“The opposite of addiction is connection” - Johann Hari “Every addiction starts with pain and ends with pain” - Eckhart Tolle “Not why the addiction but why the pain.” - Gabor Maté One more simple concept introduced on September 14, 1986, that oriented the thinking and framework of addiction policy in a different era: “Say … Continue reading Simple Answers to Complex Problems….
Author: billstaufferpa
William Stauffer is the Director of Pennsylvania Recovery Organization Alliance (PRO-A). In recovery for well over 3 decades, he is a nationally recognized trainer and writer addiction and recovery. He has testified to the US Senate Special Committee on Aging and in 2019, he organized a hearing with the PA House Human Services Committee to expand opportunities for young people. He is a past co-chair of the public policy committee for Faces & Voices of Recovery and the 2019 recipient of the Vernon Johnson Award Individual Recovery Advocate of the year. He teaches Social Work at Misericordia University. He was recently named to the Leadership Council of Foundations for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) a national think / do tank where he serves alongside some of the most respected leaders in the SUD service system. In December 2022, Mr. Stauffer was invited to serve Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro & Lieutenant Gov-Elect Austin Davis on the state Human Services transition team.
Early Notes From the Post Pandemic Addiction Tsunami
Two years ago, I started talking about the likelihood of the pandemic related isolation and turmoil leading to dramatic increases in substance misuse. I termed it an addiction tsunami, others made similar comparisons. The analogy is holding. COVID was the precipitating earthquake. The water is now beginning to rise and envelope a fragile service infrastructure … Continue reading Early Notes From the Post Pandemic Addiction Tsunami
Pat Taylor: A Pioneering Leader in the New Recovery Advocacy Movement
One of the major accomplishments of the earliest stages of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement was the founding of Faces & Voices of Recovery in 2001. Pat Taylor was its first Campaign Coordinator, heading the organization from 2003-2014. One of my early memories of her is watching her facilitate meetings of the Association of Recovery Community … Continue reading Pat Taylor: A Pioneering Leader in the New Recovery Advocacy Movement
The Few, The Proud, The Under Resourced – Our SUD Workforce
Working in the substance use service system has always been a challenge. This was true even from its early days. We help people in some of their most difficult moments with few resources to support what they need to get well. We operate under constant triage conditions. Yet despite this, we tend to oversell those … Continue reading The Few, The Proud, The Under Resourced – Our SUD Workforce
Building Bridges Between Islands of Healing – Reposted from Jan 2022
“Let us use whatever power and influence we have, workingwith whatever resources are already available, mobilizing thepeople who are with us to work for what they care about.” – Margaret Wheatley The title of this post is inspired by Margaret J. Wheatley, Who Do We Choose To Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity (2017). … Continue reading Building Bridges Between Islands of Healing – Reposted from Jan 2022
Looking Beyond Crisis, Our Opportunities Are All About Connection!
“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity.” ― John F. Kennedy Societies, like people rise to challenges when faced and decay when hard tasks are avoided. Healing for people and … Continue reading Looking Beyond Crisis, Our Opportunities Are All About Connection!
Moving Beyond a System of Care Designed to Fail Us
“All systems are perfectly designed to get the results they get.” – Don Coyhis What would happen if we treated substance use with comprehensive, individualized care and support over the long-term? We don’t entirely know; we have never fully tried that approach for the general population. We do know that the kind of care provided … Continue reading Moving Beyond a System of Care Designed to Fail Us
It Is Time We Seize the Opportunity to Address SUD Stigma in the U.S. Healthcare System
Across our nation, far too often patients are treated rudely or provided inferior care when their healthcare provider learns that they use drugs, have a history of using drugs or are in recovery. Stigma is often the primary barrier for people seeking help. To shift these negative perceptions and improve care within our healthcare systems, … Continue reading It Is Time We Seize the Opportunity to Address SUD Stigma in the U.S. Healthcare System
Building a Recovery Affirming Care System on a Foundation More Solid than Stigma
Over the course of my decades of work in the SUD field and as a person in recovery, I can honestly say that I have tried as hard as I can to do my very best to serve people in need of help with a substance use condition. I suspect most others in this field … Continue reading Building a Recovery Affirming Care System on a Foundation More Solid than Stigma
Developing Broad Consensus on How We Conceptualize the Resolution of Substance Misuse
The first major effort to define recovery in America was in 2007, when the Betty Ford Foundation, now the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation published What is recovery? A working definition from the Betty Ford Institute. The paper noted that “recovery is a voluntarily maintained lifestyle composed characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship.” Our understanding … Continue reading Developing Broad Consensus on How We Conceptualize the Resolution of Substance Misuse
Recovery Review 