Healing through Breath, Land & Culture, Indigenous Speaker

Avis O’Brien

April 13th 2022 1:30 pm Imperial Ballroom 5

Session Description

This 1-hour presentation offers education around the history of assimilation policies & residential schools and how these colonial genocidal tools created loss of connection to Indigenous identity, mental health & addiction struggles for Nalaga (Avis O’Brien). Avis highlights the intersectionality of sexual abuse rooted in the residential school system and how that created a dysregulated nervous system, which in turn lead to her turning to ways to regulate her nervous systems: self-harm, eating disorders, dissociation, and then the ultimate form of regulation – substances.

The presentation also touches on the spirit of suicidality and this epidemic that plagues Indigenous communities, how we can start to externalize the pathologies that are placed on us by the mental health system; and in turn, centre the strength, connection to land, spirituality and ceremony that was there prior to all that was placed on us by colonial genocide.

Learning Objective

1) Strengthen our knowledge of how breath, embodiment & land-based cultural forms of healing can help folks to heal from addictions and mental health struggles

2) Learn the importance of externalizing the pathologies that have been placed on us by the mental health system, and in turn centre the strength, resilience and connection to land and culture that was there prior to colonization

3) To create a culture of belonging amongst Indigenous folks

This work aims to highlight the collective struggle we are all in as Indigenous people to help folks know they are not alone.

Indigenous folks in this country were once connected and anchored by a sense of belonging: to the land, their clans & families, their communities and their cultures. This was systematically severed with the goal of assimilating us into the dominant white society. We see the impacts of this today in the rates of suicide: suicide being the leading cause of death of our people

This work aims to highlight the collective struggle we are all in as Indigenous people to help folks know they are not alone.

References

https://www.twswa.org.nz/site_files/21243/upload_files/NeurodecolonizationMindfulness_YellowBird.pdf?dl=1

The work of Dr. Michael Yellowbird thoroughly explains how engaging in Indigneous contemplative practices heals our brains from the impacts of colonialism and stress. Practices such as dancing, singing, drumming, praying & sitting in ceremony are studied extensively and brain wave patterns are compared to a brain prior to engaging in our contemplative practices, and the brain during and after engaging in our practices.

2) https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijih/article/view/33223
In this article, Riel Dupuis Rossi explains the importance of Indigenous folks externalizing the pathologies that have been placed on us by the mental health system, and when we do that, we create space to Centre the wisdom, connection to our territories, ancestors and ways of knowing that was there prior to colonization. Riel talks about the importance of Centring Indigenous ways of knowing and culture in the promotion of health and well-being for Indigenous clients

3) https://vikkireynoldsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2020-reynolds-jft-trauma-resistance-hang-time.pdf

In this article, Vikki Reynolds quotes Riel Dupuis Ross extensively, advocating that centring of Indigenous wisdom and knowledge (drumming, singing, dancing, connecting to land) and all forms of our culture are healing.

Bio

Nalaga (Avis O’Brien)
Land-Based Cultural Empowerment Facilitator
She / her

Nalaga / Kaaw Kuuna (Avis O’Brien), a Haida/Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw artist and Land Based Cultural Empowerment Facilitator, was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia. She belongs to the Kaa’was Staa’stas Eagle Clan from the Village of K’yuusda in Haida Gwaii and the Geegilgum Namima of the Lig̱wiłda’x̱w people of Cape Mudge, one of the 18 Tribes of the Kwakwaka’wakw. She is also Scottish from her Grandfather, and Irish from her Fathers side.

She is a weaver, teacher, singer, dancer and land based Cultural empowerment facilitator. She started her company, Nalaga Consulting in 2013 as a way to share the cultural knowledge and beauty of cedar bark weaving with the world. Avis is 14 year on the Red Road in recovery, and now dedicates her life to helping others who suffered with the same struggles as she did. She has a background working in the mental health/addictions field for 10 years.

