Research has shifted from the pathology and short-term addiction treatment modalities to include more focused attention to recovery. Conference participants will learn those factors that seem to make people with substance use disorders more resilient. These characteristics have been termed ‘Recovery Capital’, defined by Granfield and Cloud as “The breadth and depth of internal and external resources that can be drawn upon to initiate and sustain Recovery from alcohol and other drug problems”.
Recovery Capital is not a fixed value, it diminishes during active addiction and increases during sustained recovery. Recovery Capital may be grouped in four categories – internal: human and physical; and external: social and cultural.
Recovery Capital interacts with problem severity to shape the intensity and duration of support needed to initiate and sustain recovery. Re-evaluation of Recovery Capital during the recovery journey may be used to determine quality and even duration of successful sustained recovery from addiction.
Research has shown that difficulties arise when trying to introduce evidence based guidelines into routine practice when approaching one population in the continuum care (e.g. providing evidenced based guidelines to just physicians, and no one else). Change in practice is most effective when comprehensive approaches are taken at different levels of the continuum of care (e.g. physicians, outpatient agencies, inpatient agencies, first responders, policy makers, etc.)
“Substantial evidence suggests that to change behaviour is possible, but this change generally requires comprehensive approaches at different levels (doctor, team practice, hospital, wider environment), tailored to specific settings and target groups.”
From best evidence to best practice: effective implementation of change in patients’ care
Grol, Richard et al. The Lancet , Volume 362 , Issue 9391 , 1225 – 1230
“the most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement is developing the ability of school personnel to function as professional learning communities”.
DuFour, R. Eaker, R. Professional Learning Communities at Work – Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement, Solution Tree Press, 1998
Using the theory that in order to create change in best practices you must create a “professional learning community” at different levels of the continuum of care, we intend to gather individuals that participate at all levels of the continuum of care together and create a professional learning community to collectively implement systemic change in the addiction treatment field.
Prior to this idea taking shape there have been symposiums and conferences that gather specific fields of professionals together, such as psychologists, or physicians, or counsellors, never before has there been such a comprehensive effort to include delegates from the continuum of care in addiction treatment.
Register for the Recovery Capital Conference today!