OPENING PLENARY SESSION – Implementing an Evidence-Based Agenda for Opioid Addiction Treatment

TIME: 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM

Speakers:
Joan Zweben, PhD, 2007 Conference Chair, Executive Director, 14th Street Clinic & East Bay Community Recovery Project, Berkeley, CA

Mayor Jerry Sanders, City of San Diego, CA

Kathryn Jett, Director, Division of Addiction & Recovery Services, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sacramento, CA

Mark W. Parrino, MPA, President, American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc., New York , NY

Nora Volkow, MD, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD

The Opening Plenary introduces the theme of the 2007 National Conference, “Evidence-Based Policies & Practices: Improving Medication-Assisted Treatment.” Evidenced-Based Practices are Interventions that show consistent scientific evidence of being related to preferred patient outcomes. Medication Assisted Treatment has long been recognized as one of the most successful models for treating opioid addiction in the United States . Research has shown that effective drug abuse intervention and treatment programs are individualized and dynamic and involve both behavioral and pharmacological approaches. The session's distinguished panel will welcome participants to San Diego and discuss initiatives in California and the nation to promote the implementation of evidence-based treatment. As the world's largest supporter of research on drug abuse and addiction, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has set a priority to develop research that will help integrate findings and effective treatment practices from treatment research into treatment settings. NIDA research and training efforts are helping to bridge the gaps between what we know works and what is actually taking place in communities. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of NIDA, will share NIDA’s initiatives and findings during the keynote address.

MIDDLE PLENARY SESSION – Adapting and Evaluating Evidence-Based Practice in Real World Settings

TIME: 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM

Moderator:
Judith Martin, MD, Medical Director, 14th Street Clinic, Oakland , CA

Speakers:
H. Westley Clark, MD, JD, MPH, CAS, FASAM, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment / SAMHSA, Rockville, MD

A. Thomas McLellan, PhD, Director, Treatment Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA

Just as treatments for other chronic illnesses change based on new advances in research and science, so do treatments for substance abuse. Moderated by Judith Martin, MD, Medical Director, 14th Street Clinic, this plenary session will address breaking down barriers to effective treatment practices through research and dissemination, and highlight integrated research-practice partnerships necessary to achieve full treatment potential. The expert panel will discuss improving the quality of addiction treatment through data-driven measurement of treatment effectiveness and performance-based monitoring.

CLOSING PLENARY SESSION – How Substance Abuse Influences Social Problems and What Can be Done

TIME: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

Speakers:
Joan Zweben, PhD, 2007 Conference Chair, Executive Director, 14th Street Clinic & East Bay Community Recovery Project, Berkeley, CA

Mark W. Parrino, MPA, President - American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc., New York , NY

The Closing Plenary Session will discuss policy and treatment related initiatives, which will focus on improving treatment access and quality. It will focus on how to improve the public perception of medication-assisted treatment for opiate addiction from a political, organizational and public relations perspective.