Avis offers Community Land Based Healing Workshops that are rooted in Decolonization, Reconciliation, Indigenous Land Based Healing & Breath & Embodiment Practices. Her work aims to highlight the intersectionality of Colonialism, Impacts of trauma, Indian Act, residential schools and how we can utilize Ancestral forms of healing to regain a sense of balance and harmony in body, mind and spirit. Drumming, singing, dancing, medicine harvesting, ceremony, weaving, breath & embodiment practices are utilized as self-regulation tools, guiding folks down the path of neuro-decolonization. Her work within Non-Indigenous communities has a focus on building Allyship and dismantling racist stereotypes against Indigenous folks

Healing – Recovery and Indigenous People

Earl Thiessen, Jordan Bareshinbone, Geri Bemister

April 13th 2022 11:30 am Imperial Room #5

Session Description

Culturally appropriate treatment interventions are a way to help Indigenous clients start their individual healing processes. Utilizing ceremony, cultural teachings, and an emphasis on spirituality and reconnection to their identity. Sunrise supports individuals to start their recovery journey using the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, with ceremony and spiritual teachings allowing clients the space to connect to their own Higher Power. Clients are taught about the Three Pillars of Healing; Reclaiming History, Therapeutic Healing, and Cultural Inclusion. Through these Three Pillars, clients can begin learning about the past and how it has impacted them and their families and communities, how to begin the healing process, and how to move forward by being active in their culture and beliefs.

Our people once lived in close-knit communities and taught our children the cultural aspects and traditions of our people as one large community and family. This was slowly taken away through colonization and assimilation. To start our healing journey, we need to heal in a similar manner and provide peer and culturally supported groups and settings.

Oxford House has developed a partnership with Poundmakers Lodge to open the province’s first Peer and Culturally Supported Indigenous Recovery homes for men and women in Calgary and Edmonton. These homes provide cultural support for Indigenous residents to practice their culture in a respectful environment. With the opening of our fifth Indigenous recovery home in Edmonton, we are now the largest Peer/Culturally Supported Indigenous Recovery Home Provider in the Country. We believe this is best practice.

Learning Objective

Culturally appropriate treatment interventions are a way to help Indigenous clients start their individual healing process. Utilizing ceremony, cultural teachings, and an emphasis on spirituality and reconnection to their identity. Sunrise supports individuals to start their recovery journey using the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, with ceremony and spiritual teachings allowing clients the space to connect to their own Higher Power. Clients are taught about the Three Pillars of Healing; Reclaiming History, Therapeutic Healing, and Cultural Inclusion. Through these Three Pillars, clients can began learning about the past and how it has impacted them and their families and communities, how to begin the healing process, and how to move forward by being active in their culture and beliefs.

As an Indigenous community, we heal and celebrate through many traditional ceremonies and practices. We smudge to cleanse ourselves daily and to pray for those around us. We engage in talking circles to heal through our words and be allowed to be heard (usually guided by an elder), and we sweat to welcome in the grandmothers, grandfathers, our loved ones and ancestors to join us in ceremony and prayer. Hold Pow Wows to bring the community together and Sundance ceremony to pray for healing. The teachings are endless and are best explained through long meetings and gatherings with elders who are the knowledge keepers of our people.

Bio

Earl Thiessen

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my recovery journey would lead to me being Executive Director of the Oxford House Foundation. The reality of being homeless for seven years still haunts me. I don’t think many would survive the experiences I had during that time, including incarceration, overdose, and a whole winter sleeping outside because I had no idea of the resources that were available 13+ years ago.

Little did I know that the stars were about to align for me and that this would take place in front of a Justice of the Peace. There were eleven warrants out for my arrest. I decided it was time to get honest. I told the Justice of the Peace about my partner and my addiction issues. I told him that I didn’t know how to deal with it. “I need help,” I said. “My rock bottom was when my partner was murdered.” She is one of the many MMIWAG in Canada.

The Justice of the Peace was a caring and understanding man. The first person to have faith in me. He released me and told me to go get the help I so desperately needed. That was the small window I needed to change my life. I went back to treatment, embraced my aboriginal heritage and moved into an Oxford home in 2008.

“Earl Thiessen has been with Oxford house for 12 years in various positions and assumed the role of Executive Director on July 1, 2019. The developer of Numerous Recovery Housing Models including Pre-treatment housing, Entry Level Housing and the Collaborative (Poundmakers Lodge) Peer Supported Indigenous Recovery Housing Model. From Homelessness to Executive Director, a strong advocate for Recovery, Homelessness and the Peer Supported Recovery Housing Model.

