The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry's (AAAP) Annual Scientific Meeting and Symposium provides a unique forum for disseminating state-of-the-art information to physicians and other health professionals in the field of substance use disorders and co-occurring medical and psychiatric disorders. AAAP's educational objectives are to: 1) Train clinicians to identify and diagnose substance use disorders and apply evidence-based approaches, and 2) Help clinicians competently develop treatment plans for individuals with substance use disorders, including those with co-occurring mental disorders, using established treatment guidelines. With over 425 participants in attendance over the past few years the meeting provides an ideal setting for networking, mentoring and cultivating collaborative efforts. The meeting is designed to present the latest findings from basic and clinical research as well as innovations in training and education in the field of addictions. Whil a focal point of the meeting is dissemination of information through a variety of mechanisms (symposia, workshops, case conferences, etc.), the meeting also provides the organizational backdrop for the exchange of ideas, discussions and working groups focused on other AAAP educational, training and policy- based activities. For the past 10 years, AAAP has received support from NIDA for this meeting which has been critical to improving and expanding the meeting including: 1) conference proceedings provided on CD-ROMs for all participants at no charge, to be used as references for establishing clinical practice and promoting research, 2) Support for trainees to attend the annual meeting which plays a critical role in engaging early career physicians to the field, and 3) supporting a NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) symposium highlighting CTN projects that are most ready for dissemination to influence clinical practice. In particular, AAAP's CTN Symposium has been a well-attended and an important part of the Annual Meeting and we plan on continuing an annual CTN update in the future should this application be funded. . Also described in this application are plans for other symposia, workshops, and mentoring activities that will be part of the Annual Meetings during the period of support requested. AAAP's Annual Meeting and Symposia have benefited greatly from ongoing NIDA support. We hope to continue to work together with NIDA to provide state-of-the-art information about evidence-based treatments to growing number of physicians and other health-care providers who are addiction clinicians, research and educators.
This conference grant will support the annual conference for the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP). The annual AAAP Scientific Meetings and Symposium provides a unique forum for dissemination of scientific information to psychiatrists, physicians and other practicing clinicians in the addictions field. Because of the small size and intimate nature of the meeting, it will provide an ideal setting for networking, mentoring and informal interactions.
