Pat Spangler To Speak

Veteran Rosecrance counselor Pat Spangler will speak at a national behavioral health conference in Las Vegas in April about a cutting-edge program Rosecrance is using to meet the unique needs of young adults seeking addiction treatment.

Spangler will present at the 9th National Conference on Adolescents and Young Adults sponsored by The Institute for Integral Development. The conference is set for March 31 through April 2. It showcases some of the nation's most respected professionals presenting programs on research advances and clinical strategies to address behavioral health issues in children and young adults.

Spangler's topic at the conference is: "Meeting Them Where They Are: Adjusting Treatment to Meet the Needs of Adolescents/Young Adults."

As coordinator of the Men's Inpatient Unit at Rosecrance's Adult Treatment Center, Spangler oversees the program serving "emerging adults," which generally refers to young men between the ages of 18 and 25.

Rosecrance has found that patients in that age range respond differently than their older counterparts to traditional treatment methods. New strategies were developed within the evidence-based curriculum to meet the needs of this specific population. The program addresses increased susceptibility to substance abuse, extreme risk-taking behaviors, and identity/self-esteem issues in the young adult population.

Given these realities, the treatment program has been adjusted to respond to the different learning style of the population, the need for improved coping skills and life skills, the importance of fitness and recreation, as well as the compelling need for a strong support system in the community.

At Rosecrance, Spangler has worked with adolescent and adult populations. He helped create programs to serve adolescents returning to the community from the Department of Corrections. In addition, he developed and facilitated the clinical protocol for a new medically assisted recovery clinic (MARC) program, which focuses on opiate-addicted patients, a growing percentage of young adult clients.

Spangler holds a Master's Degree in Education, with a focus on community counseling, in addition to having a B.S. in psychology.

Rosecrance also will have a booth at the Las Vegas conference. We encourage conference attendees to stop by and visit with Rosecrance Community Relations Coordinator Missy Godfrey.

Rosecrance is a private not-for-profit organization offering behavioral health services for adolescents, adults, and families. Rosecrance provides addiction treatment through inpatient programs in Rockford and outpatient services in Rockford and five satellite offices in the Chicago area. In addition, Rosecrance offers mental health treatment services through its affiliates, Janet Wattles Center, Mildred Berry Center, and Aspen Counseling & Consulting. Rosecrance and its affiliates serve more than 12,000 families each year.