2015 AATOD Conference in Atlanta, GA
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Letter from the Conference Chair
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
On behalf of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc.
(AATOD), it is my pleasure to invite you to the 2015 AATOD Conference being held
March 28–April 1, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2015 Conference
is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental
Disabilities along with the Opioid Treatment Providers of Georgia.
AATOD has a history of providing an outstanding conference which continuously
strives to provide conference attendees with new and exciting avenues for learning and
growth, 2015 will be no different. In fact, for this conference we will have a first ever
Documentary Screening. The documentary The Fix: The Feeling is Mutual is one way
to accomplish this. What a unique opportunity to be both enlightened and trained! The
conference will be filled with an abundance of other opportunities to socialize with
those in the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) field and to gain knowledge about
opioid overdose prevention, research within MAT, current ideas, and issues through Hot
Topic Round Table Discussions, and a variety of other treatment related concerns. One
of the most important issues that will be addressed at this conference will be the health
crisis America faces as it relates to opioid dependence.
The conference theme is “Addressing a Public Health Crisis: Opioid
Dependence” and the event comes at a unique time in American history. In their
2014 National Drug Control policy, President Obama, and the Office of Drug Control
Policy (ONDCP) proclaimed that the United States is in an Opioid Epidemic. In
addition, ONDCP has officially stated “we are significantly bolstering support for
Medication Assisted Opioid Treatment.” It is important for us to take the opportunity
of MAT becoming more recognized and accepted as a valid and essential piece of the
recovery puzzle. We have a responsibility to those we treat to remain proficient in our
knowledge of treating this disease. Our plenary speakers have been chosen to assist
us in reaching this goal. To name a few, we expect CDC Director, Dr. Thomas Frieden,
SAMHSA Administrator, Pamela Hyde, and ONDCP Director, Michael Botticelli as
featured speakers.
The largest gathering of the MAT community will be at the 2015 AATOD Conference.
AATOD and its membership are the authority on MAT. Although these modalities of
treatment have been available since the 60s, with growing support there is a renewed
interest in MAT. This conference has been designed to meet the needs of everyone
from novice personnel to seasoned MAT providers, with offerings of the Clinicians
Course, Workshops, Hot Topic Round Tables, Patient Advocate Training, and vendors
for products and services that will benefit clinic business. This conference is intended
for anyone who has an interest or concern about the opioid epidemic we are facing.
It is our hope that this event is a catalyst for change in this public health crisis. Your
participation is vital to the success of the conference.
Please join us for the 2015 AATOD Conference in Atlanta.
Sincerely,
Jonathan P. Connell, MA
2015 AATOD Conference Chair