate and government funders.
¨ Grant writing as a tool to bring about positive changes in a community.
¨ Grant writing as a career.

Basic instruction in new nonprofit formation. Useful for schools, churches and government agencies to create a 501©3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to raise money and resources.

Basic Counseling Skills--Instructors-Kelly Price, MPH, CADP & Gary Garner, Miss. A uniquely designed wokshop that will give the new addiction counselor the basic skills needed to treat and guide the chemically dependent client on the road toward recovery. Each participant will not only be able to define the 8 Basic Counseling Skills, but they also will learn, when and how to use these skills in order to move the therapeutic relationship to deeper and more productive levels. Participants will be involved in active group exercises and experiential role plays. While this course is primarily designed for treatment providers, the material and skill training techniques, can also be utilized in any type of interactive setting (i.e., educational, correctional, etc.).

Addiction 101--Instructor-Mark Spurlock--Selecting which workshop will meet your needs and match your learning style is always a challenge. Addiction 101 is an interactive workshop that will provide an overview of drug types and addiction theories and treatment. This workshop is a basic introduction to drugs and addiction for interested individuals who work or volunteer in social services, education or health field. A special segment is presented on identifying how your influence and purpose makes a difference.

HIV/AIDS Workshop --Instructor-Marc Fomby (DREAM)--This workshop utilizes posters, videos and informational handouts along with group breakouts, demonstrations and brainstorming activities to (1) identify the facts about what HIV/AIDS is and is not, how the disease is transmitted and the signs and symptoms of infection (2) identify effective strategies for the prevention of the spread of the disease and (3) demonstrate facilitation skills for delivering HIV/AIDS training to youth and adults in a culturally sensitive manner.

Current Trends in Addictions Treatment--Instructors-Dr. William Jerry Howell & Dr. Robert Hinds, DBA, ACATA. This learning event approaches substance abuse from multiple perspectives. Best practices in both adolescent and adult treatment of substance abuse are examined.

Adolescent substance abuse is first examined in the context of the dramatic developmental changes that occur during adolescence. Parenting styles are examined from the perspective of those that support appropriate adolescent development, as well as those that create dysfunctional adolescent coping styles conducive to chemical abuse. Treatment approaches for adolescent substance abuse are examined in detail, with particular emphasis on those issues that differentiate effective adolescent treatment from adult treatment approaches. Finally, counseling strategies and assessment skills are reviewed from the perspective of the practicing mental health and/or criminal justice professional.

Adult treatment strategies are examined from the perspective of differing treatment modalities, level of care, and philosophies of treatment. Current abuse trends are reviewed, with treatment strategies outlined for different substance abuse problems. Familial strategies are reviewed from the perspective of the family systems model. The common boundary between psychotherapy and spirituality is examined as a philosophical foundation of sound treatment and recovery.

ASAM Placement Criteria for Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders--Instructor-Gerald Shulman, MA, MAC, FACATA. Workshop participants will learn how to do a multidimensional assessment using the ASAM PPC-2R Criteria by detemining severity of problems in each of the ASAM six dimensions and then using that information to determine appropriate level of care and develop treatment plans. The role of the DSM-IV in the assessment process will be discussed. Case studies will be used to give participants " hands on" experience. Emphasis will be placed on substance abuse clients with co-occurring mental health problems, both those who do and do not have sufficient signs, symptoms and traits to reach the diagnostic threshold.

Wednesday-Thursday Courses (June 14-15)

Adolescents: They Really Can't Help It!--Instructor-Janice Gabe--Janice Gabe, nationally renowned author and speaker, returns with NEW information for professionals working with adolescents. The most recent research on the neurological development of teens and young adults will explain why “they really can't help it”. For those who break into a sweat at the mention of neurotransmitters, fear not. Janice speaks in human terms. The impact on development when alcohol and drug use are introduced into the whole equation will be examined as well. The challenge of breaking through normal teen attitudes and tendencies complicated by substance use has caused many professionals to burnout and/or seek other employment. After discussing what “they can't help”, the course will focus on the dynamics between teens and the adults attempting to help them. Specific and effective strategies will be given for building trust, avoiding power struggles and communicating with impact. With these strategies in place, teens are much more likely to engage in a process of positive needed change.

Psychotherapeutic Medications 2006: What Every Counselor Should Know--Instructor-Merrill Norton, D. Ph., NCAC II, CCS. This workshop is for behavioral health care practitioners who work with individuals challenged with mental illness or substance abuse diagnosis. The primary purpose of the workshop is to bring to the participants the latest pharmaceutical applications to the diagnostics of the DSM IV-TR. Many of our patients take medications to function at their highest level of success. This workshop will highlight the body of knowledge of psychotropic medications including the lastest anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety, mood stabilizers, psycho-stimulants, and herbal psychotropics. A recent review of the latest in the neurobiology of anxiety, dependence, depression, and personality disorders also will be included in this workshop.