Jordan Bareshinbone

I am from the traditional homelands of the Blood Tribe or Kainai First Nation, which is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy in southern Alberta. I am a graduate of the Solicitor General Staff College in Edmonton, Alberta and my educational background for 25 years was in Criminal Justice. I held positions as a Correctional Officer, Probation Officer, and Criminal Court Worker in Cardston, Lethbridge, Calgary, and served a term of four years with the Blood Tribe Police Commission. I currently reside in Calgary, Alberta and am employed with Sunrise Healing Lodge as a Cultural Initiatives Coordinator.  I am a second-generation Residential School survivor and have extensive historical knowledge in Indigenous Culture. I also continue to be actively involved in the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action in a personal and professional healing journey. I am also a person living in long-term recovery from addiction. My role at Sunrise Healing Lodge is to support clients in reconnecting to their Indigenous identity, and helping them begin their own healing journey.

Geri Bemister-Williams

Geri Bemister-Williams is a Professor of Criminology and Law and a Substance Abuse Consultant for Siksika Nation. She provides post-secondary education, expert input, counseling and programming, non-profit board member service, advice on substance use disorders/concurring disorders and at-risk populations. Geri’s portfolio includes family counselling, individual therapy, interventions, public speaking, spiritual guidance, sober living advising, addressing physical and psychological traumas, teaching, child protection and advocacy and first nations issues.

Geri Bemister-Williams was directly recruited and appointed to the Law Enforcement Review Board on the basis of acceptably meeting the competencies, skills and attributes required by the Board.

Our Collective Journey Where Lived Experience Meets Clinical Support

Rick Armstrong, Damyan Davis, Ryan Oscar

April 12th 2022 11:30 am Neilson Room 1

Session Description

After a recent contagion of suicides in Medicine Hat, AB, there were noticeable gaps in pre and postvention. Three local men in recovery came together in search of tangible action steps that could be taken to bridge the gaps and help those struggling. Addiction, mental health, and suicide were common threads in their personal journeys, and each of them were impacted along their own journeys by someone with shared experience. The commonality was found and Our Collective Journey (OCJ) was created. What started as three men with a big idea quickly developed into OCJ present day: a network of people with lived experience and community-oriented partners offering collaboration pathways to create recovery orientated safe spaces for individuals.


Through their own lived experiences, OCJ recognizes when someone gets the courage to reach out for help, that time of willingness can be short lived. OCJ strives to be there before the window of opportunity closes. OCJ focuses on building a trusting relationship, assisting in system navigation, and building recovery capital while supporting the individual every step of the way.


OCJ believes recovery is more than the absence of symptoms, it is about having the opportunity to live a satisfying and fulfilling life. The name Our Collective Journey came from the idea that OUR stories are powerful vessels in which others may gain new insight each time our stories are shared. Once you are part of the COLLECTIVE, we are all on the JOURNEY together. The sharing of stories through the OCJ podcast “From Darkness to Life” has noticeably reduced the stigma and misconceptions around addiction, mental health and suicide in our community. Bringing together people from all walks of life.

Learning Objectives

  • A clear understanding of the therapeutic power of shared experience and how this can exponentially foster credibility with the individual.
  • Identifying the value of being available when the window of opportunity is open.
  • Identify the importance of recovery management including post-connection check-ins; recovery coaching; ongoing connection to recovery communities; community-based recovery resource collaboration and development.

References

Beverly J. Haberle, Stacey Conway, Phil Valentine, Arthur C. Evans, William L. White, Larry Davidson. (2014) The Recovery Community Center: A New Model for Volunteer Peer Support to Promote Recovery. Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery 9:3, pages 257-270.

Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M. Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD012880. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012880.pub2
Robert D. Ashford, Austin M. Brown, Rachel Ryding, Brenda Curtis. (2020) Building recovery ready communities: the recovery ready ecosystem model and community framework. Addiction Research & Theory 28:1, pages 1-11.

White, W. & Cloud, W. (2008). Recovery capital: A primer for addictions professionals. Counselor, 9(5), 22-27.
William L. White, John F. Kelly & Jeffrey D. Roth (2012) New Addiction-Recovery Support Institutions: Mobilizing Support Beyond Professional Addiction Treatment and Recovery Mutual Aid, Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 7:2-4, 297-317, DOI: 10.1080/1556035X.2012.705719

About Our Collective Journey

A question that we are often asked is “What makes Our Collective Journey different than what’s being done in community already?” Our Collective Journey’s strength comes from the power of shared experience, but we also bring a lot more than that to the table!

