Fall Conference

Sometimes it can seem as if prevention, harm reduction and recovery are at opposite ends of the spectrum, however both have the goal and need for reducing harm and healthier communities. By keeping up these walls, those working towards improving prevention, treatment, and recovery from SUD are not able to use each other as meaningful resources, and in turn this short-circuits conversations that could be extremely beneficial. By breaking down these silos and banding together to focus on creating healthier communities, we can drastically reduce triggers for youth and recovering individuals across the nation.

This workshop will highlight the strength that the SUD field can achieve by “talking about it” and working comprehensively with each other to increase positive health outcomes. Addiction can shrink one’s world into a stark self-imprisonment. In recovery, many will seek to re-enter the world and be of meaningful service to others. It is imperative and valuable to coalitions to provide such opportunities.

Dr. Brenda Combs grew up in a middle-class family, but fell into a bad crowd, began using drugs and dropped out of school. During her darkest days on the streets, she endured unspeakable trauma, including being beaten, shot, stabbed, raped and burned with cigarettes. It took hitting rock bottom for Dr. Combs to find the strength to turn her life around, praying and seeking forgiveness and help. Dr. Combs set her sights on education. As a single mother, she successfully obtained a doctorate in organizational leadership and now motivates others with her inspirational story of perseverance. “If I can do it anybody can do it,” she says. “I think every person has inside of them what it takes to succeed.”

All of us in the helping professions are capable of holding an incredible amount of emotional space for others when they are processing, exploring and working through their own experiences. But when it is the world itself that feels like an unsafe space we are asked to hold this space for topics, stressors and traumas that are also effecting us as individuals.

In this training, we will focus on ways we can understand trauma, hold space for trauma, and continue learning new ways to provide trauma informed care. We will also look at the ways we must care for ourselves, utilize supervision and mentorship, and build self compassion skills that can further our career and ability to hold space for others.