Faculty

David Lawrence

MD, FASAM
Assistant Health Sciences Clinical Professor
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

2026 Sessions

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Thursday, May 14 10:30–11:30 AM
Faculty

David Lawrence

MD, FASAM
Assistant Health Sciences Clinical Professor
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Faculty

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Friday, July 24 12:50–1:50 PM
Faculty

David Lawrence

MD, FASAM
Assistant Health Sciences Clinical Professor
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Faculty

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Friday, August 21 10:30–11:30 AM
Faculty

David Lawrence

MD, FASAM
Assistant Health Sciences Clinical Professor
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Faculty

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Friday, October 16 10:30–11:30 AM
Faculty

David Lawrence

MD, FASAM
Assistant Health Sciences Clinical Professor
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Faculty

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

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