When addressing the special problems of addiction of criminal drug offenders and adolescents, Addiction Specialist Delbert Boone depends on experience – his own.

"I've been in the field 30 years, and I'm still in recovery," said Boone, who has gained recognition as one of the nation's foremost authorities on addiction and criminal behavior.

"There is no new approach to treating addiction. It's still detox, rehab and outpatient ... and it must be done in conjunction with AA and NA (Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous)," he said.

Boone will be in Meridian on Sept. 17 as the keynote speaker for "Treating Addiction in the New Millennium," a professional development workshop sponsored by Alliance Health Center. Later that evening, he will speak to the public at a free program titled "Sobriety: Straight Up."



About the speaker



Over the last 25 years, Boone has worked with addicts from all walks of life and by relating his own struggles with addiction to heroin and incarceration, he has given hope where there previously was none. Boone has developed the tools to help individuals who are seriously challenged by life – individuals facing addiction to alcohol and other drugs, incarceration, depression, frustration, and loneliness.

  Boone’s primary work though is through his own consulting and training firm NND Productions, in which he consults with both local and federal correctional systems, as well as school districts and law enforcement officials nationwide to deliver quality and effective substance abuse treatment programs and services.

Boone is an award winning video presenter. Since 1995, he has been honored with seven International Telly Awards and recognized for outstanding contributions at four American Corrections Association Film Festivals for his video programs.



Workshops, program



Several topics will be covered at the professional development workshops. Although Boone is the keynote speaker, a session also will be conducted by Dr. John Mutziger, an addictionologist with Decatur Medical Clinic.

Boone will address the following topics: "Treating Addiction In the New Millennium," "Working With the Resistant Client" and "Relapse Prevention." Mutziger will speak on "Dual Diagnosis," which will detail co-occurring disorders – when someone has a substance abuse disorder and a mental health disorder.

Dr. Betsy Storms, director of the Best of Both World's Women's Addiction Center, will serve as moderator for a panel discussion featuring professionals in recovery. Boone will also participate in the panel.

The program "Sobriety: Straight Up" is free and open to everyone, particularly those who have been affected by addiction – their own or that of someone

else. The program will:

• Focus on the process of healthy sobriety and relapse prevention

• Address how positive personal attributes, including creativity, humility and

consistency, contribute to recovery

• Teach techniques to identify barriers to successful recovery and

countermeasures to resolve them

• Emphasize practical and positive strategies

"The evening program is perfect for individuals in recovery, those who have been affected by the addiction of a loved one, as well as those who want to better understand addiction and recovery," said Pace Cooke Emmons, EAP coordinator/public relations director for Weems.

WORKSHOP/PROGRAM



What: Treating Addiction in the New Millennium

When: Sept. 17, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Where: Kahlmus Auditorium, MSU -Meridian Campus, 1000 Hwy. 19 North

Cost: $40, pre-registration by Sept 16; $50, Sept. 17. Registration fee includes lunch, certificate of attendance for 6.5 contact hours and CEU, NADAC and SWU professional credits.

Information: Call Dr. Julia Porter, Wellness Therapy Institute, MSU-Meridian, (601) 484-0184 or e-mail jporter@meridian.msstate.edu



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What: Sobriety: Straight Up

When: Sept. 17, from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Where: Kahlmus Auditorium, MSU -Meridian Campus, 1000 Hwy. 19 North

Cost: Free. No registration is required; certificate of attendance for 1.5 hours available upon request.

Information: Call Cindy Dyess, (601) 581-9918 or Pace Cooke Emmons, (601)483-4821

Sponsors: Alliance Health Center, Weems Community Mental Health Center,

East Mississippi State Hospital, Mental Health Association in Lauderdale County, MSU-Meridian Wellness Therapy Institute, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Meridian Affiliate