Press release:
To help families heal from addiction’s impact on all ages, Jewish Family Service is presenting Straight Talk on Addiction in the Family featuring Claudia Black, PhD Sunday, March 9, 2008 at Sheraton Cincinnati North Hotel, 11320 Chester Rd., Sharonville, OH.  Black, a best selling author and trainer, is internationally recognized for her pioneering work with family systems & addictive disorders. 

This symposium is the 5th annual Miriam O. Smith Educational Series, established to provide an opportunity for professional development as well as offer the community a chance to learn from nationally recognized mental health experts.

 Professionals can receive 4.5 CEUs for Social Work (reciprocal for Nursing), Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy; 4.5 MCEs for Psychology; 4.5 RCHs for Chemical Dependency; or a Teacher Certificate of Attendance for 4.5 Contact Hours. 

Straight Talk on Addiction in the Family will address the scope of addiction, the impact of addiction on young and adult children, the consequences of living in denial, the significance of dealing with shame during recovery, and the effects of family interventions. The symposium is designed to appeal to both the general community and professionals.  

“The entire family system is affected when one member has an addiction. But we can learn to overcome unhealthy shame and make good choices in our lives,” says Black.   

Addiction by one family member can affect the entire family system. It is not limited only to substance issues such as alcohol or drugs, but also includes behavioral addiction to gambling or something that seems as harmless as shopping, computer use, or playing video games. 

Black acknowledges how the different types of addiction tap into the same brain chemistry.  

“Depression is often an underlying factor for many addictions, and I will discuss how family of origin issues fuel the spectrum of addictive disorders,” she says. “I will help participants recognize that addictions stem from sources of emotional vulnerability that can get acted out in a variety of ways.” 

Black is the author of several books including the bestseller, “It Will Never Happen to Me: Growing up with Addiction as Youngsters, Adolescents, Adults.” She is a clinical consultant for The Meadows Treatment Center in Wickenburg, Ariz. and serves on the Advisory Board for the National Association of Children of Alcoholics and the Advisory Council of the Moyer Foundation. She is also a part-time faculty member at the University of Washington School of Social Work in Seattle, Wash.  

The general session with Black is 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.; participants receiving 4.5 professional credit units will continue with Black until 5:30 p.m.  Admission for the general session is $20 by March 5, $25 after, and $70 for both sessions if received by March 5, $85 after. 

The latter part of the day is for professionals only and will offer practical strategies for working with family members and the addicted client. Black will offer treatment interventions and explain key barriers to ongoing recovery, specifically assisting family members in recognizing their role in the impaired family and their potential for recovery. She will also address strategies specific to chronic anger and anger avoidance, which contribute to family stress and relapse.

Straight Talk on Addiction in the Family is sponsored in part by Sheraton Cincinnati North Hotel and Cephalon. For more information, visit www.jfscinti.org or contact Sandee at (513) 766-3352 or sgolden@jfscinti.org.