Leading Forward in Substance Use Care: Ethics, Innovation, and Excellence

Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) often face complex challenges such as trauma exposure, co-occurring mental health conditions, caregiving responsibilities, and social stigma. Training that addresses these factors enhances counselors’ ability to provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive care tailored to diverse client needs, while strengthening prevention efforts and building resilience across communities.

Grounded in innovation and clinical excellence, this training will equip professionals with evidence-based strategies and forward-thinking approaches that reflect today’s evolving behavioral health landscape. Ethical training is also essential, as working with individuals in recovery may involve navigating issues related to confidentiality, dual relationships, reproductive and family health considerations, and informed consent—especially in settings such as family court or maternal health programs. Together, SUD and ethics training empower counselors to deliver competent, ethical, and client-centered care.

All are cordially invited to join Horizon for an all-day training event featuring well-renowned guest speakers Dr. Sara Bailey, Dr. Michael King, and Dr. Michael McGee.

Participants may attend one, two, or all training sessions. There are only 125 seats available per session. All attendees will receive a Certificate of Attendance upon completion. This training is eligible for CEUs.

Due to limited seating for each training session, please register in advance by March 26, 2026 (or until sessions reach capacity). There is no cost to attend.

For questions, please contact Ryan Weaks at (434) 426-1186 or email [email protected]

Info: From its rule-based origins to the current generative revolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to transform healthcare, but not without significant ethical risk. In this interactive session, we will trace the evolution of AI, examining how historical algorithmic biases in mental health and SUD care inform our modern challenges. Moving beyond theory, we will explore AI through the lens of our core clinical values: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, fidelity, veracity, and justice. Using case examples, we will collaboratively practice "human-in-the-loop" decision-making, ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces the therapeutic alliance and sound clinical judgment. Participants will leave with a practical, high-impact tool, the "AI-4-I" framework, designed to guide the responsible and ethical integration of generative AI into professional practice.

Info: In the face of rapid change -- emerging technologies, shifting policies, budget pressures, overdose rates, and workforce strain -- behavioral health professionals must remain focused, resilient, and adaptive. This session offers a practical roadmap for navigating uncertainty while keeping mental health a top priority. Drawing on real-world success stories from addiction and behavioral health settings across the Southeastern U.S., this presentation introduces a five-step leadership checklist paired with simple, actionable strategies for frontline practitioners. Participants will explore tools to strengthen personal resilience, prevent burnout, and align daily practice with core professional values. Free, online resources relevant to prevention, treatment, and recovery support will also be shared. Designed to be both energizing and immediately useful, this interactive session equips professionals to meet today’s challenges with clarity, confidence, and renewed commitment.

Info: This training explores how behavioral health professionals can achieve clinical excellence in addiction treatment by integrating science, skill, and deliberate professional development. The workshop is organized in three parts: first, a review of the common therapeutic factors—such as alliance, empathy, expectancy, and collaborative engagement—that consistently drive positive outcomes across diagnoses and treatment models; second, a practical synthesis of evidence-based skills and interventions specific to addiction care, translating research into actionable clinical strategies; and third, a framework for developing true clinical expertise through feedback-informed practice, coaching, and deliberate practice, drawing on the performance science of Anders Ericsson and related research on expertise development. Participants will leave with a clear roadmap for improving outcomes, refining clinical judgment, and building sustainable systems of excellence in their own practice settings.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Liberty Mountain Conference Center, 3700 Candlers Mountain Road, Lynchburg, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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