Cailyn Green, Ph.D., MS, CASAC is the assistant professor of Addiction Studies here at SUNY Empire State. She has worked in the clinical field of addiction with clients in inpatient, outpatient, long-term, and short-term recovery facilities. Her area of expertise is the recently incarcerated population. Professor Green earned her Ph.D. in criminal justice with a specialization in substance abuse and her master's degree in forensic mental health. As a New York State CASAC (credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor), she has been attending conferences to share her knowledge, and would like to share what she has learned with the college!   

In September, Professor Green ran a roundtable discussion at the Addiction in the Family International Network (AFINet) 2022 Conference. AFINet focuses on creating a network of professionals interested in sharing information regarding addiction in the family system. 

The roundtable discussion was titled “Situations that Family Members Face When a Loved One is Incarcerated and Struggles with Mental Health Issues/Addiction Issues.” This lively discussion was watched by professionals from 24 countries. Among the topics discussed was the sense of relief the family members feel when their loved one is incarcerated and no longer  in dangerous situations compared to the negative feelings  knowing their loved one is incarcerated but  not getting the mental health or addiction treatment they so desperately need. The conclusion  focused on the fact there are no legal mandates for jails or prisons to offer clinical addiction or mental health treatment. The topic of support for the family members was raised, and it was shared that Ireland has many government-funded groups for families to join to support their incarcerated loved ones both during and after their incarceration time.   

In early October, on World Mental Health Day, Professor Green attended an international webinar series focused on reducing stigma and screening/assessment for mental health symptoms. This webinar was sponsored by The International Society of Substance Use Professionals. Some of the topics covered in this webinar included dual diagnosis and how to treat those suffering from comorbidity with a global cultural lens; community-based intervention as an approach to mobilize awareness and reduce stigma; and the importance of sharing screening and assessments in community treatment facilities.   

Later in October, Dr. Green attended the Polysubstance Abuse Symposium hosted by New York University and their Center for Opioid Epidemiology. The conference focused on sharing current research and data regarding the growing opioid epidemic and possible solutions. Highlights included discussions about the lack of standardization around polysubstance use; new pharmacological advances in agonistic versus antagonistic opioid overdose treatments; and harm reduction by legalizing government-regulated opium. The event also called attention to new data in the field of opioid use showing that most overdoses have shifted from heroin to synthetic opioids (like Fentanyl).   

If you would like to learn more about the webinar or the organizations cited above, here are the links: 

International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) website 

Addiction and the Family International Network (AFINet) website 

Webinar: Challenges and Responses: Reaching out to those with Substance Use and Mental Health Problems