On Saturday 12th April, we held our first in-person members event. It was a thought-provoking morning with Clinical Psychologist Dr. Jo Rolfe, introduced by ACI Chairperson John Devlin.

Jo delivered her powerful and insightful presentation: “Mental Health and Addiction…Peas in a Pod.” Through her presentation, Jo explored the close connection between mental health and addiction, encouraging us to:

🔹 Understand how these challenges often co-occur
🔹 Move away from unhelpful labels and reduce stigma
🔹 Reflect on our own practices and how we respond

One takeaway was the shift from the language of dual diagnosis to co-occurring disorders - recognising that both mental health and substance use issues can exist independently and deserve equal attention in care.

💭 Jo closed the session with a powerful call to self-reflect: How do we care for our own mental health while supporting others?

It was an energetic morning, and such a pleasure to connect with so many of our members in person. Jo's presentation will be shared with those who attended.

If you couldn’t join us, stay tuned, more member-only events and sessions, both online and in person, are coming soon 📅