The Bermuda College will tomorrow play host to a conference which will focus on the recognition, prevention and treatment of substance abuse.

The event, which will be presented by the Good Shepherd Human Service Center in association with the National Drug Commission, will feature as its guest speaker, American actor Todd Bridges.

It is also expected to unveil plans for a new residential and out-patient substance abuse centre in Bermuda.

Mr. Bridges, who starred as Willis Jackson in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, will speak on the topic "Building Bridges: A Personal Narrative on Substance Abuse and Recovery.'' Conference organiser Rex Darrell said the event was for social workers, therapists, medical doctors, lawyers, business people, lay people, professionals and anyone interested in learning about drug recognition, prevention and treatment in the community.

"This conference will update you on various strategies that professionals utilise in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse,'' Mr. Darrell said.

"Your attendance in this conference will enable you to expand your knowledge, improve existing strategies and develop new means in combating substance abuse.'' Local speakers during the day-long conference in the College's North Hall Lecture Theatre will be Health Minister Nelson Bascome, NDC Chief Executive Officer Derrick Binns, NDC Prevention Officer Calvin Ming, the Bermuda Police Service's Ch. Insp. of Narcotics Larry Smith, Juris Law Chambers' managing partner Victoria Pearman, First Church of God's the Rev. Ronald Smith and NDC chairman Malcolm Butterfield.

Coming in from overseas to speak at the event are the deputy director of Mental Health for the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix Jaslene Williams, the Rev. Alvin Hugley of the First Baptist Church of Vienna in Virginia, US, New York Police Department Narcotics Division's Sgt. Craig Thornton and New York City's Board of Education Bilingual Special Education Evaluator Peter Deliz.

Also coming from New York are clinical social worker Robert Scott, licensed psychotherapist and forensic mental health evaluator Dolores Andrews, and the Fortune Society's Coordinator of Community Outreach Vaughn Jackson.

The Good Shepherd Human Service Center is a proposed holistic facility that will provide services for the family and the community.

An opening date for the centre is tentatively set in January of next year and it will be wholly located in Bermuda and operated by Bermudians with assistance and direction from professionals and paraprofessionals who specialise in drug recognition, prevention and treatment.

The substance abuse centre will be both a residential and out-patient facility and aims to put in place an alternative to incarceration programme attached which will aim to assist young people and adults who are involved in crime due to substance abuse.

Todd Bridges.