Course Title: Countering Opioid Stigma: Communicating Messages to Influence Public Perception

Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Location: Georgia International Convention Center (GICC); 2000 Convention Center Concourse, College Park , GA 30337

Sponsor & Support Statement: Sponsored by the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc.
Supported by VistaPharm, Inc.

Purpose: Medicated Assisted Treatment has always had to deal with stigma from a negative public perception; however, now the stakes are much higher. It is critical for our field to properly prepare ourselves to face new challenges. These challenges are more serious and they are evolving from a growing number of misinformed and misguided potentially dangerous fronts. The impact of media is profound in not only public perception but in its influence on elected officials, policy makers and legislators. It is time to mobilize and prepare our response capabilities.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this training session, participants will learn specific techniques on how to prepare for and respond effectively to inquires from the media, elected officials, etc. They will also learn how to develop pro-active strategies for local media campaigns.

This session will provide opportunities for participants to interact with each other and actually put into practice the techniques and skills they learned.

Outcomes: The afternoon portion of the session will consist of small group action plan development. Local problems call for local and specific solutions. Individual state and/or local groups will work together with a group facilitator to develop practical strategies that can be implemented in their own regions.

Target Audience: This training session will serve as a primer for Program Directors, Administrators, Clinicians, Local & State Regulators, Company or Program Board Members and other interested personnel with experience and/or interest in medication assisted treatment.

Program Schedule:
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Registration
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Introductions and Orientation to Program
10:15 AM – 12:30 PM Training Session
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Working Lunch
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM Local Action Plan Development

Presenters:
Dan McGill
Daniel McGill has been involved in substance abuse treatment, prevention and program development since 1970. In 1973, he became the first director of the Camelot Counseling Center , then an outpatient drug-free treatment program for adolescents on Staten Island .

As a Substance Abuse Program Specialist with the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), Dan helped establish outreach and referral networks with criminal justice agencies at the federal, state and local levels. As Downstate Coordinator for Community Relations for OASAS, he worked with treatment providers and community representatives in developing partnerships between substance abuse treatment and prevention providers and local communities.

He served as the New York State agency liaison to the landmark Heroin and Alcohol Study conducted by Joseph A. Califano, former Secretary of HEW. He also supervised the development and implementation of New York State ’s Drug Abuse Information Hotline which he established in 1982 and which still serves the citizens of New York State to this day.

He has served as the Public Relations Committee for AATOD conferences in New York , San Francisco , Washington DC , Orlando , Atlanta and San Diego .

Mr. McGill holds a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from New York University .

Frank J. Carillo
Frank Carillo is the President and Managing Director of ECG, the communication strategy company. With clients throughout the world, ECG works with leaders in science, business and government.

Frank also oversees the firm's pharmaceutical and health care practice. In that capacity, he has been instrumental in the success of multiple FDA Advisory Committee presentations, generating a powerful record of approvals. In the continuing public debate on health care, clients ask Frank to counsel pharmaceutical CEO's, consulting firms, health care providers, and legislators on the communication intricacies of this national issue. Frank has been supporting and lending his expertise to the AATOD mission since April, 2003.

He has been featured in numerous articles for business and professional journals, and has been appeared on various national media outlets including CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, ABC News, and Fox News. Frank is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business.

Continuing Education Credits

• AATOD is an approved provider through NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (Provider # 000218).
• AATOD, provider #1044, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).

Special Needs
The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc. wishes to take steps to ensure that no disabled person is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services. If you require any auxiliary aids or services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act, please indicate so on your registration form.

Travel Information
The Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) is located at 2000 Convention Center Concourse, which is less than five minutes from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The center is at the juncture of three major interstate highways: I-75, I-85, I-20. There are 2,000 surface parking spaces and a 10-minute ride to downtown Atlanta .

All of the more than 32 hotels surrounding the GICC provide shuttle service to and from the airport. For information concerning local area accommodations visit the Atlanta Airport Area Guide website at www.atlairportguide.com.

REGISTRATION
Registration can be done on-line by visiting the AATOD website at www.aatod.org or by completing the registration form on the inside back cover and faxing it to 856-423-3420 or by mailing it to:

2008 AATOD Media Training Registration
c/o Talley Management Group, Inc.
19 Mantua Road
Mt. Royal, New Jersey 08061

If faxing your registration, DO NOT mail the original form, doing so may result in duplicate charges to your credit card! Should you have any questions regarding conference registration please call 856-423-3091.

Registration is not considered complete until payment is received. Advanced registration must be completed 7 days prior to the meeting date. After that, all registration will be on-site.