Intensive Session: The Addiction-Trauma Connection

SESSION INFO

Sunday, August 27, 2023
12:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Session Type: Intensive

(NO CHARGE) Addiction and trauma are often addressed as separate issues. Yet, criminal justice and behavioral health professionals continue to report a clear and consistent association between the incidence of addictive disorders and all forms of traumatic experience. This 4-hour intensive provides current information on addiction as well as defining the three levels of trauma work: trauma informed, trauma responsive and trauma specific. In addition, there is a focus on the key elements that both staff and clients need to know for effective community supervision: 1. What trauma and abuse are 2. The typical responses to trauma 3. What coping skills are and how to teach them Along with an understanding of these key elements is an introduction to two brief evidence-based interventions that are both trauma informed and gender responsive: Exploring Trauma+: A Brief Intervention for Men and Gender-Diverse People and Healing Trauma+: A Brief Intervention for Women and Gender-Diverse People. These new editions reflect our current understanding of gender as it has shifted from the binary male-female model to a more inclusive and expanded model to include the experiences of transgender and nonbinary people. The research conducted with those in the criminal justice system is also presented.

SESSION PRESENTERS

Stephanie S Covington
Co-Director, Center/Gender & Justice


Stephanie S. Covington, PhD, LCSW, is an internationally recognized clinician, organizational consultant, lecturer, author, and pioneer in the fields of addiction and trauma. For more than thirty-five years, she has created gender-responsive and trauma-informed programs and services for use in public, private, and institutional settings. Her extensive experience includes consulting for and developing programs for numerous US and international agencies and designing women’s services at the Betty Ford Center. She has developed programs for women and men in many criminal legal settings and is the featured therapist on the Oprah Winfrey Network TV show Breaking Down the Bars. Dr. Covington has conducted seminars for behavioral health professionals, community organizations, criminal justice professionals, and recovery groups in the United States, Canada, various countries in Europe, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Morocco, Iceland, Brazil, and New Zealand. She has published extensively, including ten gender-responsive, trauma-informed treatment curricula. She wrote the first manualized treatment program for substance use disorder treatment and authored the best-selling book A Woman’s Way through The Twelve Steps. Her awards include the Power of One Award from the Association of Justice-Involved Females and Organizations (AJFO), the Believing in Girls Award from the PACE Center for Girls, and the Legacy Award from the She Recovers Foundation. Educated at Columbia University and the Union Institute, Dr. Covington is based in La Jolla, California, where she is co-director of both the Institute for Relational Development and the Center for Gender & Justice.


Gwyn Kaitis
Program Analyst, Council of State Governments


Gwyn Kaitis, MA, is a Program Analyst with the American Probation and Parole Association, providing training and technical assistance and leading APPA’s efforts on a variety of projects to advance the field of community corrections. She has a background in intimate partner violence having served as Coalition Policy Director, Shelter Executive Director, trainer with the Chicago Police Academy, and serving as Chair of the New Mexico Intimate Partner Violence Death Review Team.