Author: Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I no longer work at Dawn Farm and am now the Director of Behavioral Medicine at a community hospital, and a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.

Recovery, activism, and character

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Bill White recently wrote a powerful post about the intersection of recovery, character, and activism. First, on character as an essential element of recovery advocacy: What is the role of character reconstruction in addiction recovery? In recovery activism? I have repeatedly returned to these questions over the course of my adult life, especially as young … Continue reading Recovery, activism, and character

How should we respond to co-occurring addiction and racism? (Guest post by Alexa Johnson)

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 2 Comments

Alexa Johnson is a friend who is early in her career and reached out for my thoughts on some important questions she had been contemplating. She shared a written reflection on the issues involved and I encouraged her to turn it into a post. I admire her combination of conviction and willingness to keep asking … Continue reading How should we respond to co-occurring addiction and racism? (Guest post by Alexa Johnson)

“full recovery or amplified recovery” — toward typologies of recovery?

~ Jason Schwartz

A version of this post was originally published in April 2019. Recently proposed definitions of recovery could be characterized as defining it downward (or expanding the boundaries outward). I've expressed concern that these proposed boundaries are so broad that most people who currently self-identify as in recovery will not feel a shared identity with the … Continue reading “full recovery or amplified recovery” — toward typologies of recovery?

What we miss when we focus on opioid treatment and recovery

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

A version of this post was originally published in September 2019. Fortunately, there's been growing concern that advocates, policymakers, and media have too narrowly focused on the opioid crisis. Up to this point, it hasn't reached the level of media coverage. USA Today is one of the first to publish an article that explores the … Continue reading What we miss when we focus on opioid treatment and recovery

Does morality have a place in discussions of addiction recovery?

~ Jason Schwartz

A version of this post was originally published in June 2020. A question has been on my mind for a while--what is the place of morality or moralizing language in addiction and recovery? Not moral? Bill White has been one of the most influential recovery advocates of the last quarter-century. One could argue that, over … Continue reading Does morality have a place in discussions of addiction recovery?

Love and Addiction Counseling (Bill White and Jason Schwartz)

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 2 Comments

A version of this post was originally published in January 2018. [Cross-posted at williamwhitepapers.com] Addiction counseling has become an increasingly professional and pristine affair, and service relationships reflect a more detached process than in years gone by. And yet one worries about the loss of something precious in our current fixation on the technical mastery … Continue reading Love and Addiction Counseling (Bill White and Jason Schwartz)

Follow the science . . .

~ Jason Schwartz

A version of this post was originally published in June 2020. I've been thinking a lot about the convergence of several cultural trends: historically unprecedented access to information;the atomization of media and information sources;the tribalization of media and information sources;scientism as a cultural force that:lacks epistemic humility;is often dismissive of experiential knowledge;is often dismissive of … Continue reading Follow the science . . .