One of the most important pieces that Our Collective Journey prides itself on is the authentic, honest connections with individuals rooted in shared experience. An OCJ peer support draws from their experiential knowledge – the happenings, emotions, and insights of their personal lived experience – as they listen to, interact with and support peers. Through our own personal experiences and hearing experiences of others, we understand that often times peers who are suffering in silence are not ready to walk through the doors of a professional agency. By sharing these stories of hope, individuals have a chance to explore and resonate with unique parts of each real-life story. Every time someone shares their story, they help erase the shame for others which helps them not feel so alone in their pain.

All OCJ peer supports have experienced their own personal darkness at some point in their lives. Each of these peers are ready to share their experience, of how they moved through that darkness and into a new light, with the next individual who reaches out. These stories of lived experience may include various professional supports, coping mechanisms, support groups, and other tools that are unique to each story. OCJ’s diverse peer support network encompasses individuals who have found their way into recovery from not only addiction and mental health, but many other real life experiences. At OCJ, a number of the sharing peer supports are also trained professionals that keep the mandate of “do no harm” at the forefront of all connections. OCJ peer supports are ready to share their experiences at any hour of any day. This is one thing that is difficult to duplicate in a professional agency due to the constraints of hours, regulations, and other agency policies. OCJ approaches all of its connections from a person centred approach and doesn’t just say this on paper. We prove it with each interaction by meeting people where they are at (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually); then continue towards the overarching end goal of empowering peers as they explore possibilities and find their path towards a healthier and happier outcome.

Adventures in The Teenage Brain – Drug Use and Recovery and the Adolescent Brain Development

Rand Teed

April 12th 2022 1:30 pm Stephen Room

Session Description

This presentation will look at the impact of cannabis use on the developing brain. In particular how it impacts stress management capacity as well as self-assessment and self-esteem. The presentation will look at myths and misinformation around cannabis use and how to help teens better assess their approach to this drug.

Learning objectives

  • Understand how cannabis impacts two important developmental processes; myelination and pruning.
  • Understand how to better discuss and educate teens about cannabis use.
  • Understand how to assess adolescent cannabis use disorder.
  • Helping teens understand recovery and self care options.

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31619494/
https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20210615/cannabis-use-tied-to-poor-nightly-sleep-patterns
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32251385/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19693792/

Bio

Rand has been working with teens and adults for over 40 years and for the past 20 years has been helping them understand how substance use can get in the way of having the life they want.
B.A, a B.Ed and is an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist and a Canadian Certified Addiction Counsellor
He is the developer of the Drug Class program which has been offered in many Regina High Schools for several years and is the writer and host of the Award Winning Drug Class TV Series.(Gemini Award Best Direction in A Youth Series 2008)


Rand is also a very experienced addiction counselor. He has also worked as a counselor in the Regina Detox Centre.
Is a regular presenter on Recovery across the country and was the featured speaker for SADD Saskatchewan’s 2010 provincial Impaired Driving Awareness Campaign.
Regularly presents on dealing with Substance Use and Abuse. Has been an instructor and coordinator with SGI’s Driving Without Impairment Program.

The Icelandic Prevention Model and the Planet Youth Guidance Program

Dr. Páll Melsted Ríkharðsson

April 12th 2022 11:30 am Stephen Room

Session Description

The Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM) for substance use is a process framework for data driven, community based, primary prevention. It is based on several guiding principles and a series of implementation steps focusing on defining and implementing initiatives that strengthen community protective factors and mitigate risk factors. The Planet Youth guidance program is a platform for adapting and implementing the IPM to other national, social and cultural contexts. Currently, hundreds of communities around the world are implementing the Planet Youth guidance program. This presentation explains the principles of the IPM, describes the Planet Youth guidance program and gives examples of implementation experiences from around the world.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the principles of the Icelandic Prevention Model
  • Understand the implementation steps of the Planet Youth guidance program
  • Understand how the IPM is adapted and implemented in different contexts

