Inova Act on Addiction Summit
January 25 – 29, 2021

Loudoun County Public Schools
Mental Health and Wellness Conference
January 30, 2021 

Free event for parents, educators and community members.
All Act on Addiction session recordings will be available on this site at the conclusion of the entire event.

Register for one or more of the sessions

Session: Addiction and The Family: When COVID, Addiction, and Isolation Intersect  
Date: January 26, 2021 
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. 

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Speaker: Kate Appleman, MA, CAADC, CSAT, CMAT, CCS, Sr. Clinical Director of Men’s Treatment and Clinical Support Services, Caron Treatment Centers. Learn more about Kate

Session Description: With addiction directly impacting over 20 million Americans, most people know and care about someone battling this reality.  With the increase of stress and isolation in the wake of COVID-19, alcohol sales and treatment intakes are on the rise.  In the midst of attempts to cope with a “new norm”, families are reaching out more than ever to seek support and recovery.  This presentation will focus on increasing understanding of the relationship between COVID and addiction, understanding how this pandemic has created a “perfect storm” for addiction, and what solutions family members and loved ones can be empowered to explore. 


Session: Use of Telehealth with Substance Use Disorder 
Date: January 27, 2021 
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. 

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Speaker: Sulman Aziz Mirza, MD, Psychiatrist, Inova Kellar Center and LouCouPsych Learn more about Sulman. 

Session Description: During the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced a quarantine and lack of access to many healthcare providers, individuals receiving treatment for substance use disorders were uniquely challenged. This presentation focuses on the use, implementation, and efficacy of delivering treatment for this patient population via telehealth.


Session: Building Resiliency As You Help Your Substance Using Family Member (Teen/Young Adult) 
Date: January 28, 2021 
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. 

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Speakers: Diana Benjamin Rodriguez, LCSW, CAADC, Director, Clinical Services, Inova Kellar Center and Megan Marshall, LPC, Student Assistance Specialist, Loudoun County Public Schools. Learn more about Diana and Megan

Session Description: : Parents and guardians of adolescent and young adult children who abuse substances experience an inordinate amount of stress. Often times they do not know what to do to help their substance abusing adolescent or young adult child and will typically seek advice from well-meaning family members and even mental health providers that may not be helpful or is ineffective. This presentation will provide parents and guardians practical, actionable steps for building resilience as they assist their substance abusing teen or young adult.  


Session: If Addiction is a Disease, What Can We Do About It? 
Date: January 29, 2021 
Time : 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

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Speaker: Owen Lombardi, MA, Behavioral Therapist 1, Inova Fairfax Hospital, CATS. Learn more about Owen. 

Session Description: Could addiction be a disease?  How do we know?  Is there a way to cure or manage the disease?  What are the best resources and treatments? By the end of this session, you’ll be able to define why addiction is more than moral failing, identify the role of dopamine in addiction and learn how addiction tricks the brain into choosing the drug of choice over other survival needs.  

Register for one or more of the sessions

For more information, materials and resources please visit www.actonaddictionnow.org


For more information and to register for the Loudoun County Public Schools Mental Health and Wellness Conference, please visit: https://lcpsmhwc2021.sched.com.

All sessions will be recorded and will be available at the conclusion of the entire event on www.lcps.org/parentresourceservices.

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