The Social Workers National Research and Education Fund, Washington, convened a national conference in 1999 for social workers on alcohol and other drug use and abuse and the implications for clinical treatment and prevention.

Supplemental funding for the conference was provided by grants from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the Hazelden Foundation, a non-profit organization concerned with chemical dependency and other disorders. In-kind contributions came from Fordham University and the New York University School of Social Work.

Key Results

• The conference, "Addictions Through the Life Cycle", took place May 7–8, 1999, in New York City, with a paid attendance of 575.
  
  Co-sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers and its New York City Chapter, the conference provided an opportunity to educate a group of practitioners who provide a significant portion of substance abuse treatment, especially treatment delivered through publicly funded clinics.
  
  Keynote speakers included the following:
  • Kitty Dukakis, M.S.W., author.
  • Timothy Condon, Ph.D., Associate Director of the National Institute for Drug Abuse.
  • Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., Co-Director of the Institute for Relational Development.
  • David Mactas, M.S.W., President of Hazelden-New York, a drug treatment program.
  
  The conference featured more than 60 workshops. Topics included the following:
  • The impact of addictions on prenatal/infants and pregnant women.
  • Drug prevention and education for children and adolescents.
  • Use and abuse of substances, including tobacco, by young adults.
  • Recovery in middle age.
  • Prescription drugs and elderly people.
  
  Other events included:
  • A theatrical presentation on social welfare issues by Susie Vanderlip.
  • A workshop on the use of poetry writing in therapy.
  • A Recovery Network Session for Social Workers.

After the Grant

A compendium of presentations was compiled and distributed to all attendees, and related articles by some of the participants will be published in the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. See the Bibliography for details.

Funding

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) supported the conference with a grant of $46,251 between March 1999 and June 1999.