References

Sigfusdottir, ID, Soriano, HE, Mann, MJ, Kristjansson, AL (2020). Prevention is Possible: A Brief History of the Origin and Dissemination of the Icelandic Prevention Model. Health Promotion Practice, 21(1), 58-62.
Kristjansson, AL., Mann, MJ., Sigfusson, J., Thorisdottir, IE., Allegrante, JP., Sigfusdottir, ID. (2020). Development and Guiding Principles of the Icelandic Model for Preventing Adolescent Substance Use. Health Promotion Practice, 21(1), 62-69.
Kristjansson, AL., Mann, MJ., Sigfusson, J., Thorisdottir, IE., Allegrante, JP., Sigfusdottir, ID. (2020). Implementing the Icelandic Model for Preventing Adolescent Substance Use. Health Promotion Practice, 21(1), 70-79.

Bio

Dr. Pall Rikhardsson, PhD, is the Chief Executive Officer of Planet Youth. Pall holds an MSc and a PhD degree from the Aarhus School of Business in Aarhus, Denmark. He has previously worked as an associate professor at the Aarhus School of Business in Denmark, senior manager with PwC in Denmark, business advisor at the SAS Institute in Denmark and as a professor at and the dean of the School of Business at Reykjavik University in Iceland. He also holds a part-time position as a visiting professor at Copenhagen Business School. His LinkedIn page is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallrikhardsson/

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Recovery Capital Summit Speakers

Women and Alcohol: Epidemic in a Pandemic

Ann Dowsett

April 13th 2022 1:30 pm Neilson Room 1

Session Description

While Ann Dowsett Johnston predicted the shocking rise in risky female drinking in 2013–in her bestselling book Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol–she could not have foreseen what would happen in the recent pandemic. In fact, in the past 18 months, women’s risky use of alcohol has reached epidemic proportions. What we have witnessed is a perfect storm of stress: the so-called “she-cession,” homeschooling, plus a pervasive, invasive environment of anxiety and isolation.


With the pinking of the alcohol industry, women have been in the crosshairs of marketing for decades. Indeed, marketing has played a huge role in selling alcohol as a decompression tool to women, and the message has stuck: mommy-drinking dates, and more. That’s the bad news. The good news? Zoom brought recovery into women’s homes, and a new, largely female-led modern recovery movement has evolved, from The Luckiest Club out of Boston to Hola Sober out of Madrid, plus regular 12-step meetings. This is a fresh development, enticing many women to seek help in a revolutionary new way.

So, we stand at the crossroads: as women’s emergency room visits outpace men’s for alcohol-related issues, as women flood the Zoom rooms, and women absorb the news that 15 per cent of breast cancer cases are alcohol-related and that there is no upside to a glass of red wine, will they also slow down their drinking? Join Ann for a fulsome discussion of this compelling public health issue, where she asks the question: Where do women go from here?

Learning Objective

  • Why women drink for different reasons than men
  • Why the so-called “she-cession” and homeschooling fanned the flames of this epidemic.
  • Why drinking is riskier for women than men

Bio

Ann Dowsett Johnston is the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol named one of the top 10 books of 2013 by the Washington Post. An award-winning journalist who spent the lion’s share of her career at Maclean’s, and winner of two prestigious fellowships, she has also been a vice-principal of McGill University. A graduate of Smith College, Ann is now a practising psychotherapist work working with women, largely on addiction issues. She is also the founder of Writing Your Recovery, a popular memoir-writing course. Last fall, Ann earned an honorary doctorate of laws from Queen’s University–just one of many awards for her work in destigmatizing addiction.

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Recovery Capital Summit Speakers

Building Recovery Capital by Engaging Families and Youth in Community Services

Dr. Emily Alden Hennessy

April 13th 2022 11:30 am Walker Bannerman Room

Session Description

The Recovery Capital for Adolescents Model (RCAM) is a framework for identifying assets to enhance and barriers to address in supporting youth’s treatment and recovery from alcohol and drug misuse. The RCAM identifies internal resources (coping, motivation, and resilience), financial resources (transportation, access to treatment), social resources (peers, family), and community resources (recovery oriented programming) that youth can use in their recovery journey. I will illustrate the RCAM and detail specific strategies community support models, such as the Alternative Peer Group (APG), a sober community support for youth, have used to (1) enhance recovery assets for youth with substance use disorders, (2) reduce barriers to youth’s recovery process and help them learn through those experiences, and (3) empower families of youth to support the recovery of their young person.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify sources of youth recovery capital and barriers to youth recovery
  • Describe ways that involving youth in recovery supports, such as alternative peer groups, can build recovery capital
  • Identify ways that parents can be involved to help build youth recovery capital and to build their own capital for parenting an adolescent in recovery

