Conference Check-in

Pick up name badges and conference materials

Coffee, tea, juice, pastries

Invocation Reverend Doctor Jeffrey Siker,
Chair of the Theological Studies Department at LMU

Welcome, conference overview, introductions

Earl Hightower, Emcee

A Secure Base for Recovery: Sober Living Houses as Alternative Families

Kevin Heslin, Ph.D, Charles Drew University

The Assault on Fair Housing Rights

Deborah Parker, Futures Associates, Solutions for Treatment Expansion Project

Concurrent workshops, panels

Choose from among these 90-minute sessions:

Adolescent Treatment: What Works: Why and When and How

Moderator: Steven Petrus, Psy.D.,Clinical Director Meridian Youth Treatment Center
Joanne Barron, M.A., CADC; National Outreach Director Insight and Clearview Treatment Programs

Patti Ochoa, RAS; Touchstones

David Smith, MD, FASAM, FAACT; Newport Academy
Gaby Perez, Student: Glendale Community College

John D. Lieberman - Director of Operations, Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers

Sober Housing Roundtable

Leading providers discuss challenges and the state of sober living today.

Moderator: David Casey, Bridge Sober Living Homes, Inc.

Jeremy Stanton, Haven House

Andrew Martin, Serene Center

Susan Burton, A New Way of Life
Mona Fortenberry Board of Directors Los Angels County Sober Living Coalition
Tom Whiting, Owner Discovery House
Lisa Parker-Meredith, Step-Up Recovery

Don Trotman

Marketing Challenges and Solutions for Recovery Services

A wide ranging discussion about the need for effective marketing, and about marketing strategies pursued by a variety of successful addiction services providers.

Adrienne Stratton, Stratton & Associates

Heather Edney, White Rabbit Partners

Cynthia Masters, Villareal & Associates

Recovery Coaching

What, exactly, is coaching? What does a coach do? What qualifies someone to be a coach? How does one determine success? These and other issues will be discussed.

Moderator: Bradley Smith, CADCA, RTC, CCJP
Linda Landon, ACC - Business and Recovery Coach

Andrew Susskind, MSW, ACC – Life Transition & Recovery Coach
Stacie Cox, LCSW, CADC II, CEC, CHt
Nanette Zumwalt - Hired Power

Recovery is an Inside Job

Recovery starts with an internal “Aha” that says I do not want to die – I want to find a way out of this. As Nietzsche said “the thought of suicide gets a lot of us through a long and lonely night.” But what then? After you don’t die? Where do I go from here.?

Presenters: Sharon Dunas, MFT, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Robert David Jaffee, B.A, Yale, M.P.P.M
Sanjeet Sihota, MSW Peer Mentor and Coach

Re-Claim your Personal Power

This will be a powerful presentation focused on helping individuals identify the driving forces behind WHY they do what they do and creating the ability for them to take back their Personal Power!

Presenter: Jairek Robbins, B.A. Psych, University of San Diego
Coach/Speaker, Founder/CEO - Jairek Robbins Companies

Luncheon Program

Humanitarian Award- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

This award is in recognition of the Mayor’s commitment to helping the less fortunate among us.

Spirit of Recovery Award- Dr. H. Westley Clark

With deep gratitude for Dr Clark’s enthusiastic and valuable support of the Southern California Recovery Summit since its inception in October 2007.

Keynote address: What are we learning from research on sober living houses, and where do we go from here?

Douglas Polcin, Ed.D, MFT, Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute

Session abstract

The need for alcohol- and drug-free housing that can sustain recovery over time has not received enough attention. Results from “An Evaluation of Sober Living Houses” will be presented, which describe outcomes for 300 residents at 18- month follow-up.  Future directions for research on sober living houses will be described.

Treatment and Recovery, the View from Washington

Dr. H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., CAS, FASAM; Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, SAMHSA

Afternoon Concurrent workshops, panels

Choose from among these 90-minute sessions:

Professionalism in the Recovery Workplace

Ed Storti, CADC III

This presentation has been developed over 33 years through the speaker's experiences in visiting and viewing treatment centers through the eyes of the prospective client. The ultimate goal through this presentation is to set a benchmark as it pertains to staff image and professionalism and as it is seen though the eyes of the consumer.

Choice Theory Relationships in Addiction Counseling

Dr. William Glasser and Carlene Glasser, The William Glasser Institute

Dr Glasser and Carlene Glasser will explain how Choice Theory can be used to help the people you work with and make your own lives easier by enriching your relationships. Presentation will show a role play involving Dr Glasser and a client, a self admitted heroine addict. Dr Glasser and Carlene Glasser will elaborate on the application of Choice Theory during the session.

Changing the Dynamic through which Recovery is Perceived

Bradley Quick Founder - The Cool Change Foundation, Inc

Bradley states his organization’s philosophy to be, “The cure is in the perception of the solution”.  His goal is, “To change the dynamic through which recovery is perceived and to make recovery an ambition as opposed to the shame based stigma it is today”.

Emotional Sobriety - The Next Step in Recover

Allen Berger, Ph.D.

Recovery follows three stages: Getting clean and sober, staying clean and sober, and living clean and sober. Getting clean and sober is the easiest of the three. Staying clean and sober and living clean and sober concern Stage II of recovery. This stage is characterized by learning to have healthy relationships. This presentation will explore the concept of "emotional sobriety" and how it relates to Stage II Recovery. Dr. Berger will discuss Bill Wilson's letter to help a depressed friend that was written in 1956. He will elaborate Bill’s letter by discussing how it relates to other mental health concepts like emotional dependency and self-esteem. 

“How to Effectively Advocate for Sober Living and Residential Treatment with Your Local Government”.

Moderator Deborah Parker, Solutions for Treatment Expansion Project (STEP)
Futures Associates, Inc.
C. Edward Dilkes, Attorney at Law
Jeff Christensen, Project Director Los Angeles County Sober Living Coalition

This panel will provide key talking points and effective elements of strategy people can employ in their local communities. Panelists will identify the main areas in which local governments impede providers of sober living and residential treatment, key state and federal legal protections for providers, and effective talking points and strategies for working with local governments. Particular emphasis will be on the misapplication of the “6 and under” provision to sober living and how to combat the increasing numbers of ordinances seeking to restrict AOD housing. Panelists will discuss the specifics of successful legal strategies, key talking points to always use with local governments, how to identify and use local data without being a researcher, and quick and easy uses of the media.