Founded in 1987 by Fred French, the Cape Cod Symposium began as a small, Cape Cod-based initiative with a mission to provide better treatment options and support for local clinicians. With no available resources or support networks in the area, Fred started from his home, determined to spark a change.

Over the decades, that vision has grown into one of the nation's premier educational events for addiction treatment and behavioral health professionals. Nearly 40 years later, the Cape Cod Symposium attracts more than 1,000 attendees and 100+ exhibitors from across the country.

As the Symposium has grown, so has its ability to serve the field. In 2026, the event began a new chapter with a permanent move to Providence, Rhode Island, providing expanded meeting space, improved accessibility, and a vibrant New England destination that supports the Symposium's continued growth while preserving the collaborative community and educational excellence that have defined it since 1987.

Today, our focus remains on the skills-based application of knowledge, helping addiction treatment and behavioral health professionals - including clinicians, counselors, therapists, psychologists, physicians, and psychiatrists - translate evidence-based insights into better treatment and better patient outcomes.