References

1. Nash, A., Hennessy, E. A., & Collier, C. (2019). Recovery capital among adolescents in alternative peer groups: A qualitative exploration. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, In press. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.02.025
2. Hennessy, E. A., & Finch, A. J. (2019). An exploratory data mining approach to understand adolescent access to recovery high schools. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 33(8).
3. Nash, A., Hennessy, E. A., Collier, C., & Kelly, J. K. (2020). Young people’s perceptions of the 12-Steps’ role in supporting their recovery (or not). Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, In press. DOI: 10.1080/1067828X.2020.1766619
4. Hennessy, E. A., Glaude, M. W., & Finch, A. J. (2017). “Pickle or a cucumber?” Practitioner views of successful adolescent recovery. Addiction Research and Theory, 25, 208-215. doi: 10.1080/16066359.2016.1242723
5. Nash, A., & Collier, C. (2016). The alternative peer group: A developmentally appropriate recovery support model for adolescents. Journal of addictions nursing, 27(2), 109-119.
6. Smith, N. Z., Vasquez, P. J., Emelogu, N. A., Hayes, A. E., Engebretson, J., & Nash, A. J. (2020). The Good, the Bad, and Recovery: Adolescents describe the advantages and disadvantages of Alternative Peer Groups. Substance abuse: research and treatment, 14, 1178221820909354.

Bio

Emily A. Hennessy, Ph.D. is a Member of the Faculty at Harvard Medical School and Associate Director of Biostatistics at the Recovery Research Institute (RRI). Dr. Hennessy’s research examines factors associated with health behavior change among adolescents. Her primary area of research, adolescent substance use disorder treatment and recovery, is currently funded by a career development award (K01) from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This study examines social network and recovery capital mechanisms of the recovery process in adolescents using social identity mapping. Dr. Hennessy completed her Ph.D. in Community Research and Action at Vanderbilt University where she worked as a graduate research assistant on the first national empirical study of the effectiveness of Recovery High Schools (RHS), schools for youth with substance use disorders and comorbid diagnoses. This work led to her creation of the Recovery Capital Model for Adolescents (RCAM) an extension of the previous recovery capital model generated for adults. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Connecticut in the Systematic Health Action Research Program Lab.

Recovery Orientated Systems of Care to include Family

Linda Lane Devlin

April 12th 2022 1:30 pm Imperial Ballroom #5

Session Description

Family roles, rules, rituals, and relationships; the frequency and quality of family interactions with kinship and social networks; and the global health and functioning of family members are all severely disrupted by addiction. The effects of addiction on the family are influenced by the role of the addicted person within the family, the timing of addiction within the family life cycle, the degree of co-occurring challenges faced by the family, the cultural context within which the family is nested, and the resilience resources and recovery capital available to the family. (William White) These effects can be far-reaching, with effects on children carrying into their adult development, including their future intimate and family relationships.


Emerging Recovery definitions emphasize that recovery is more than the removal of destructive alcohol and/or drug use from an otherwise unchanged life. Recovery is a broader process that involves a radical reconstruction of the person-drug relationship, progressive improvement in global health and the reconstruction of the person-community relationships including family. The process of recovery is supported through relationships and social networks, this often involves family members who become the champions of their loved one’s recovery.
Families of people in recovery may experience adversities that lead to increased family stress, guilt, shame, anger, fear, anxiety, loss, grief, and isolation. So, the concept of resilience in recovery is also vital for family members who need access to intentional supports that promote their health and well-being. According to the research; addiction-affected families in recovery need “scaffolding” of support to manage the transitions from active addiction to stable recovery. Lacking such support, families that absorbed and survived every relationship may be fractured (i.e., family dissolution) during the recovery process. With support, families can achieve a level of health and functioning superior to that which existed before the family was impacted by addiction. Addicted individuals and their families have the potential to get better.


