Palm Springs, Southern California.
The West Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders (WCSAD) is a great annual conference for Australian professionals in the field of substance abuse & addiction treatment. It’s on the right coast of America (in Palm Springs, Southern California) so is easily accessible, cheapish and the location spectacular if you love the desert (and I do!) The weather in June is perfect – long sunny days, and the presentation quality great. Some down right fascinating & innovative, some good solid updates and how to’s, and a few mundane, seen it all before presentations. But hey I only got one of those out of the 14 sessions I attended over 3 days (yes I am a VERY conscientious conference attendee). Here are a few thoughts about two of the presentations:
The Invisible War
The most shocking presentation was a special showing of “The Invisible War” by filmmaker, Kirby Dick – an investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape in the U.S. military.
The extent of the problem, called MST or Military Sexual Trauma, is staggering! 20% of all active duty female service women are sexually assaulted. In combat zones a female soldier is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by the enemy. The film candidly explores complex factors that have contributed to this deep seated & hidden epidemic. The stories are heartbreaking, and the devastating impact of inadequate treatment and support is tragically exposed.
The film is so challenging and thought provoking that the debriefing discussion afterward was a must do! The biggest questions were:
- How can it be stopped? (See the website for info about that)
- How can we, as health professionals, support the survivors and their families better?? BIG conversation…
And for me: - What does this all mean in the Australian context?
The film can be downloaded from: www.invisiblewarmovie.com
Improving Addiction Treatment Outcomes (Miller & Meelee)
David Meelee and Scott Miller presented fascinating research to support the move toward developing practice-based evidence to support service delivery strategy. Using formal patient feedback in association with the ASAM biopsychosocial assessment criteria as the basis of treatment planning and monitoring.
Research (see below) on the efficacy of therapists (from a study of 170 therapists over 17 years) showed that on average outcomes declined over time! The single most significant factor present in therapists with continued positive outcomes was reflective practice. (And therein lays the case for regular Clinical Supervision!) Surprisingly, their Feedback Informed Treatment model outcomes showed that the therapists with regular negative feedback had the best outcomes. Clients felt safe enough to express their truth. Therapists were humble enough to hear, and professional enough to adapt their approach as necessary. Such is the basis of great treatment!
Goldberg, S., Miller, S. et al. (2015). Do therapists improve with time and experience? Journal of Counseling Psychology.
Further resources:
www.changecompanies.net (David Meelee)
www.centerforclinicalexcellence.com (Scott Miller)
Other presentation topics included:
Clinical Supervision, Assessing and Improving Addiction Treatment Outcomes, Domestic Violence and Substance Use/Abuse, Trans-generational Approach to Families, Trauma, and Addiction, Grief & Trauma, the Opioid Epidemic, Marijuana Impacts on Adolescents and many more.