|
Alcoholism Institute attracts over 500; Committee celebrates event's 25th year (June/July 1993) The New York City Chapter's Committee on Alcoholism and Other Chemical Dependencies held its 25th Annual Alcoholism Institute on May 14; a near-record 550 social workers and other professionals gathered for the day-long conference at Fordham University to discuss "Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse: Looking Back, Looking Forward." The Institute, which was co-sponsored by the Alcoholism Council of Greater New York; Amethyst House; Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service; New York University School of Social Work; and Samaritan Village, Inc. featured 34 workshops and a plenary session. Keynote speakers were Glenfield Knight, Downstate District Director, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and Paige Cook, Jr., Director, New York Regional Services Center, The Mediplex Group, Inc. Dr. Lala Ashenberg Straussner, Professor of Social Work at New York University and Chair of the Committee on Alcoholism was Chairperson for the Institute. In her introductory remarks, Dr. Straussner noted that the first Institute was held in 1968, the time of the "Woodstock Generation", and the beginning of the involvement of professional social workers in the field of alcoholism and drug abuse. "Today," she added, "We are on the brink of tremendous professional changes on policy and practice levels." Mr. Knight cited "...significant progress in the way we view addiction as a society...the important role of treatment and prevention...and [the acknowledgment that addiction] is a public health as well as a public safety issue." He noted that today, "...community-based services are the dominant mechanism for treatment..." and acknowledged that managed care and health care reform "will have serious consequences for the field." Mr. Cook pointed to issues of greater complexity that face professionals today__ people who are more severely ill and often denied services__and pointed to crack as "the drug that fast-forwarded everything." He also stated that while "...more professionals are moving into the area of alcoholism and chemical addiction services, there are none out there who are better skilled and better trained than social workers." Those who are interested in joining the Chapter's Committee on Alcoholism and Other Chemical Dependencies should call Dr. Straussner at (212) 998-5947 or the Chapter office, (212) 668-0050.
|