Vaping (Nicotine and Marijuana) +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Physicians/nurses, behavioral health professionals, youth drug prevention groups, young student assemblies, college faculty and students, primary/secondary school teachers

With vaping increasingly commonplace and recreational marijuana use normalized and promoted, young people face new and difficult pitfalls related to substance use and addiction. Misinformation and confusion persist around these topics, and debunked myths are taken as fact. Attendees at this seminar will learn to tell fact from fiction about vaping and marijuana, including the impact of the THC and nicotine industries on public perception and the implications of use on health. Attendees will also be presented with actionable tips for prevention, enabling everyone to feel they can do their part to turn the tide in this modern substance use epidemic.

Psychedelic Medicine and Mental Health +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Physicians/nurses, behavioral health professionals

Psychedelics are one of the hottest topics in healthcare research right now, and are being sold as the next, revolutionary wave in psychiatric intervention. However, as important foundational research in psychedelic science continues to take place, a growing community has begun self-medicating through “microdosing” various psychedelics, and multiple states have authorized psychedelic “healing centers,” allowing for psychedelic substances to be provided to the public without the need for FDA approval on the safety and effectiveness of the substances (as well as for the therapeutic techniques).

Join Dr. Aaron Weiner for an exploration of the current state of psychedelic science, including data published in peer-reviewed journals, social trends surrounding psychedelics’ rapid rise, and the influence of venture capital and the psychedelic industry on public understanding and perception.

Medical Marijuana +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Physicians/nurses, behavioral health professionals, youth drug prevention groups, law enforcement, employers/HR professionals, college faculty and students

Although medical marijuana is legal in forty-two states, widespread confusion exists about what cannabinoids can and can’t do, as most medical professionals do not receive formal education about marijuana. Attendees receive updated information about the therapeutic benefits, risks, and limits of cannabis and cannabinoid products, as well as the political and economic factors that influence the medical marijuana market.

Gaming / Internet Addiction +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Behavioral health professionals, parents

Gaming has become an increasingly large industry, with estimated profits in 2021 of $180 billion. While a fun diversion for some, for others gaming and internet use can become a compulsive, addiction-like behavior. These concerns have only increased during the COVID era, with teens and young adults at home and without normal socialization and recreational activities. Join Dr. Aaron Weiner for an exploration of gaming and internet use as a behavioral addiction, and how behavioral health professionals can most effectively treat clients who are struggling to control their electronics use.

Parenting Strategies – How to Talk About Drug Use in Popular Media +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Youth drug prevention groups, parents, education professionals

Depictions of drug and alcohol use is widespread in current media, including shows often viewed by teenagers such as Stranger Things and The Queen's Gambit on Netflix, and HBO's Euphoria. Given that research indicates that exposure to these messages increases teenage substance use, what can parents do to protect their children? Join Dr. Weiner for an exploration of the psychological impact of drug use in media, as well as actionable strategies for parents and caregivers to help teenagers navigate this complicated social and cultural terrain.

Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) & Parenting Through Modern Traumas +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Behavioral health professionals, parents, education professionals

Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) can have a strong negative impact on the life course of an individual, increasing the risk of developing numerous problems from addiction to heart disease to cancer. Children who experience ACEs are also often misunderstood – seen as oppositional and defiant rather than scared and overwhelmed – and thus treated in ways that may compound the problems they face rather than resolve them. Join Dr. Aaron Weiner for an overview of ACEs and their impact, including a deep understanding of their psychological and physiological underpinnings, as well as techniques you can use to coach caregivers on how to help children with ACEs heal and flourish. Special attention will be given to modern traumas such as concerns about school shootings, COVID, and political unrest.

Ethics in Addiction Treatment +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Behavioral health professionals, Physicians/nurses

Working with substance use disorders can be ethically complex terrain – a biopsychosocial disorder with numerous stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and clinical philosophies to juggle as you make clinical and organizational decisions. This seminar focuses on applied ethics in the context of the treatment of addictions – examining real-world scenarios and ethical conflicts to help prepare you to navigate these challenging situations when they present in your practice. Topics addressed include drug screening, administrative discharge, harm-reduction models, decisional capacity, medication-assisted therapy, and more.