Prevention Fundamentals and Beyond--Instructors-Dr. Hayden D. Center, Jr., Ph.D & James A. Neal, MCJ.  ‘...to change, we need to stop thinking like mechanics and to start acting like gardeners." - Peter Senge. This workshop is for the prevention provider who is seeking greater clarity on what it means to attempt to manage complex change within communities. A brief overview of what works and what does not work in substance abuse prevention will be presented. In addition, a framework for exploring the keys to performance-based prevention with an emphasis on the key components of a prevention system will be covered in depth. Participants will learn a method to assess the level of effectiveness of prevention systems and identify components of the system for improvement.

Addiction 101--Instructor-Mark Spurlock. Selecting which workshop will meet your needs and match your learning style is always a challenge. Addiction 101 is an interactive workshop that will provide an overview of drug types and addiction theories and treatment. This workshop is a basic introduction to drugs and addiction for interested individuals who work or volunteer in social services, education or health field. A special segment is presented on identifying how your influence and purpose makes a difference.

Family Treatment of Addictive Disease--Instructors-John Nicolini & Thomas Gorman-Objectives of family treatment will be explored. Current trends will be presented with ideas for total family recovery, and issues of co-dependency will be discussed.

The Psychopharmacology of Dual Diagnosed Patients; Update 2006--Instructor - Dr. Michael Shehi, Medical Director and CEO of Mountain View Hospital, Gadsden. To explore and address current issues that clinicians face in the day to day treatement of the dually diagnosed, chemically dependent patient focusing on brain neurochemistry and the role of psychotropic medication in patients recovery.

Gangs: Coming Soon to a Town Near You --Instructor-Marc Fomby (DREAM). What makes a gang a gang? This workshop will discuss street gangs and their behaviors from a historical/traditional perspective. By the end of the workshop participants should be able to (1) identify the different types of Traditional Street Gangs (2) identify gang colors, clothing, etc. (3) identification of Folk Nation/People Nation & (4) identify traditonal gang hand signals and graffiti.

Transitioning Juvenile Offenders Back into Their Schools & Communities--Instructor-Fred Dyer, MA, CADC, Chicago, Ill. In the past several years interest in offender re-entry has grown. The re-entry of offenders from correctional facilities back into community settings takes on a whole new meaning when the offenders are adolescents and teenagers. During the adolescent and teenage years, young people are in the midst of developmental transition from childhood to adulthood, which spans physical, cognitive, emotional, and social conditions. Experimentation, rebellion, impulsiveness, and severity and moodiness frequently characterize this critical time period. In addition to facing this developmental transition, adolescents and teenage offenders must contend with the transitions when re-entering communities and schools from correctional facilities. The challenges that arise from this dual transitioning are multi-faceted and formidable. This skill-building workshop will examine the connection between the transtions that young offenders go through as they develop into adulthood and the transitions they face when re-entering their communities and schools. This workshop will also examine various challenges and opportunities they face regardless of their developemental phases . At the conclusion of this workshop, school personnel, probations officers, criminal justice workers, and teachers will be able to work more effectively with juvenile offenders as they transition back into their communities and schools.

Building Group Therapy Skills--Instructors-Kelly Price, MPH, CADP & Gary Garner, Miss. This course builds upon the concepts learned in Basic Counseling Skills. Group Therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment modality for the chemically dependent client because of certain powerful therapeutic forces, such as, like affiliations, support, and peer confrontation. These properties enable clients to bond within a culture of recovery. Participants will learn the process of group development and understand the 3 Stages of Treatment that the client goes through. Techniques on how to deal with that "resistant client" will also be discussed.

A New Look at Relapse Prevention--Instructor-Gerald Shulman, MA, MAC, FACATA. This presentation, which utilizes the current best practices in relapse prevention, develops an approach which begins at the point of initial assessment, integrates Gorski's approach to relapse prevention (e.g., warning signs of relapse) with the cognitive-behavioral approach of Alan Marlatt (e.g., triggers, high-risk situations and the abstinence violation effect) with Structured Relapse Prevention (an approach based on a stages of change). All of this is presented using the DSM-IV five axes and ASAM six dimensions as the structure for doing an assessment of relapse risk and developing a relapse prevention plan.

Continuing education units are available.

For the latest program and registration information, visit www.apsads.org.

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