Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Media Advisory

Center for Mental Health Services
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

Contact: Michele Westbrook
March 28, 2001
Phone: (301) 443-9714

Online Events Focus on Addiction and Recovery

Fourteen Web-Based Activities Set to Raise Awareness Among Individuals, Families, and Communities About the Benefits of Substance Abuse Treatment

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) announced today a series of 14 web-based events designed to raise awareness about the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment. The events also aim to encourage support for individual, family, and community-based efforts on behalf of individuals recovering from the disease of alcohol and drug addiction. The web-based events will lead up to the 12th annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month observance in September of 2001.

The 2001 Recovery Month activities, are being coordinated by CSAT in partnership with over 60 individuals, coalitions, organizations and government agencies. The effort aims to involve local and national recovery networks, civic, policy and elected leaders, and a host of others in the development of events and activities that bring attention to the needs of those suffering with, or in recovery from, alcohol and drug addiction.

The online events will be comprised of seven one-hour web chats and seven web casts. These events are scheduled on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from April through September. Event topics will complement this year's Recovery Month theme, "We Recover Together: Family, Friends, and Community." They will be featured on the Recovery Month webpage: ncadi.samhsa.gov/2001.

Web Chats

The web chats will feature experts from a range of specialty areas within the substance abuse treatment field and from allied professions and services. They will be available on-line the 1st Wednesday of the month at 3:00 p.m. EST or 7:00 p.m. EST, beginning in April and ending in September (two web chats will be held in September). Questions will be taken both in advance of the actual chats through the Recovery Month web site or live during the chat. Schedule and topics are for the web chats are as follow:

April 4th: - 3:00 p.m.	Planning and Executing a Successful Recovery Month Event
May 2nd: - 3:00 p.m.	Criminal Justice Approaches to Addiction/Treatment
June 6th: - 7:00 p.m.	Family Approaches to Addiction/Treatment
July 11th: - 7:00 p.m.	Faith Community Approaches to Addiction/Treatment
August 1st: - 3:00 p.m.	Workplace Approaches to Addiction/Treatment
September 5th: - 7:00 p.m.	Community-Based Organization Approaches to Addiction/Treatment
September 26th: - 3:00 p.m.	Social Service Approaches to Addiction/Treatment

Webcasts

The webcasts, beginning April 18, will be hosted by a number of renowned individuals, including Dennis Wholey, host of the PBS show This is America With Dennis Wholey and author of The Courage to Change; Susan Rook, former CNN anchor; and Ivette Torres, Director of CSAT's Office of Communications and External Liaison. Each webcast will also begin at 3:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. EST and engage a panel of experts in discussion on various aspects of addiction treatment, answer questions from the online audience, and feature video footage of successful treatment initiatives from around the country. Specific dates and topics for the webcasts are:

April 18th: - 3:00 p.m.	Overview of CSAT and Recovery Month
May 16th: - 3:00 p.m.	Treatment 101
June 20th: - 7:00 p.m.	What Families Can Do to Prevent and Intervene With Alcohol and Drug Problems
July 18th: - 7:00 p.m.	Exploring the Connection Between Addiction and Other Health and Social Problems
August 15th: - 3:00 p.m.	Children of Alcohol and Drug-Addicted Parents: Protecting Our Future
September 12th: - 7:00 p.m.	The Science of Addiction and Treatment
September 19th: - 3:00 p.m.	The Roles of Friends and Community in the Recovery Process

In addition to the webcasts and web chats, the Recovery Month's webpage, ncadi.samhsa.gov/2001 will also feature detailed information regarding each of the web events, including events abstracts, speakers bios, downloadable publications on related topics, links to relevant web sites, community-based events throughout the country, and overall Recovery Month events and activities.

CSAT is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead Federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on the Internet at www.samhsa.gov. News media requests should be directed to Media Services at (800) 487-4890.