White House Deputy Drug Czar to Speak at Romeoville Heroin Forum

Submitted article:

There is still time to register to attend the 2013 HERO HELPS Community forum during which the White House’s Deputy Drug Czar will join Will County leaders in outlining strategies to address the heroin abuse epidemic. 

Michael Botticelli, deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, will present the keynote address at the 2013 Hero Helps Community Forum slated for April 19 at Lewis University in Romeoville. The forum runs from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Registration on the day of the event begins at 7:45 a.m. 

Continuing Education Credits through Illinois Alcohol and Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc., Silver Cross Hospital and Aurora University are available to healthcare professionals, social workers, counselors and substance abuse treatment and prevention providers who attend the April 19 forum. Four CME units or CEU’s will be available for healthcare professionals, LCSW’s, LCPC’s, and all IAODAPCA certification categories at no charge. 

Deputy Director Botticelli has more than two decades of experience supporting people affected by substance abuse disorders. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, he served as Director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where he developed and expanded innovative and nationally recognized prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery programs. 

“Drug use in America should be treated as a public health issue, not a moral or just a criminal justice issue,” Botticelli said. “Decades of scientific research demonstrate beyond a doubt that substance use disorders – the underlying cause of too much harm to our citizens – is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated. The good news is that we are not powerless against this challenge and we are making a difference.” 

Other speakers at the forum will include: James Roache, FBI-Chicago Division; Kathleen Burke, Robert Crown Center for Health Education; Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck, Illinois Department of Public Health; Dr. David Mikolajczak, Silver Cross Hospital; Dr. Seth Eisenberg, Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse; and Dr. Steven Aks, Toxikon Consortium and Cook County Health and Hospital System.

“This synchronized public health strategy is critical to our success in reducing the number of heroin overdose deaths in our county,” said Paul Lauridsen, clinical director for Stepping Stones Treatment Center. “We are honored to have the Deputy Director of the ONDCP echoing our message on this vital health issue.”

The 2013 Hero Helps Community Forum will be held the JFK Sports Complex on the campus of Lewis University, 1 University Parkway, Romeoville.  For more information, visit the HERO HELPS Web site: www.herohelpsevent.org.

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