"A Generational Journey: Women Carrying the Vision -- Common Issues, United Voices," sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will provide a forum in which individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting, maintaining, and sustaining health and well-being in women, their families, and communities can share experiences and discuss new and challenging ideas about health and social service and integrated networks of care. Participants will include health care providers, policy makers, consumers/survivors/family members, representatives of the business and faith communities, and members of family organizations.

"With more than 100 sessions and a variety of speakers, we're trying to touch the inter-generational issues that confront women of all ages," said Joseph H. Autry III, M.D., Acting SAMHSA Administrator. "That's why the conference reaches across ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic levels, mental health service consumers and people in recovery, HIV status and religious or non-religious affiliations. The exchange of ideas and experiences will be used in shaping future federal program direction, and spread the wealth of knowledge needed to help continue to improve the welfare of future generations."

Major speakers include, Honorable Glenda E. Hood, Mayor of the City of Orlando; Mona Lake Jones, author, educator, and Seattle poet laureate; Denise Stokes, AIDS Ambassador; Yolanda Rodriguez-Escobar, founder, Mujeres Unidas Contra el SIDA (Women United Against AIDS); Dominque Dawes, gymnast, Olympic Gold Medalist; and Karolyn Nunnellee, former president, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), among others.

Workshops, plenary and poster sessions will provide opportunities for discussion on a range of topics including violence against women, HIV/AIDS, children and youth, work and the workplace, access to and utilization of healthcare, violence across the generations, diversity, inclusiveness and sharing, girls and women in institutional settings, wisdom and needs of seniors, research, and public policy and legal issues.

The conference will offer numerous sessions including: "Multigenerational Abuse among American Indian Women;" "When Health Conditions Become Disabling;" "Moving Beyond Survival: Proactive Ways to Grow and Thrive in the New Economy;" "'Like Mother, Like Daughter'? Breaking the Cycle of Crime for Daughters of Incarcerated Mothers;" "Take a Chance, Take Charge: Empowering Young Asian American Women to Prevent Depression;" "And How are the Children? Practical Approaches to Assessment and Services for Children of Women Involved in Treatment," "Alcohol and Medication Misuse and Abuse Among Older Women;" "Integrating Trauma into Mental Health Services;" "Alcohol, Drugs, and Mental Illness: Research Highlights;" "Best Practices in Culturally Diverse Substance Abuse and Co-occurring Treatment for Women and Children;" and many others.

Among the highlights of the conference will be a "Town Hall" meeting to promote open and effective dialogue between Federal representatives and the public. Among the participating Federal Agencies are: SAMHSA, Office of the National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), various Health and Human Services Department agencies including, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Indian Health Services (IHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Population Affairs (OPA), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Administration on Aging (AoA), Public Health Services Office on Women's Health (PHS OWH), as well as the Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Youth activities and sessions will also be conducted throughout the conference.

"A Generational Journey: Women Carrying the Vision -- Common Issues, United Voices" will be held at the Rosen Plaza Hotel, 9700 International Drive, Orlando, Florida. Registration will continue on-site during the conference. Media representatives are welcome to attend.

SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on the Internet at http://www.samhsa.gov .

SOURCE Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Web Site: http://www.samhsa.gov

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