Presenting the words of one of our most respected recovery thought leaders at this historic gathering One morning in mid-February, William White called me. We have had a number of such conversations in recent years. They are always deeply meaningful to me. He noted over the course of the dialogue that he has fully stepped … Continue reading William White’s Opening Keynote to the Inaugural National Conference on Addiction Recovery Science: 

Repost from May 2022. Two years later, where are we in respect to the critical tipping point? Our substance use care system workforce has long faced very high turnover rates. One of the studies from years ago that always stuck with me as framing out the challenges and value of working in our field, was … Continue reading Loss of Institutional Knowledge – a Critical Tipping Point in the SUD Workforce Crisis

“I know of no class of people who have been so victimized by the quack as the inebriate” – Quote from Slaying the Dragon, William White William White over the course of decades has documented some of our most noble efforts to expand recovery across America and our lowest lows in how people with substance … Continue reading Addiction & Recovery Capitalist – Hustlers Hawking Drugs, Hucksters Selling Recovery

At this stage of my career, it seems to me that “Addiction Counseling” is one thing made from the following four essential ingredients:  listening with the “third ear”; those unique competencies and skills that are particular to the professional addiction counselor; the competencies and skills particular to the recovery coach; and finally, the qualities of … Continue reading What is Addiction Counseling?

"I think once I made up my mind that I was allergic to alcohol, and that’s what I learned, it made sense to me. And I think it was kind of pointed out that you know if you were allergic to strawberries, you wouldn’t eat strawberries. And that made sense to me.” — Betty Ford … Continue reading Recovery Representation – The First Lady of Recovery Advocacy Stamp Reveal, April 5th, 2024

“The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. The quote above has been attributed to historical figures including Oliver Wendell Holmes and Abraham Lincoln. While its origins are uncertain, it has links to prohibition. While in a contemporary lens, prohibition is viewed as an infringement … Continue reading Drug Use, Human Freedom, and the Question of Harm to Society

Read Spotted Newt book shop, Hazard, KY When Bill White called for an overhaul of our treatment models (Recovery Management) and our treatment systems (Recovery Oriented Systems of Care), there was an emphasis on community organization and "hope-based interventions" to reduce stigma by making recovery more visible and voluntarily attract more people into treatment and … Continue reading “these things take courage, and they encourage each other”