Advisory

NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF RETURNING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES

“Restoring Hope and Building Resiliency”

As veterans return from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of the men and women, and their families, may need help re-establishing their lives and re-connecting with their communities. To help local community substance abuse and mental health service providers best address the complex needs of this diverse population, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in conjunction with Therapeutic Communities of America (TCA) will convene “The Road Home: The National Behavioral Health Conference on Returning Veterans and Their Families—Restoring Hope and Building Resiliency, March 16-18 in Washington, D.C.

This conference will provide information and models on helping veterans and their families build resiliency and prevent and/or treat complex problems such as mental health problems (including PTSD), substance use disorders, suicide, homelessness, sexual abuse, and/or co-occurring disorders that can occur after serving in active combat or under other dangerous conditions.

The full conference agenda and free registration can be accessed through the SAMHSA website at www.samhsa.gov.

WHO: Speakers for the event will include:

Thursday, March 16

• Charles G. Curie, SAMHSA Administrator
• H. Westley Clark, M.D., Director, SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
• Richard Steinberg, M.S., President and CEO, West Care
• BG. Michael J. Kussman, M.D., Deputy Under Secretary for Health, U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs
• Steven Jones, Ph.D., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, U.S. Dept of Defense – INVITED

Friday, March 17

• General Barry McCaffrey, NBC News Military Analyst
• Major General Arthur T. Dean (Ret.) CEO, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
• Sushma Taylor, Ph.D., Vice-President Therapeutic Communities of America, and CEO/President, Center Point, Inc.
• Major Kevin Stevenson, Chief, Social Work Services, Moncrief Army Community Hospital
• Beverly Watts Davis, Senior Advisor, SAMHSA

Saturday, March 18

• Kathryn Power, SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services
• COL. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, M.D., M.P.H., USA, Psychiatrist Consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General
• Salvador Wilson, Program Manager, Walden House/PROSPER Program

WHEN: March 16-18, 2006

WHERE:
Washington Hilton Hotel
1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

SAMHSA, is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

SAMHSA is An Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service