HARRISBURG, PA, September 25, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Addiction treatment doesn’t get better in silos. On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the Pennsylvania Association of Addiction Professionals (PAAP) will gather counselors, peer specialists, clinicians, and policymakers in the Harrisburg area for its 2026 Annual Conference, Collaborations to Change. The one-day event offers up to 6.5 CEUs, immersive training sessions, an exhibit hall, and structured networking.
The day opens with a President’s Welcome from PAAP President Dr. Ken Martz, followed by a morning plenary with Latika Davis-Jones and a discussion on The State of Addiction in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania featuring Jen Smith, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), and Gary Tennis, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP).
Lunchtime plenaries include Dr. Martz’s Common Ground, Common Language: Treating the Heart of Addiction Together and Bill Miller’s The Evolution of Motivational Interviewing. Breakout sessions cover online gambling and recovery, ethical use of AI in behavioral health, moral injury, family healing, recovery capital, peer recovery support, trauma-informed care, process addictions, and gender-affirming care.
“Pennsylvania has people doing extraordinary work in treatment, prevention, recovery support, and policy, but too often they’re working in parallel instead of together,” said Dr. Ken Martz, President of PAAP. “This conference is about building a common language across those roles. When we treat the emotional heart of addiction as a shared mission, our clients feel the difference.”
Registration is open at https://paaddictionprofessionals.org. Vendor, sponsorship, and advertising opportunities are also available.
About Dr. Ken Martz
Kenneth J. Martz, Psy.D., MBA, is a licensed psychologist with more than 30 years of experience in mental health, addiction treatment, and emotional regulation. He serves as President of PAAP, Co-Chair of NAADAC’s National Policy Committee, and a member of NAADAC’s Board of Directors, and is full-time graduate psychology faculty at Purdue University Global. He previously served as Special Assistant to the Secretary and Policy Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, SAMHSA, and multiple state legislatures.
Dr. Martz is the author of nine books, including the international bestseller Manage My Emotions: What I Wish I’d Learned in School about Anger, Fear and Love, now available in four languages: English, Spanish, Italian, and Brazilian Portuguese. His newest book, Unshakable: The Lionheart Path to Conquering Panic, Rewiring Your Brain, and Becoming the Man You Were Built to Be, offers high-performing men a clinical, no-fluff path through anxiety. His work has been featured in TIME, NPR, CBS, NBC, and Business Insider. Learn more at https://DrKenMartz.com.
Media Contact
Ken Martz
[email protected] 484-704-0003
About PAAP
The Pennsylvania Association of Addiction Professionals (PAAP) is the statewide professional association for addiction counselors, prevention specialists, and allied professionals, and an affiliate of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals. PAAP advances the field through education and training, certification support, and advocacy for sound public policy, with a mission of strengthening the workforce that serves Pennsylvanians affected by substance use and gambling disorders. Learn more at https://paaddictionprofessionals.org.
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