Faces and Facets of Substance Abuse and Recovery

On Thursday November 20, 2014, New Vitae Wellness and Recovery hosted a free educational opportunity to interested community members, individuals who work in the areas of behavioral health, social services, child welfare, criminal justice; teachers; medical professionals; and others personally impacted by substance abuse and addictions.

The forum featured a panel discussion of experts in the field of addictions, including those with both personal and professional experience. Attendees dialogued with individuals who have experienced addiction, directly or through a family member, a treatment professional, individuals who spoke to the 12-step experience, and a spiritual leader who is actively engaged in supporting recovery for those impacted by addictions.  Panelists included David Schlegel, LCSW, CAADC, New Vitae Wellness and Recovery; Dell Bobier, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church-Center Valley, person in long-term recovery and founder of the church’s Celebrate Recovery ministry; Paige Roth, MSW, advocate/person in long-term recovery and a representative of the Lehigh Valley chapter of Young People in Recovery; and Kim Rubenstein, CRS, a certified recovery specialist and representative of the Caron Foundation, a family member and executive director of Be a Part of the Conversation.

Participants learned about current trends in substance abuse and recovery, including region-specific drugs of choice, at-risk populations, and recovery resources. Signs and symptoms of use, abuse and addiction were also presented.

Participants overwhelmingly expressed appreciation for the personal stories and insights from individuals in long-term recovery from substance addiction, as well as family members of individuals impacted by addiction. Perhaps most importantly, attendees left with information about the circles of influence that increase probability for successful recovery from addiction, including evidence-based treatment approaches, supportive relationships, 12-step support, and spiritual resources.

New Vitae Wellness and Recovery was proud to bring together this diverse and knowledgeable group to dialogue with one another and the audience members, and offered continuing education credits for Social Workers, Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Personal Care Home Administrators.