Mark your calendars and come to Boston this month to enjoy the foliage and the New England Association of Drug Court Professionals (NEADCP) Annual Conference on October 20-21.

Several hundred judges, other criminal justice professionals, treatment providers, researchers, federal, state and community leaders are expected to attend the 8th Annual Conference that will be held once again in Boston, Mass., at the beautiful UMASS conference center overlooking Boston Harbor.

Featured presenters:

• Ruth Balser, MA State Representative, Chair, Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Michael Botticelli, Assistant Commissioner, MA Department of Public Health
• William Brownsberger, MA State Representative, member, Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Elizabeth Burek, Coordinator, Veterans Court, Rochester, NY
• Kevin Burke, MA Secretary, Executive  Office of Public Safety
• Barbara Cimaglio, Deputy Commissioner for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, Vermont Department of Health
• Tom Coderre, National Field Director, Faces and Voices of Recovery
• Caroline Cooper, Associate  Director, Justice Programs Office, American University
• Kitty Dukakis, author, Recovery Advocate and Human Rights Activist
• Michael S. Dukakis, Former Governor of Massachusetts and Former US Presidential Nominee
• Marie Dyak, Vice President, Entertainment Industries Council
• Alexa Eggleston, Public Policy Director, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
• Honorable Jo Ann Ferdinand, Acting Justice, NY State Supreme Court for Kings County
• Michael Finigan, President and Director of Research, NPC Research, Inc., Oregon
• Maryanne Frangules, Project Coordinator, MOAR
• Julienne Giard, Project Manager, Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Initiative, CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
• Rick Holmes, Opinion Editor, Metrowest Daily News
• Steve Hornberger, Program Director, National Association for Children of Alcoholics
• West Huddleston, CEO, National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)
• Tom Kirk, Commissioner, CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
• Adam Mansky, Director of Operations, Center for Court Innovation, NY
• Douglas Marlowe, Chief of Research, Law and Policy, NADCP
• Honorable Patricia Marks, Supervising Judge, Rochester, NY
• Sam Mettler, Creator & Executive Producer, Intervention (A&E)
• Greg Mclune, Clinical Case Manager, Veterans Court, Rochester, NY
• Lisa Najavits, Professor of Psychiatry, BU School of Medicine, author of Seeking Safety
• Constance Peters, Vice President for Substance Abuse, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of MA
• Dennis Reilly, Deputy Director of Drug Court Programs, Center for Court Innovation
• John Renner, MD Associate Chief of Psychiatry,VA Boston Healthcare System, and Chief, Substance Abuse Treatment Program at VA Outpatient Clinic,
• Honorable John Schwartz, Founder of first NY Drug Court, Past President, NADCP
• Jose Szapocznik, Director, Center for Family Studies, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
• Philip Valentine, Executive Director, CCAR
• David White, Jr., Past President, MA Bar Association, Chair, MA Bar Association Drug Task Force
• NEADCP Board members

Plenary session topics include:

• Bringing Drug Courts to Scale
• The Verdict is in: Latest Drug Court Research
• Discussion with NE State Agency Directors on Addiction in the Community
• Addiction: Public Policy Perspectives
• Brief Strategic Family Therapy: The Role of Culture in Adolescent Drug Abuse and its Treatment
• Numbing the Pain: PTSD and Substance Abuse

Special attractions include an awards luncheon, featuring HOPE and President's award recipients, an Intervention, A&E Network segment, plus exhibits, and interactive workshop sessions.

Please distribute to colleagues and register now. On site registration is available.

See www.advocatesinc.org/NEADCP2008.html for program agenda, updates and more conference information, or contact Kerin Raymond at kraymon@advocatesinc.org or 978-772-1846.