Special Report: Substance Abuse and the Family Conference

Over 220 members of the community, including parents, clergy, doctors, teachers and counselors, attended a Substance Abuse and the Family Conference at Western Michigan University (WMU) on October 15th. The conference was organized by the Community Healing Centers and co-sponsored by the Specialty Program in Alcohol and Drug Abuse (SPADA), a program of Western Michigan University's College of Health and Human Services.

Keynote speakers were Dr. Michael Liepman, MD, DFAPA, FASAM, a family therapist and addiction psychiatrist; and Sis Wenger, President and CEO of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA). Dr. Liepman presented on the Science of Addiction, helping to answer the questions - What is drug or alcohol addiction? Why do some people become addicted, while others do not? How do drugs and alcohol work in the brain? Can addiction be treated? Sis Wenger's presentations included information about the Family and Addiction - how addiction affects children, even long after they have grown to be adults; and what we can do as a Community to intervene with children who are living in addictive households.

Sis Wenger also spent time with the staff and therapists of Community Healing Centers, talking about how critical it is to treat the whole family, not just the person with the addiction. Community Healing Centers' Family Matters program was launched in 2006, and provides programs for family members, including children's groups, couples and multi-family groups, family counseling and interventions. Sis' message supports the premise on which the Family Matters program was built. Sally Reames, Executive Director of Community Healing Centers said that they have been working to get more families in the treatment process, and especially to engage kids as quickly as possible. "Sis Wenger brings a powerful message to our therapists and the community, stressing how important it is to get the children and families of those suffering from addiction into treatment and getting the help they need. We can have a huge impact on the lives of these children, and help to break the cycle of addiction in families."

Community Healing Centers plans to host a Community Education Day each year, helping to inform the community about addiction and its impact on children and families.

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Presentations

You may download the PowerPoint presentations of both Dr. Liepman and Sis Wenger:

Sis Wenger: The Family and Addiction (PDF, 148KB)

Sis Wenger: The Community and Substance Abuse (PDF, 146KB)

Dr. Liepman: The Science of Addiction (PDF, 3.97MB)

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