The Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT) will address the needs of women at the Women's Alliance to Strengthen Treatment Access and Retention (WASTAR) conference at the MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa in Stateline, Nev., on Sept. 17-18.  The Conference is supported, in part, by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The purpose of the WASTAR conference is to discuss gender-specific substance abuse treatment and recovery. CASAT provides training, technical assistance, evaluation, research, and other services to support prevention, treatment and recovery in the alcohol and other drugs field. The organization strives to improve substance abuse prevention and treatment services by helping states, organizations, agencies, and individuals apply evidence-based practices in the field.

"The format of this conference is so unique," said Michelle Stupfel Berry, project manager of CASAT and project director of WASTAR.  "Participants are divided into four cohort sessions and stay in the same room throughout the conference and the speakers move from room to room."

Berry said substance abuse and treatment is different between men and women and CASAT wants to find the best way to interact with their clients and deal with gender-specific issues. "We are also using this conference as a research project, studying women's learning styles and environments," she said.

Nevada's First Lady, Dawn Gibbons, is the conference's opening speaker.

"We are really excited to have Dawn Gibbons as a speaker because she is such a positive influence and proponent for awareness and treatment of substance abuse and addiction," said Berry.

Gibbons is speaking on the problem of national and local drug use and what efforts are used to combat the use of illicit drugs.  In particular, she is addressing women and the efforts to heal those with substance use disorders.

Keynote speakers include Carla Green Ph.D., MPH, Senior Investigator Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health & Preventive Medicine and Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University and Kathleen Carroll, Ph.D. - Yale University, Professor of Psychiatry, Division of Substance Abuse.  Tuesday, participants will hear from keynote speaker Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D., LCSW, Director, Institute for Relational Development Center for Gender and Justice

Participants receive a certificate valid for 14 Continuing Education Hour (CEH) credits at the end of the second day.  The conference is approved by many CEH National, Nevada and California organizations.