Between May 30th and June 2nd of this year (2019), some of the California’s top treatment centers will gather at La Quinta Resort & Spa for the West Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders. This is the tenth edition of this particular conference, which seeks to educate individuals about the nature of addiction and also help equip treatment providers with the skills they need to be successful.
The conference takes place over the course of four days, where there will be roughly 38 hours of material, events, and information available. With each passing year, the success of the course attracts the attention of additional treatment providers. According to the WCSAD website, there will be more than 1,300 individuals in attendance.
The 62 workshops—and corresponding 26 continuing education credits—available at the symposium will certainly give all in attendance a lot to be thinking about. Over the course of the past decade, the public’s view on addiction and mental health treatment has significantly evolved. Conferences such as this one have been a major part of a movement that is both in favor of treatment and against the stigmatization of addiction (something that, by definition, is a disease).
In this article, we will discuss some of the most important things that are on the agenda for WCSAD in 2019. We will also discuss why it is crucial for California’s top treatment centers to attend in this event and the impact it can have on the community. Though this particular event may only be four days long, it is part of the crucial fight against addiction.
A Look Inside the WCSAD Agenda
With more than five dozen workshops available to choose from, the WCSAD agenda is certainly quite full this year. Starting on Thursday, exhibitors will have ample time to setup, with the exhibit hall officially opening at 5 pm. Additionally, there will be two all-day workshops.
- Wellness and Ethics: Addiction Professional Know Thyself!; during this course, attendees will discuss the ethics of various treatment options as well as the ethical standards set forth by certain mental health organizations. The workshop will also talk about treating specific groups, such as gender and sexual minorities (GSM) and adolescents.
- Recovery Connections—Stages of Nurturing for an Integrated Journey; this course will specifically focus on transitioning between the stages of the recovery process. Other topics that will be discussed include Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), experiential therapy, and addressing problems such as relapse.
- Thursday will feature several partial day programs as well. The other days of the workshop will have a similar structure, featuring a few all-day events alongside several more partial-day events. Some of the remaining all-day highlights include:
- Substance Abuse Professional Qualification and Requalification (Friday); this is an essential program for substance abuse treatment professionals who need to renew their qualification or qualify for the first time. Be sure to check on your current status as a treatment specialist before attending.
- PCSS MAT Waiver Training (Saturday): this is a program that is necessary for individuals and organizations issuing certain substance-abuse medications. The all-day training session is organized by the American Society of Addiction Medication.
The partial-day events should also not be willing overlooked by anyone in attendance. These events, ranging in length from around 90 minutes to four hours, dive into the most pressing issues of substance abuse treatment and discuss how these issues apply to the modern world.
Overall, the agenda at the symposium was set with multiple goals in mind. Obviously, the first thing that needed to be done was making sure everyone in attendance has access to the qualifying materials they need. But additionally, these programs are designed to be engaging—breaking down the components of the recovery and treatment processes, breaking into small groups, and directly answering questions can help attendees gain information that will be useful in the future.
Other Major Areas of Focus
Most of the material that can be found at this edition of WCSAD comes from national (and regional) mental health organizations, each with a very specific focus. But additionally, the organizers behind WCSAD wanted to emphasize that there are some related courses available as well:
- Creative Therapies for Trauma and Addiction
- Eating Disorder, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Series
- heART & Science of Addiction
- Strategic Learning Series for Executive Management
- CCAPP Series
- IAFAP Family Focus
- DOT/SAP Sessions
By offering these additional programs, it becomes possible for California treatment providers like Polaris Teen Center—and treatment centers from other parts of the world—to offer the most innovative, comprehensive forms of treatment available. Addictions rarely exist in a vacuum; by offering multiple approaches, such as creative therapy options, it becomes much more possible for treatment centers to achieve the outcomes they’ve been striving for.
Looking Towards the Future of Addiction Treatment
The 11th Annual WCSAD conference is open to both individual treatment providers, as well as entire treatment organizations. The conference is proud to attract psychologists, social workers, alcohol and drug counselors, CEOs, behavioral health professionals, and a wide variety of other people. These conferences make it possible for mental health providers to reevaluate their treatment models and continue providing the best, evidence-based treatment options available.
Addiction is something that affects not just the individual who is addicted. The best treatment centers will readily tell you that addiction affects the individual, the other people in their lives, and our greater society as a whole. In order for the public fight against addiction to ever be successful, it will require active efforts from many different people.
Conclusion
WCSAD is a conference that seeks to shape the fight against addiction. Looking for innovative new approaches to treatment, offering testimony from real-world experts, and creating situations where various experts can collaborate are just a few of the things that has made this conference so historically successful.
Media Contact
Company Name: Polaris Teen Center
Contact Person: Angie Grassley
Email: Send Email
Phone: 1 (844) 836-0222
Address:481 Amigo Ave
City: Tarzana
State: CA 91356
Country: United States
Website: www.polaristeen.com