The training will take place Wednesday Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, Dec. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those interested in attending the virtual training can register here: https://pheedloop.com/register/wvpolysubstance/attendee/. The training attracted over 400 attendees, both locally and throughout the country, last year in its second year of existence.
The summit comes from the collaboration of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Behavioral Health and Office of Drug Control Policy, along with the Opioid Response Network and the Charleston Area Medical Center’s Institute for Academic Medicine. This year’s summit will feature local and national experts on polysubstance use.
“We are excited once again to partner with our state and federal partners, along with local agencies and communities to bring this year’s virtual summit which will be addressing polysubstance use through a collaborative framework, examining prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery,” said Amy Saunders, managing director for the Center of Excellence for Recovery at Marshall University Research Corporation. “This year’s theme of ‘we are all in it together’ illustrates the importance of working collaboratively across service systems for the health of West Virginia communities. This year’s summit will highlight best practices from across the country, and share models and ideas that have worked in other areas.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, polysubstance use is the use of more than one drug together or within a short time period, either intentionally or unintentionally. Intentional polysubstance use occurs when a person takes a drug to increase or decrease the effects of a different drug or wants to experience the effects of a combination.
The West Virginia Polysubstance Summit was made possible with funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) administered through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Behavioral Health to the West Virginia Behavioral Health Workforce and Health Equity Training Center.
Continuing education credit will be available for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, addiction/prevention professionals, counselors, social workers and psychologists who choose to attend.
For more information about the West Virginia Polysubstance Summit, visit www.wvpolysubstancesummit.org.