Hawaii Community College presents substance abuse treatment conference for treatment providers and health professionals

Hawaiʻi Community College
Contact:
Marsha Okajima, (808) 974-7531
Office of Continuing Education & Training
Posted: Jul 11, 2005

HILO, Hawaiʻi — In response to the fact that per capita, Hawaiʻi has the highest population of crystal methamphetamine users in the nation, a slate of internationally renowned experts in the addiction and criminal justice fields will lead discussions and training on substance abuse treatment at the E ʻImi Pono (Best Practices) in Substance Abuse Treatment Conference, July 17-21, at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Campus Center.

Sponsored by Hawaiʻi Community College, the conference is designed for adult and adolescent treatment providers, mental health providers, criminal justice professionals and human service professionals. Topics will include adolescents and substance abuse, adult offenders and substance abuse, relapse prevention, creating gender specific treatment for girls, co-occurring disorders in adolescents and adults, interventions for adolescents and adults, and Native Hawaiian and Native American approaches to substance abuse treatment.

"This is the first time that a group of such high caliber treatment and cultural experts will be brought together to present treatment approaches to upgrade the skills of professionals who work with substance abusing populations," said Conference Chair Donnalyn Kalei. "The conference will be especially beneficial to address the ʻice‘ problem that is sweeping our communities."

Presenters include Terence Gorski, an internationally recognized expert on substance abuse, mental health, violence, and crime, who is best known for his contributions to relapse prevention, managing chemically dependent offenders, and development of community-based teams for managing the problems of alcohol, drugs, violence, and crime. He is a prolific author, publishing books and articles used and referenced by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and treatment and criminal justice professionals worldwide.

Stephanie Covington will present "Girls and Women in the Criminal Justice System." Covington is a clinician, author, organizational consultant, and lecturer. She has conducted seminars worldwide on addiction, sexuality, families, and relationships for health professionals, business and community organizations, recovery groups, and criminal justice systems. Covington has served as a consultant to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna, Austria, and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in Washington, D.C.

Dennis Daley, who will present "Adolescents and Adults with Co-occurring Disorders," has developed several dual disorder treatment programs and has been involved in providing services to patients and families, program development, and management for over 20 years. He has contributed to more than 200 publications, including books, recovery guides, journal articles, and educational films on dual disorders, relapse prevention, family issues, and the criminal offender.

The final day of the conference is devoted to "Native Hawaiian Approaches to Substance Abuse." Hawaiʻi‘s Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele will present the keynote address for this topic. A world renowned Hawaiian historian, cultural expert, and kumu hula, Kanahele has received numerous awards for her creativity and contributions to the fabric of cultural life in Hawaiʻi. She is a highly sought after speaker and the author of many novels, textbooks, articles, and stage plays that seek to perpetuate the Native Hawaiian culture and language and to strengthen the Native Hawaiian community. Following Kanahele‘s keynote speech, six Hawaiian and Native American cultural experts will present cultural approaches to substance abuse treatment, taking conference participants to various sites in East Hawaiʻi.

The conference is sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Community College Substance Abuse Counseling and Administration of Justice Programs, Office of Continuing Education and Training, and Hawaiian Studies Program; Hui Hoʻola O Na Nahulu O Hawaiʻi; Big Island Substance Abuse Council; Hawaiʻi County Office of the Mayor; and the Hawaiʻi County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.

For more information, visit the website http://www.hawaii.hawaii.edu/hsersacc/BPC.htm or call Hawaiʻi Community College at (808) 974-7531. Funding support for this conference is provided by the Hawaiʻi Community College Rural Development Project grant funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the efforts of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye.