The May 23, 2010 Ninth Annual Community Mental Health Conference on Discovering Hope: Understanding Addictions-New Perspectives and Approaches for Individuals and Families was another triumph. There were 300 participants, in excess of 120 sponsoring organizations, and 37 exhibitors. More that 150 participants submitted Conference evaluations. Ninety-nine percent rated the conference "good", "very good" or "excellent". Over ninety percent of the responding participants evaluated the Conference panelists, logistics and their discussion sessions as either "excellent" or "very good".
The Conference panelists, psychiatrist Dr. Sheldon Miller, social worker addiction counselor, Mark Sanders, and addiction policy advocate and recovering heroin addict, Kathleen Kane-Willis were described as "great speakers with their own unique perspective"; "nice range of background and experience that complemented each other"; "wonderful";"They brought both time-honored and fresh bright 'new' and evolving perspectives to the lectern"; "very impressive and knowledgeable", "fantastic"; "wonderful speakers that captured attention and were very informative."
The discussion sessions also received high commendations. One mental health professional who attended the Personal Recovery Stories session stated: "I'm grateful to have been able to listen to these brave individuals stories. It was helpful to get the consumer's perspective on what helps in recovery." A participant in the Life Style Addictions session wrote that discussion leader Mary Jo Barrett" offered context and provided an energetic discussion with clear examples and analogies. A great speaker." The session on Impact of Addiction on the Brain and Body provided "a wide variety of research-new- that can help professionals- excellent". Bob Carty who led the session on Men and Addiction was described as "very knowledgable, inclusive presenter, who brightly, warmly and skillfully elicted meaningful participation and involvement on the part of the attendees. Very enriching and informative." Dr. Liz Brumfield, the discussion leader on Advances in Medication- Assisted Addiction Treatment, was" very knowledgeable and facilitated an informative discussion." The session on the Effect of Addiction in Women provided participants with" very solid information, no nonsense, direct, knowledgeable and professional." The other discussion sessions and their leaders were given similar accolades.
The participants frequently commented that the Conference was "very informative", helped them gain" professional understanding", "was a meaningful opportunity to meet and learn from other professionals and gain a diverse array of perspectives" and provided a "better understanding of what the future outlook is in the area of addictions." They also expressed appreciation for the "very affordable....low cost" of the Conference and the "tip-top...excellent food". One consumer-mental health professional summed up the Conference in this way:" one of the best workshops and conferences I've attended. Thanks for this important opportunity."
We are very grateful to the many dedicated and generous individuals who worked so hard to make the 2010 Conference a tremendous success. The 2011 Conference will be a special event. We will revisit the subject of our first conference: bipolar disorder. Please save the date: Sunday, June 5, 2011 at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, Illinois. More information to follow.