American Psychological Association Division 50

APA Annual Convention

Outside the Box: Harm Reduction and Other Innovative Approaches to Studying and Treating Substance Use Behaviors

August 8 - 11, 2019

Chicago, IL

The Society of Addiction Psychology (SoAP) welcomes you to the 2019 APA Convention in Chicago, August 8-11, 2019. There is unprecedented public interest in harmful alcohol and drug use and addictive disorders in the US right now. Media attention focuses on the opioid epidemic, cannabis legalization, and the growing awareness of the racial disparities brought about by the ‘war on drugs’. Addiction psychologists have made considerable strides towards improving the lives of those who seek abstinence through formal treatment. However, the vast majority of individuals who use alcohol and drugs in harmful ways never seek such treatment. Innovative strategies to reduce substance-related harm are needed to help those who are unable or unwilling to seek out or stay in traditional, abstinence-based treatment. In light of this pressing need, the theme for the 2019 APA annual meeting is "Outside the Box: Harm Reduction and Other Innovative Approaches to Studying and Treating Substance Use Behaviors" and the 2019 SoAP program will feature scientifically-grounded strategies that reduce individual, familial, community, and societal harm.

Call for Papers

There is unprecedented public interest in harmful alcohol and drug use and addictive disorders in the US right now. Media attention focuses on the opioid epidemic, cannabis legalization, and the growing awareness of the racial disparities brought about by the ‘war on drugs’. Addiction psychologists have made considerable strides towards improving the lives of those who seek abstinence through formal treatment. However, the vast majority of individuals who use alcohol and drugs in harmful ways never seek such treatment. Innovative strategies to reduce substance-related harm are needed to help those who are unable or unwilling to seek out or stay in traditional, abstinence-based treatment.

The 2019 SoAP program committee is seeking scientifically-grounded proposals that move beyond standard diagnosis, intervention, and treatment approaches to consider strategies that reduce individual, familial, community, and societal harm, including but not limited to:

Considering alcohol and drug use as a modifiable health behavior (vs. a psychiatric diagnosis)
Redefining treatment success and recovery beyond abstinence and use-reduction outcomes to include reduced substance-related harm and improved quality of life outcomes
Safer consumption sites, needle exchange programs, and non-abstinence tolerant programs
Long-term, supportive care approaches to treating harmful substance use and addiction

Special consideration will be given to symposium proposals that include presenters from related fields that also influence addiction science and practice (e.g., social work, sociology, criminal justice, allied health).

Submission details

Submissions should be relevant to the division’s research and clinical members, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, and be positioned to disseminate cutting edge information to psychologists from other APA division.
Proposals for symposia, poster presentations, discussion sessions, conversation hours, and skill-building sessions will be considered. Individual paper presentations will not be considered.
All symposium submitters are strongly encouraged to apply for Continuing Education review when submitting.
The division offers numerous merit-based travel awards for students and early career psychologists.

Further details and the submission portal can be found at http://www.apa.org/convention/proposals.aspx

Program

Find Help for Addiction

Resources are available for those struggling with addiction and numerous effective treatments exist. Whether you are looking for help for yourself or a loved one, we encourage you to seek out help.

We recommend the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which provides resources on behavioral health treatment across the country, as well as medication-assisted treatment programs for opioid addiction.
The National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices provides useful information about interventions for addiction that have been shown to be effective.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Treatment Navigator provides a step-by-step strategy for finding the best quality alcohol treatment programs and individual providers.

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