[Archived] City of Alexandria Sponsors Drug and Alcohol Recovery Month Event

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	August 21, 2007 PIO# 200-07/jlh	Jennifer Harris, Communications, at 703.838.5078

City of Alexandria Sponsors Drug and Alcohol Recovery Month Event
Laurence Westreich, M.D., Presents “Helping the Addict You Love”

The City of Alexandria’s Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse is sponsoring a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Month event featuring psychiatrist and addiction expert Dr. Laurence Westreich.

Dr. Westreich will address ways that family and friends can help persons with drug and alcohol addiction. This community event will take place on Monday, September 10, 2007, 6:45 pm at Minnie Howard School, 3801 West Braddock Road in Alexandria. There is no charge to attend and free parking is available.

For years, the loved ones of addicted persons have been between two equally dissatisfying options—tough love and intervention. In his hopeful and reassuring book, Helping the Addict You Love, Dr. Westreich presents a third option: creative engagement and constructive coercion. Dr. Westreich guides you through the emotional process of getting the person with addiction on the road to recovery. He provides effective tools such as scripts to lead you through pivotal conversations and outlines several treatment options. As a specialist in the treatment of persons dually diagnosed with addiction and mental illness, Dr. Westreich takes care to discuss situations that complicate a substance abuse problem.

A book sale and signing by the author will follow the event.

This presentation is co-sponsored by the Alexandria Community Services Board, Friends of the Alexandria Mental Health Center and the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Prevention Work Group under the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria.

For additional information please call Jennifer Cohen Cordero at 703.838.4455, ext. 165 or email
jennifer.cohen-cordero@alexandriava.gov.

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