This was originally published in a recent National Association of Social Workers' Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug specialty section newsletter. It summarizes our addiction professions in the pandemic series. NASW ATOD Addiction Professionals in the PandemicDownload
How can we protect the SUD workforce from moral, social & psychological hazards?
This was originally published in a 2018 National Association of Social Workers' Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug specialty section newsletter. Bill's recent post on moral injury got me thinking about Sandra Bloom's concept of moral safety, which got me thinking about this article. Before the pandemic began, we frequently talked about the workforce experiencing moral, … Continue reading How can we protect the SUD workforce from moral, social & psychological hazards?
Recovery: not dead but real, resilient and very relevant
It's alive, it's moving! It's alive...it's alive! The term ‘recovery’ has come under a harsh microscope recently in academic and clinical settings. It has been interrogated, scrutinised, criticised, bloated and dissected. Reconstructed like Frankenstein’s monster, recovery is now seen to be a floating signifier, made of disparate bits that don’t necessarily fit comfortably together - … Continue reading Recovery: not dead but real, resilient and very relevant
Recognizing Moral Injury Within the SUD Care System
I am not sure the first time I heard the term moral injury, I suspect it was probably in the context of military service members in combat situations in which they have to do things or witness things that wounded their souls. I have deep respect for persons who serve and understand that I have … Continue reading Recognizing Moral Injury Within the SUD Care System
Addiction Professionals in the Pandemic – Andre Johnson
I just came across this recent interview with Andre Johnson and I thought I share it with you, along with my interview with him about maintaining services through the pandemic. https://youtu.be/8_ScBktNreI Who are you? My name is Andre Johnson. I'm a person in long-term recovery. And what that means is, I have not used drugs … Continue reading Addiction Professionals in the Pandemic – Andre Johnson
“Really… You think you’re the only one who had a hard time?”
There's a lot of academic and advocacy energy around harm reduction, legalization, and assertions that drugs and drug use carry relatively few innate harms--the real problems are puritanical and often racist attempts at social control. These discussions give the impression that people with addiction and society would be ok if we assured a legal, unadulterated … Continue reading “Really… You think you’re the only one who had a hard time?”
The genesis of hope: a recovery story
Switching from doctor to patient was not an easy transition for me. My first attempt at recovery was medically assisted, but only got me so far. What I needed was something more profound: hope, healing and connection to other recovering people. In this podcast for the National Wellbeing Hub, Dr Claire Fyvie interviews me about … Continue reading The genesis of hope: a recovery story
Does naloxone prescribing result in discrimination?
I keep hearing anecdotal reports of people being prescribed naloxone, filling the prescription, and later experiencing discrimination (refusing to write a policy) from an insurance company, typically a life insurance company. I have not been able to have direct contact with anyone who experienced this or get the name of an insurance company engaging in … Continue reading Does naloxone prescribing result in discrimination?
What do medical students learn about addiction?
I decided to try something a little different and record an interview with Derek Wolfe, a new medical school graduate and future psychiatrist with a special interest in addiction. (Maybe interviews will be a recurring thing.) One of the outcomes of the opioid crisis is that physicians have been centered in addiction treatment and drug … Continue reading What do medical students learn about addiction?
Attempting to Strengthen Recovery Capital Against a Tide of Disenfranchisement
My organization, PRO-A recently joined 36 other state and regional recovery community organizations across America and sent this letter to Congress to educate them on the woefully inadequate funding for grassroots recovery community organizations. Disparate funding is the norm even as Billions of supplemental dollars flow out to the states. Even when these allocations specifically … Continue reading Attempting to Strengthen Recovery Capital Against a Tide of Disenfranchisement