Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday
2026 Wednesday Schedule
8:15 AM to 11:45 AM
KEYNOTE:
Medical Treatment of Addiction and Update on Emerging Drugs
Andrew Waller MD, FASAM
CE Credit Hours: 3.00
Format: Keynote
Learning Level: All Levels
Limited: In-Person Only
Other: 0.5 Ethics included
Room: Colony – DE
Description:
This is a discussion of the medical approach to addictive illness with a focus on opioids, alcohol, stimulants, and novel and emerging drugs. The lecture will be targeted to non-medical clinicians who would like an update on substance use treatment. Some common emerging drugs and the problems we see as a result will be reviewed.
Learning Objective:
- The participant will develop an understanding of the disease model of addiction
- The participant will acquire a basic understanding of how addictions affect the reward system in the brain
- The participant will receive a basic understanding of what medications can be used for various addictions
- The parcipant will appreciateas the role of medical treatment as part of a compassionate and harm reduction oriented care of the addicted patient.
Learning Levels:
All Levels
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Lunch Buffet – Colony ABC
Registration includes a buffet lunch.
1:15 PM to 4:45 PM
Expanding Access: Telehealth and Workforce Solutions for Behavioral Health
Tiffinee Yancey, Ph.D., LPC, ACS, HS-BCP, BC-TMH
CE Credit Hours: 3.00
Format: Breakout
Learning Level: All Levels
Limited: In-Person Only
Other: 0.5 Ethics included
Room: Tidewater – AB
Description:
Behavioral health systems across the country face two persistent challenges: limited access to care and a shortage of trained clinicians. This interactive workshop explores innovative approaches that expand behavioral health access through telehealth delivery models and workforce pipeline development. Participants will examine practical strategies for implementing telehealth services in underserved communities, including school-based environments, while maintaining ethical standards and clinical quality.
Special attention will be given to ethical considerations when using technology in treatment settings, including confidentiality, telehealth standards, supervision responsibilities, and equitable access for vulnerable populations. The workshop will include case examples, applied discussion, and practical tools participants can immediately implement within their organizations.
Learning Objective:
- Participants will be able to identify three barriers that limit access to addiction and behavioral health services in underserved communities.
- Participants will be able to explain two telehealth implementation strategies that expand access to addiction treatment services.
- Participants will be able to describe three ethical considerations when delivering behavioral health services through telehealth technology.
- Participants will be able to outline two workforce development strategies that support the behavioral health treatment pipeline.
Learning Levels:
All Levels
TRANSFORMING SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT THROUGH TRAUMA INFORMED SERVANT LEADERSHIP (.5 Ethics included)
Dr. Sdhari King, DSW, LCSW, NPT-C
CE Credit Hours: 3.0
Format: Breakout
Learning Level: All Levels
Limited: In-Person Only
Other: 0.5 Ethics included
Room: Colony – DE
Description:
Substance use treatment services require a leadership approach that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by treatment providers. These challenges often directly influence treatment practitioners, the treatment experience, and outcomes for clients. Treatment practitioners work with clients who have multiple, complex, and intensive needs and are at risk of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. As a result, substance use treatment services experience turnover rates as high as 50% (Eby et al., 2010). High turnover not only disrupts the continuity of client care but also diminishes treatment effectiveness. Traditional leadership approaches often fail to adequately support practitioners in this demanding environment. In contrast, trauma-informed servant leadership offers a model that fosters safety, support, and well-being for treatment practitioners and their clients. Trauma-informed servant leadership provides the same support as the servant leadership model but also includes understanding and application of how trauma impacts clients, staff, and the agency as a whole.
Learning Objective:
- Learners will be able to define and explain the seven core domains of Trauma-Informed Servant Leadership (TISL) and describe how each domain applies to leadership practices within substance use treatment settings.
- Learners will be able to identify and list at least three trauma-informed servant leadership strategies that promote psychological safety, reduce staff burnout, and mitigate re-traumatization in substance use treatment programs.
- Learners will be able to analyze and critique a substance use treatment leadership scenario using the Trauma-Informed Servant Leadership framework to determine strengths, risks, and areas for organizational improvement.
- Learners will be able to develop and write one measurable implementation plan that incorporates trauma-informed servant leadership principles to improve staff development, client engagement, or team functioning within their substance use treatment environment.
Learning Levels:
All Levels
Access-Informed Addiction Care for Marginalized Communities (.5 Ethics included)
Kayla Smith, LCSW, PhD
CE Credit Hours: 3.00
Format: Breakout
Learning Level: All Levels
Limited: In-Person Only
Other: 0.5 Ethics included
Room: Tidewater – CD
Description:
Trauma-informed care has become foundational in addiction treatment; however, trauma-informed approaches alone are insufficient to address systemic, cultural, and structural barriers that impact engagement and retention among marginalized populations.
This interactive 3-hour breakout session introduces the Access-Informed Clinical Framework™, an integrated model combining trauma-informed care, culturally responsive practice, and barrier-reducing systems design. Participants will explore how historical medical mistrust, structural inequities, immigration-related fear, faith-based stigma, and access friction influence addiction treatment outcomes.
Through clinical case examples, implementation strategies, and systems-level applications, attendees will learn how to reduce engagement barriers, strengthen therapeutic trust, and operationalize equity-driven addiction care across diverse communities.
Learning Objective:
- Participants will be able to identify at least three systemic barriers that reduce engagement in addiction treatment among marginalized populations.
- Participants will be able to differentiate trauma-informed care from access-informed care using two applied clinical examples.
- Participants will be able to demonstrate two culturally responsive strategies that reduce treatment mistrust and improve retention.
- Participants will be able to develop a 90-day implementation outline incorporating at least three barrier-reducing practices within their organization.
Learning Levels:
All Levels
Peer Ethics and Supervision. Can’t We All Just Get Along? (.5 Ethics included)
Thomas A. Jackson, R-CPRS-T, COAPS-T, QMHP
CE Credit Hours: 3.00
Format: Breakout
Learning Level: All Levels
Limited: In-Person Only
Other: 0.5 Ethics included
Room: Allegheny – AB
Description:
Certified and Registered Peer Recovery Specialists in Virginia report ongoing frustration and tension with clinical supervisors, and the supervisors often admit lack of understanding of peer roles, ethics, and trauma histories. We can fix this. We have much more in common than we think, going as far as learning how clinician ethics not only allow space for but in fact welcome Harm Reduction as a supportable practice. Learning how to fix this leads to increased staff satisfaction, staff retention, the absence of iatrogenic trauma, and better services.
This will be a highly interactive session, working through several real life ethical challenges using evidence-based structured approaches, and allowing for a free-flowing yet moderated discusson of issues the participants raise.
Learning Objective:
- Learn elements of, and be able to explain and balance similarties and differences between peer and clinician ethics and approaches to services delivery
- Learn communicatons and supervision tools that will lead to mutual respect and dedication to services
- Learn how to host similar discussions in participants’ own places of business.
- Learn how to access outside resources for more information.
Learning Levels:
All Levels