Outcomes: The new paradigm shift to a Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) model tries to address this aspect. Just as the “recover-er” needs support and direction so does the “family” of the recover-er. The idea is to help families dealing with substance use disorder gain an understanding of the family dynamics that go on in a substance use disorder family system. These include co-dependency, differentiation, triangulation, stigma, emotional buttons. ROSC can support a continuum of services rather than crises-oriented care, with possible care in the person’s community and home using natural supports and services provided to families during the initiation, ongoing and post-acute stages of their recovery. This workshop will be moderated to reflect personal experiences from families in the ROSC process. A selected panel of Lived Experience will participate in the review of recovery supports and the evolution of recovery coaching and family case management as a tool to help heal the families as well.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the local efforts to support families in recovery beyond providing treatment.
  • Understanding the role of recovery coaching and case management for families
  • Learn the new language of recovery management as we shift to focus on long-term support for a chronic disease over brief support during acute episodes.
  • Learn about the growing role for families in recovery support and shared lived experiences.

References

The Net Consumer Council, Evans, A.C., Lamb, R.C., Mendelovich, S., Schultz, C.J. & White,
W.L. (2007). The Role of clients in a recovery-oriented system of addiction treatment: The birth and
evolution of the NET Consumer Council. Posted at www.williamwhitepapers.com

Schuyler, A., Brown, J., & White, W. (2016). The Recovery Coach: ROLE CLARITY MATRIX
Posted at www.williamwhitepapers.com

White, W. (2004). Recovery coaching: A lost function of addiction counselling? Counsellor,
5(6), 20-22. Posted at www.williamwhitepapers.com
Recovery Coaching

DAVID BEST, PH.D.
Professor of Criminology in the Department of Law and Criminology at Sheffield Hallam University and visiting Associate Professor of Addiction Studies at Monash University, Melbourne

Addiction Specialist & Interventionist – Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor ICADC CCSAC, CCAC Certified Counsellor , Board Certified Interventionist PCB CIP.
Linda continues to educate, innovate, inspire and support clients, families, about using a more collaborative approach. She has over 24 years of experience working in the addictions field.

Bio

Linda’s commitment to excellence in best practice guides the service provision. People’s behaviors are shaped by their experiences, and each person is unique in this regard.
Linda’s passion and drive is to help individuals and families heal from addiction. She approaches every client with the understanding that each person differs from the others. 25 years of recovery experience.
Linda got her start working in the social services industry for over two decades and continued onto being one of the top Executive Management Leaders in the Addictions Health Care Industry in Canada. She has provided private practice and organizational practice for many years and can help individuals create short term and long term goals to address addiction issues within the family system.

Linda continues to provide Clinical Intervention and Family Case Management for families across Canada. Her team at Interventions On Demand has paved the way for many other service providers in Canada to best practice guideline’s and credentialing as imperative to guiding families to the healing process.

Recovery Coaches: Connecting with People, Treatment and Community

Dr Ray Baker

April 12th 2022 11:30 am Imperial Ballroom #5

Session Description

An essential component in the transformation to a Recovery Oriented System of Care, Recovery Coaching offers a unique set of competencies, roles, activities and locations of services. Recovery coaching compliments existing treatment modalities, helping them achieve better outcomes. Using solid theoretical approaches early research is showing benefits multiple measures of recovery.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  • List 5 roles of Recovery Coaches
  • Discuss theoretical basis for techniques used in Recovery Coaching
  • Distinguish between roles of therapists or counsellors and Recovery Coaches
  • Outline the current outcome-related scientific evidence on the effectiveness of Recovery Coaching

References

1. McQuaid, R.J., Malik, A., Moussouni, K., Baydack, N., Stargardter, M., & Morrisey, M. (2017). Life in Recovery from Addiction in Canada. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
2.Killeen M, Recovery Coaching: A Guide to Coaching in Recovery from Addictions, MK/RC Publishing, 2013
3.White, W. (2006). Sponsor, Recovery Coach, Addiction Counselor: The Importance of Role Clarity and Role Integrity. (Monograph) Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health. White, W. (2009). Peer-based Addiction Recovery Support: History, Theory, Practice, and Scientific Evaluation. Chicago, IL: Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center and Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and MR Services.
4.Reif S, Braude L, Lyman DR, Dougherty RH, Daniels AS, Ghose SS, Salim O, Delphin-Rittmon ME. Peer recovery support for individuals with substance use disorders: assessing the evidence. Psychiatr Serv. 2014 Jul;65(7):853-61

