The Mid-Atlantic Research and Training Institute for Community Behavioral Health (MARTI-CBH) Conference, “Addictions, Violence and Crimes: TIPS (Treatment, Intervention and Prevention) for Families, Schools, and Communities,” will be held July 9–13, 2018, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
This cross-disciplinary conference will provide an in-depth focus on the opiate and opioid addiction crisis and how to help populations of all ages affected by addictions and issues like violence and crime due to addictions.
Experts also will address timely topics like the impact of trauma on first responders and the communities they serve; the conundrum of medical marijuana; issues related to reducing recidivism in batterer intervention programs; counseling creativity; the stigma surrounding substance use disorders; and a workshop on My New Leaf, a mobile app personalized for those in recovery and for probation officers.
Ryan Brannon, a 2015 IUP graduate, developed the My New Leaf app with a team of students while he was a senior at IUP. It won the $10,000 first-place prize in the 2015 Student Business Plan Competition. Brannon is CEO of My New Leaf, Inc. His workshop, presented with IUP sociology faculty member John Cookus, will take place at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. on July 12.
The conference is open to the community; persons may attend for a day or for multiple days. Preregistration for academic credit is required by June 29, but walk-in registrations are welcome. The conference will be held at the IUP Humanities and Social Sciences building.
For each of the five days of training, there will be nationally renowned keynote speakers as well as a variety of breakout sessions focused on both research and clinical training. Daily panels within the larger conference are organized according to sub-themes. Afternoon sessions will focus on in-depth training on special topics, including ethical practice in clinical work with opioid users.
Keynote presenter David Hickton, former US Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, will open the conference on July 9 at 10:00 a.m. with “Combating the Opioid Epidemic.”
Additional keynote faculty and their presentations are:
- Patricia Cluss, psychologist and director of Standing Firm: The Business Case to Prevent Partner Violence, will present “Addressing Intimate Partner Violence in Mental Health Settings,” at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. on July 11.
- Dennis Daley, senior clinical director of Substance Use Services at UPMC Health Plan, renowned advocate and expert on substance abuse, will be part of a panel presentation on “Addiction and Recovery from the Inside Out: Learn from the Experts Who Have Been There,” at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. on July 10.
- Antoine Douiahy, professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, senior academic director of addiction medicine services at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and director of the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at WPIC, will present “The Conundrum of Medical Marijuana” and “Medication-Assisted Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders” at 8:10 and 10:00 a.m. respectively on July 12.
- Richard Jones, executive director of Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) in Greenville, South Carolina, and an IUP master's degree graduate, will present “Integrating Recovery Supports and Healthcare: The Greenville Health System and FAVOR GREENVILLE Partnership” at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. on July 11.
- Clifton Mitchell, psychologist and international clinical trainer, will present “Effective Techniques for Dealing with Highly Resistant Clients” at 8:15 a.m. and “Know Your Ethics: The Legal and Ethical Game Show Challenge II,” Part A and Part B, at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. respectively on July 10.
- Victor Vieth, attorney, senior director and founder of the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center, and member of President's Honor Roll of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, will present “An Awesome Opportunity: A National Plan to End Violence” and “Like a Footprint in Wet Cement: Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Children” on July 9 at 1:15 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
- Nada Yorke, licensed clinical social worker and manager of Correctional Counseling for Change, will present “Utilizing Evidence-Informed Interventions to Increase Retention and Reduce Recidivism in Batterer Intervention Programs” at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. on July 12.
- Dana Hysock Witham (sociology) and Pearl Berman (psychology) and graduate student Whitney Carmichael will be part of a panel presentation on Project FORECAST: Trauma-Informed Training for Students and Professionals at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. on July 12.
- Erick Lauber (journalism and public relations faculty and director of community health and leadership training and research at MARTI-CBH) will present “The Stigma Surrounding Substance Use Disorders; What Can We Do About It?” at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m. on July 12.
- John McCarthy (counseling) will present “Swimming in Counseling Creativity: Three Ideas to Avoid the Alligators and Boost Your Innovation” and “Helping Clients Identify and Soar With Strengths” at 8:15 and 10:00 a.m., respectively, on July 13.
Other workshop and panel topics include:
- “Rejection or Redemption? Setting the Course for Public Well Being”
- “Trauma and Addiction: The Relationship and Impact on Recovery”
- “The Effects of Addiction on the Family Unit”
Programmatic and registration questions can be made to Crystal Deemer at 724-357-1288. The complete conference schedule is available on the MARTI Summer School Conference website.
Financial sponsors for the 2018 Summer Conference include Community Care Behavioral Health and UPMC Health Plan.
The 2018 program is the 28th annual MARTI summer conference. MARTI (founded in 1988 as the Mid-Atlantic Addiction and Training Institute) is one of 40-plus centers and institutes at IUP. For decades, MARTI has been a powerhouse organized around a consortium of academic and professional experts in the field of alcohol abuse treatment, domestic violence intervention, and related mental health issues.
Since 2012, the institute's new director, associate director, and research associates have expanded the institute's early focus to include new initiatives—among them, alcohol and drug research, veterans' reintegration, family and mental health issues, training conferences for health professionals and educators, and community outreach.
Currently, MARTI personnel are taking a three-pronged approach to addressing the opioid and suicide crises by obtaining research grants, community outreach, and professional development and training. The 2017 conference kicked off the professional and training efforts.