The 22nd Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council announces an upcoming symposium on “Substance Abuse and Family Violence: A Multi-Disciplinary Community Response.” Any individual or agency professionals who are interested are welcome to attend the symposium from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, October 25 at the Luecht Conference Center at McHenry County College.
The symposium is presented in cooperation with McHenry County College. The program aims to develop a coordinated multi-disciplinary approach to substance abuse and family violence where it is recognized that one often leads to the other, both for the victim and the perpetrator. According to presenter Larry Bennett, Ph.D, “It seems like the most compelling issue for the timing of this symposium is that the Affordable Care Act will require healthcare entities such as addiction programs and other behavioral health care programs to screen for domestic violence. And, if you screen, you must refer for treatment if necessary. That makes the collaboration of community service providers, in effect, a mandate.”
Some women who have chosen to remain anonymous have commented about their experience:
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“When my husband drank too much, the family walked on eggshells until he passed out on the couch or in a chair. When my husband drank too much, the violence in our household escalated. When my husband drank too much, he became a violent monster and would apologize the next day.”
“The oppression in (my) marriage caused me to fall back on my old coping mechanism of using (drugs). It was the only think that took the emotional pain away. Alcohol helped me endure my life. Using helped me pretend that my life was happy. I had been considering suicide so my choice became one of life or death—choose to use or choose to die.”
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The event is intended for judges, attorneys, teachers, health care providers, probation officers, law enforcement, social workers, counselors, clergy and anyone who responds to the needs of family violence victims, their families and the prosecution and sentencing of those committing the crime.
Two nationally known keynote speakers will address the relationship between family violence and substance abuse on the part of the victim and/or offender. Speakers are: Larry Bennett, Ph.D., LCSW, professor at Jane Addams School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago. He will present “Substance Misuse and Partner Violence: What We Know and What We are Doing.” The second speaker is Lori Crowder, MSW, executive director of Alliance of Local Service Organizations in Chicago. She will present “Complex Lives in Context: Working at the intersection of domestic violence, community violence, and substance abuse.”
The event will feature four informative breakout sessions on related topics, including Assessment, Treatment and Collaboration: Brings Better Outcomes for Clients; Men’s Issues, Domestic Violence Court in the 22nd Judicial Circuit, and Teens, Alcohol and Violence.
The program is made possible with funding by Rosecrance Health Network, Gateway Foundation Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Direct Counseling Inc., McHenry County Regional Office of Education and McHenry County College.
The program costs $15 admission and is open to the public. Continental breakfast and lunch is included. Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) and five Minimum Continuing Legal Education Credits (MCLE’s) will be provided.
To register, contact the Shah Center at (815) 455-8593 or email shahcenter@mchenry.edu. For more information, contact Bev Thomas at (815) 479-7792 or email her at bthomas@mchenry.edu.