Bio

Ray Baker MD (ret.) FCFP, FASAM
Associate Clinical Professor
UBC Faculty of Medicine

After practicing 12 years as a rural family doctor and over 30 years as a consultant in Occupational Addiction Medicine Ray retired from clinical practice to focus on the science and practice of peer and professional Recovery support. From 1990-95 he developed the UBC Addiction Medicine curriculum and wrote a chapter on alcoholism in Conn’s Current Therapy, a medical textbook. He’s a Recovery Coach trainer and consultant in Recovery Oriented Care. He served on CCSA’s National Recovery Advisory and Research Expert Advisory committees, designing and interpreting Canada’s Life in Recovery Survey (2016). In long-term recovery from addiction, Ray became a late life marathoner, an endurance triathlete and the outrageously proud grandfather of four-year-old grand-twins. This year Ray and Agnes celebrated 51 years of not-always-serene but, thanks in part to their continued involvement in their own recovery activities, remarkably improved, marriage.

Nancy Mannix – How To Build A Brain

April 13th 2022 Hyatt Regency Main Ballroom 3:00 pm

Session Description

Lifelong health is determined by more than just our genes. Converging lines of evidence from neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, and the social sciences tell us that early experiences are literally built into our brains and bodies to affect life course trajectories, for good or for ill. Significant adversity in childhood increases the risk of addictions, mental health problems, and several chronic diseases, sometimes only decades later in life. In this session, you will learn how brains are built: what kind of experiences promote healthy brain architecture, what kind of experiences derail it, and how these experiences get “under our skins” to affect learning, health, and social outcomes across the life span. This information has profound implications for health care professionals across all aspects of the care continuum.

Learning Objectives

  • Learn how brain circuits are formed and mature, and how social interactions are critical to this process.
  • Describe how toxic stress derails brain development.
  • Explore how this science can be used to build the foundations of resilience in children, adults, and families.

References

Boivin, Michel, & Hertzman, Clyde. (Eds.). (2012). Early Childhood Development: adverse experiences and developmental health. Royal Society of Canada – Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Expert Panel (with Ronald Barr, Thomas Boyce, Alison Fleming, Harriet MacMillan, Candice Odgers, Marla Sokolowski, & Nico Trocmé). Ottawa, ON: Royal Society of Canada. Available from: https://rsc-src.ca/en/early-childhood-development-rsccahs

National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice and Policy to Advance Health Equity (Brain Story Certification Reference)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551494/

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Early Brain and Biological Development and Early Learning (Reference)
https://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/documents/health-policy/early-brain-biological-development-ebbdel-resources-e.pdf

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2018) : Understanding Motivation: Building the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation: Working Paper 14. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu/resourcecategory/reports-and-working-papers/

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2005, updated 2014). Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain: Working Paper 3. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu/esourcecategory/reports-and-working-papers/

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2015). Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience: Working Paper 13. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu/resourcecategory/reports-and-working-papers/

Bio

Nancy Mannix is the Chair and Patron of the Palix Foundation, a private foundation whose philanthropy aims to ultimately support improved health and wellness outcomes for all children and families.

The Foundation, through the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, focuses on creating alignments between science, policy and practice in the areas of brain development and its implications for child development, mental health and addiction ultimately generating changes at an individual, organizational and systems level.

The work Nancy has done with the Palix Foundation has garnered some prestigious awards such as the 2015 Canadian Medical Award for Excellence in Health Promotion; the 2014 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta’s Circle on Mental Health and Addiction True Leadership Award; the 2013 Certificate of Recognition by the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; 2010-2011 President’s Award, Canadian Mental Health Association and the 2006 Medal for Exceptional Contribution for Early Childhood Development by the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development.

Nancy has served as a member of the Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions Board and her long career and highly regarded work in the charitable sector has included a number of organizations such as the Calgary Health Trust and the Canada West Foundation. She has also served on numerous boards including the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute.

Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of San Diego and a Juris Doctor Degree from Seattle University.