Center for Hope of the Sierras to Present Inaugural Symposium 2012

July 5, 2012 - PRLog -- RENO, Nev., July 5, 2012 – Center for Hope of the Sierras eating disorders treatment program is set to present its inaugural, day-long “Symposium 2012” for industry professionals on Friday, July 13th at the 250 Lounge restaurant in Reno’s Freight House District, 250 Evans Avenue.  The event begins at 8 a.m. and is open to the media.
Continuing education units (CEUs) will be available to professionals, and speakers include Lisa Kantor, JD, the country's premier legal advocate for patients with eating disorders, and Dr. Greg Lester, PhD, a psychologist and consultant who works with personality disorder patients.
“We are honored to have Dr. Lester and Lisa Kantor present at our inaugural symposium,” said Brandon Keppner, MAIOP and Regional Director of Eating Disorder Services for CRC Health Group, parent company of Center for Hope of the Sierras.  “To have these renowned and respected professionals partner with us for this event is a testament to our facility and the quality treatment services we provide.”
Kantor’s presentation is titled “Lessons Learned in Seeking Insurance Coverage for Eating Disorders.”  Kantor is a Los Angeles lawyer and member of the Board of Directors of the Eating Disorders Coalition.  She is the country's premier legal advocate for patients with eating disorders who have been denied health insurance benefits for treatment.  Just last month, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld its earlier decision for Kantor’s client in Harlick v. Blue Shield, creating one of the most influential decisions ever in mental health parity litigation and paving the way to making treatment and recovery for severe mental illnesses more attainable.
Dr. Lester’s presentation is titled “The Ones Who Make You Mad and Drive You Crazy: Understanding, Treating, and Managing Personality Disorders.”  Dr. Lester is a psychologist out of Denver, Colorado who has been in practice for over 25 years.  Because he is one of only a few professionals qualified to specialize in the most difficult behavior called “Personality Disorders,” he is in tremendous demand as a consultant, speaker, and trainer.  He has worked with health care organizations, social service agencies, professional associations, juvenile court justices, state Supreme Courts, religious organizations, and The United States Department of Justice. In addition to holding a university faculty position, Dr. Lester has authored five books, published research and articles in publications ranging from The Journal of the American Medical Association to The Skeptical Inquirer, and in the past five years has had over 65,000 professionals attend his talks and trainings.
To RSVP for Symposium 2012, contact Melissa Achurra at (775) 686-0310 or machurra@crchealth.com.  
Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Center for Hope of the Sierras provides an intimate setting ideal for healing and recovery for individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and related disorders.  Center for Hope offers residential (RTC), partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment to women and adolescents ages 16 and up.  Center for Hope also offers partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment to men ages 14 and up.  Center for Hope has received national acclaim for offering one of the country’s only specialized residential tracks for the complex treatment of co-occurring diabetes and eating disorders.
Center for Hope of the Sierras is a member of CRC Health Group, the most comprehensive network of specialized behavioral care services in the nation. CRC offers the largest array of personalized treatment options, allowing individuals, families, and professionals to choose the most appropriate treatment setting for their behavioral, addiction, weight management, and therapeutic education needs. CRC is committed to making its services widely and easily available, while maintaining a passion for delivering advanced treatment. Since 1995, CRC programs have helped individuals and families reclaim and enrich their lives.