Saturday, January 31, 2015

New Directions Conference 2015

Addicted to Recovery?
New Paradigms or Recycled Discourses…

39th Annual NDSAG Conference
Thursday 21st – Friday 22nd May 2015, London, UK

The conference will run over the course of 2 days and will feature several distinct symposiums:

Thursday 21st May: “Brains first and then Hard Work.”
(The House At Pooh Corner, A. A. Milne. 1928).
This day starts with the concept of ‘brain science’ and its relationship to alcohol,
and then will contrast this with a critical exploration of ‘recovery issues’ for drinkers.

Friday 22nd May: Proving policy or improving practice?
This day develops on the first day’s themes by exploring alcohol policy perspectives and the treatment agenda, followed by an exploration of gambling and alcohol, and then further perspectives from the field.

To conclude, the conference will re-visit addiction for a final plenary to consider what have
we learned and where next?

CONFIRMED CONTRIBUTORS – Plus others to be confirmed at a later date:
Prof. Keith Humphreys (Stanford University, USA)
Prof. Jim Orford (University of Birmingham)
Prof. Marc Lewis (Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands)
Prof. Anne Lingford Hughes (Imperial College, London)
Prof. Colin Drummond (National Addiction Centre, Kings College London)
Prof. David Best (Sheffield Hallam University and Monash University, Australia)
Clive Henn (Alcohol Policy Team, Public Health England)
Pip Mason (Pip Mason Consultancy, Birmingham)
Alistair Sinclair (UK Recovery Federation)
Tim Leighton (Action on Addiction, UK)
Dr Niamh Fitzgerald (University of Stirling, Scotland)

contact Andy Perkins/Jenni Turnbull (Conference Administrators) by e-mailing enquiries@f8c.co.uk

Our 39th Annual Conference featured two distinct one day symposiums covering current research and practice in the field of alcohol interventions.

In the 1970’s the New Directions group took on the concept of “Alcoholism”. Their pioneering critiques of the “disease model” and its successors have informed developments in alcohol treatment for nearly 50 years.
In 2015 New Directions explores “Recovery”. Against a background of vested interests scrabbling to claim it for themselves, we will examine the origins of “Recovery” and consider the future for the concept.

Unpicking the issues that surround “Recovery” leading experts will address:
•        Brain science – over hyped or our only hope?
•        Gambling – stacking the odds against getting treatment?
•        New addictions – do we need a campaign for real addiction?
•        Cuts and more cuts – the impact on research and treatment.
•        More New Directions – emerging innovations and opportunities in the alcohol field.


•Conference programme (times & titles) PDF

New Directions conferences always encourage networking, professional and social. 
This year we had two social events.
Wednesday 20th May:Local welcome. Conference attendees will be invited to join us at a local restaurant.
Thursday 21st May:NDSAG reception dinner at a local restaurant.