Plus: Minority fellowship programs; a mental health summit; and a new outpatient treatment center in suburban Chicago
By Darya Daneshmand
New & Next: Community
2021 NIDA-NIAAA Frontiers in Addiction Research Mini-Convention
The 2021 NIDA-NIAAA Frontiers in Addiction Research Mini-Convention, held virtually on Nov. 1 and 2, will offer an opportunity to explore relevant neuroscience research on addiction. The full agenda is here.
Three main sessions are to be held:
- “Brain, Behavior and Environment as a Complex System in SUD/AUD”
- “Novel Approaches to Studying Social Cognition in Addiction”
- “Harnessing Single Cell Technologies to Understand Addiction Mechanisms and Develop New Therapeutic Targets”
Young and junior investigators working in the alcohol, substance abuse and addiction research fields will be showcased through the Early Career Investigator Showcase (ECIS) during the mini-convention.
Registration for the mini-convention is free to the public.
2022 Minority Fellowship Programs
Addiction counseling students of minority populations interested in master’s degree-level counseling fellowships are invited to apply to the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Minority Fellowship Program for Addiction Counselors (MFP-AC). Selected recipients will receive fellowships of $15,000 with covered program-related travel expenses. Up to 40 such fellowships are available. The application period will remain open until Dec. 15, 2021, and awardees will be notified by the end of March 2022.
Three other minority fellowship program fellowships, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), are now accepting applicants:
- NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Mental Health Counselors (Master’s)
- NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Mental Health Counselors (Doctoral)
- Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program (Master’s and Doctoral)
For more information on the programs and to apply, go here.
NBCC Symposium Taking Proposals
The NBCC Foundation has opened the application period for proposals to present at its 2022 Bridging the Gap Symposium: Eliminating Mental Health Disparities, taking place June 4 and 5, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The event’s theme, “Elevating Families and Communities,” will place special emphasis on resources for empowering families and communities. “Treatment of Substance Use and Addiction in Underserved Communities” is among seven categories of topics, the majority of which focus on dismantling barriers for a number of under-resourced populations.
Presentations may be of 45, 60 or 90 minutes, and are strongly encouraged to be interactive. Proposals will be taken until Dec. 31, 2021, and applicants can expect to be notified of a decision on Feb. 1, 2022. Apply here.
Mental Health Summit
Awareness campaign IDONTMIND’s two-day mental health summit, Our Future In Mind, will stream virtually on YouTube on Nov. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. EST and Nov. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. EST. The program will feature more than 30 young mental health advocates and cover topics such as equity in mental health, using social media for good, and LGBTQ+ leadership and wellness. Attendees will hear from a diverse group ranging from mental health experts to artists, actors and social media influencers.
Registration is free.
New & Next: Media
2021 Report on Mental Health
The annual State of Mental Health in America Report recently was published, and features several key findings, including statistics on rising rates of substance use.
The report ranks mental health and treatment access measures across states. Such information is valuable in identifying how state and federal policies impact access.
New & Next: Industry
RCA Opens Outpatient Center
Illinois-based Recovery Centers of America (RCA) recently announced the opening of a treatment facility for patients seeking general outpatient, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization care for substance use disorder. The new facility is located 10 minutes from RCA’s inpatient treatment center in the Chicago suburb of St. Charles.
In addition to offering counseling and therapy, seminars, alumni support and wellness activities, RCA is harnessing the digital health platform Shoutout to support continued recovery support for alumni as they move forward.
Photo: Clay Banks
