On Tuesday, June 15, 2010, a conference entitled First Responders: Special Issues in Treatment and the Role of the Family will be held from 10am-3pm at Florian Hall on 55 Hallet Street in Dorchester, Massachusetts. This conference will focus on the unique issues involved with residential drug and alcohol treatment for first responders such as Police Officers, Corrections Officers, Fire Fighters, EMTs, and Flight Attendants and how treatment and addiction impact their families.
In these highly stressful occupations, first responders may have faced traumatic situations that may cause them to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in addition to their drug and/or alcohol problems. This can lead them to shut out the family as a source of support. Conference objectives include: being able to identify the unique needs of first responders when making referrals for treatment, being able to identify the unique needs of the families when they seek help, learning the basics of the intervention and referral processes, and becoming more proficient in monitoring continued care.
Presenters at this event include:
Richard Broom, Author: His 2010 book, Cocked and Loaded, documents the story of his twenty-six years of recovery. In 1982 he was convicted of second-degree murder and credits prison and 12-step recovery for saving his life. He is now a primary therapist for police officers, firefighters, and parole and probation officers. Each participant will receive a copy of Richards\’ book and have the opportunity to have him sign the book.
Shannon Thompson, LCSW, Social Worker: Teaches families about co-dependency, enabling, denial and the anger issues associated with being in a family with addiction.
Cindy Goss, Emergency Management Expert: A pioneer in the field of emergency preparedness response. Dedicated to addressing head-on the myriad mental health issues resulting from critical incident crisis response.
Anonymous, First Responder and one of his/her family members: A first responder will share his/her experience of being referred to treatment by an employee assistance program professional and the valuable assistance provided by continued care when he/she returned. A family member will also share their experience of attending a family week program.
Professional Credits:
Earn 6.5 CEUs for Addiction Professionals, LCSWs, LMHTs, and LMHCs.
Earn PDHs for Employee Assistance Professionals.
This event is sponsored by:
Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches (www.bhpalmbeach.com), the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police Department, the Boston Fire Department, Local Sheriff\’s Departments, the Massachusetts Department of Correction, and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
Those wishing to register for this event may do so online at www.bhpalmbeach.com/events or by calling 561-398-8336. Registration is $49.00 and includes a light lunch.
