December 2021 Webinars
All webinars are free to attend.
Understanding the Risks, Symptoms and Treatment for Substance Use Disorders (SUD): What Families Living with FASDs Need to Know
December 9, 2021
2:00-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Presenter: Kathleen Tavenner Mitchell, MHS, LCADC
FASD United (formerly NOFAS)
Vice President and Spokesperson
Sponsored by FASD United
Families that are living with addiction disorders are at risk for having children with FASD. Individuals with an FASD are at risk for developing addiction disorders. Many children living with an FASD are adopted or raised in families other than their biological families. Often there is little information provided to the families in helping them to understand and identify a substance use disorder (SUD). This session will provide an overview about the progression and stages of an alcohol use disorder (AUD), the environmental impact of children that are raised in families with active addictions and the family dynamics of both addiction and recovery. The focus of the session is how education on both addiction and FASD empowers family systems to increase understanding and empathy towards the birth family, reduce the risk for children with an FASD develop an AUD/SUD, improve identification and intervention of addiction disorders and gain a better understanding about treatment options and possibilities. Attendees will be introduced to the 12 Steps of Alanon and the 12 Steps Revisited for Individuals with an FASD.


Increasing Access to Care for People with FASD Across the Lifespan
December 10, 2021
2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Presenters: Christie L. M. Petrenko, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training
Mt. Hope Family Center, Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics, University of Rochester
Lynn L. Cole, DNP, RN, PPCNP-BC
Clinical Director and Associate Division Chief, Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center
Sponsored by University of Rochester
FASD is a highly prevalent developmental disability that impacts physical health, learning, and behavior. Unfortunately, most people with FASD experience delayed, missed, or mis-diagnosis, and significant barriers to accessing intervention. Low FASD awareness, diagnostic capacity, and access to FASD-informed interventions are primary drivers of these challenges. This session will provide an overview of our clinical and research initiatives to increase access to care. This will include practical examples of how we systematically built and increased diagnostic capacity and family support programs over time, which could be generalized to other settings. We will also highlight research findings on 3 different intervention packages across the lifespan that leverage technology to increase accessibility and overcome significant barriers to care.