Marijuana Legalization: Implications for communities and public health +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Youth drug prevention, law enforcment, behavioral health professionals, employers/HR professionals, college faculty and students, municipal leaders

Commercialized recreational markets for marijuana have been legalized in 19 states and the marijuana industry continues to push for nationwide legalization. However, many misconceptions exist about both the product and available choices for improving drug policy. Attendees will be briefed on all factors related to recreational marijuana, including the impact of marijuana use on health, politics, driving safety, social trends, and marketing practices.

Youth Drug Trends: How to recognize use, and what parents or teachers can do +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Youth drug prevention, college faculty & students, primary/secondary school staff

Both neurologically and socially, young people are at greater risk for addiction than adults. Even so, there are many ways that adults can help to lower the risk of addiction, within a family or an entire community. Attendees will learn about current youth drug trends (with an emphasis on vaping and marijuana), what to watch for to identify whether a young person is using, and best practices for reducing risk of addiction. Available for both adolescent and collegiate populations

Addiction: Substances, consequences, and treatments +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Behavioral health professionals, youth drug prevention groups, law enforcement, employers/HR professionals

According to national data, diagnosable substance-abuse disorders are found in about 8% of the U.S. population. This presentation provides an overview of different drug classes, how addictions develop, and how best to treat them from an evidence-based perspective.

The Opioid Epidemic: Current status and next steps +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Physicians/nurses, behavioral health professionals, youth drug prevention groups, municipal leaders

Misuse of opioids kills tens of thousands of people every year, and non-fatal overdoses and the effects of addiction on families impacts hundreds of thousands more. Emerging best practices and policies can help to reduce the number of people newly addicted to opioids and rates of overdose death. Attendees will learn the current status of the opioid epidemic in America, contributing factors to ongoing challenges, and how they can do their part to bring about positive change on an individual and system level.

Addiction in the Workplace: Reasonable suspicion training +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Employers/HR professionals

Given the 8% rate of addiction in the United States, many employers and managers will at some point need to address an employee whom they believe is impaired at work. This training provides an overview of common substances of addiction and misuse, signs that an employee may be suffering from an addiction, and best practices on how to address concerns with your employee effectively, safely and with compassion.

Parenting Strategies – Supporting Adolescent Mental Health in 2023 +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Parents, education professionals

Helping your teenager cope with difficult emotions has been a challenge even in the best of times, but the pandemic years have taken adolescent stress levels to a new level. Is what you're seeing normal teenage angst, an understandable reaction to stress, or a clinical problem worth addressing? And how should you address it? Join Dr. Aaron Weiner for a review of the current state of teen mental health, how you can tell normal problems from more significant mental health concerns, and numerous actionable steps and ideas parents can use to support teens’ mental health and wellbeing.

Treating Trauma and PTSD: A cognitive-behavioral approach +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Behavioral health professionals

Trauma and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can have a deeply disruptive impact on an individual’s life and well-being, and can also be challenging to treat from a clinician’s perspective. Fortunately, evidence-based therapeutic techniques have been developed to treat PTSD effectively in most cases, often vastly improving quality of life within three- to six-month treatment periods. Drawing from his years of training in Veterans Administration hospitals, Dr. Weiner presents a model for understanding and treating trauma from a cognitive-behavioral perspective, with a focus on Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).

Motivational Interviewing (Individual workshop or 3-part series) +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Physicians/nurses, behavioral health professionals

Motivational Interviewing is one of the most-studied modalities for helping clients resolve ambivalence and achieve the changes they would like to see in their lives. A transdisciplinary skill, motivational interviewing (MI) can increase the effectiveness of anyone in a direct-contact role with others, including healthcare professionals, business managers, and psychotherapists. Attendees will learn the core philosophies of MI, as well specific techniques to put MI practices into action. This workshop series incorporates opportunities for small-group practice, to try out new skills and process the experience in real-time.

Navigating Difficult Conversations about Suicide +

APPLICABLE GROUPS: Employers, employees, parents, education professionals

Suicide is a major problem in today’s society: it’s the 10th most common cause of death in the United, states, and the 2nd most common cause of death for people under 35. Despite the high prevalence rate, most of us don’t know how to tell if someone else may be suicidal, or how to handle conversations if someone tell us they are feeling like they may take their own life. Attendees at this talk will learn about signs that someone may be thinking about suicide, how to speak to them about their feelings with compassion and safety in mind, and the resources everyone needs to know to help provide help and care to these individuals. Additional content is available to focus specifically on workplace/employment populations, as well as adolescents and teens