March 5 Conference at Clarke – Addiction: Clearing Up the Smoke

The Clarke University Departments of Nursing, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Social Work, and Chemistry will host a day-long interdisciplinary conference on Thursday, March 5, 2020. The conference is entitled, “Addiction: Clearing Up the Smoke.”

Registration begins at 8 a.m. Opening remarks and event welcome are at 8:30 a.m., and the conference concludes at 4:30 4:15 p.m. The conference registration fees are $50 per person, $10 for non-Clarke students, and free for Clarke students, faculty, staff, and Social Work Field Supervisors and Nursing and Physical Therapy Preceptors. Attendees may receive up to six and a half Continuing Education hours for Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Social Work. A classic Italian lunch buffet is included in the cost of registration. Registration is available online at www.clarke.edu/healthcare/springconference. Registration at the door will be based on available seating.

The conference will feature speakers and discussion that will address addictive substances and behaviors that have tremendous financial and biopsychosocial impacts on society. The conference will explore:

• Connections between trauma, brain health, and addiction
• Current drug trends, signs and symptoms of impairment (focus on marijuana, vaping, and opioids)
• Drug testing, tools to impact diversion, metabolic pathways, and impurities in testing
• Chemistry of marijuana and CBD, including potential harms and benefits of use
• Alternatives to pain medication

Questions may be directed to Patricia Pearce, Professor and Department Chair of Nursing, at patricia.pearce@clarke.edu or (563)588-6339.