National Conference on Addiction Disorders held

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and Hazelden, the national nonprofit focused on addiction treatment, prevention and recovery announced today a new strategic partnership focused on improving the treatment of co-occurring disorders. The partnership announcement was made by NAADAC Executive Director Cynthia Moreno Tuohy during the National Conference on Addiction Disorders in Washington, D.C.

"The new Hazelden/NAADAC affiliation will provide NAADAC members, psychiatrists, psychologists and other counselors with collaborative in-person training and distance learning in the integrated treatment of co-occurring disorders," said Hazelden President and CEO Mark G. Mishek. The partnership will kick off in September with the national launch of the new NAADAC/Hazelden Lifelong Training Program, Integrating Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders: An Introduction to What Every Addiction Counselor Needs to Know.

"Thousands of people in need of addiction treatment services in the U.S. also have mental health or medical issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome and bi-polar disorders," says NAADAC's Cynthia Moreno Tuohy. "In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that fully half of Americans with mental illness also abuse illicit drugs or alcohol. Hazelden and NAADAC have worked together for years to train clinicians and administrators in the addiction profession and to advocate for addiction treatment. This new partnership will be the most cohesive effort yet from Hazelden and NAADAC to promote excellence in the field of diagnosing and treating co-occurring disorders."

Hazelden and NAADAC will also feature other training opportunities and print publications on each organization's Website, making them more easily accessible to professionals. In addition, NAADAC and Hazelden will also co-sponsor Web conferences on the integrated treatment of co-occurring disorders.

For more information on co-occurring disorders, visit Hazelden's behavioral health Website, www.bhevolution.org or go to NAADAC's Website, www.naadac.org