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 currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also 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.

Comments on SAMHSA recovery housing guidelines

April 12, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 4 Comments

Below are my comments for SAMHSA in response to their request for comments on your proposed recovery housing guidelines. The deadline is 5pm today. Send your comments, whatever they are. To whom it may concern: I am writing in response to your request for comments on your proposed recovery housing guidelines. I commend your efforts … Continue reading Comments on SAMHSA recovery housing guidelines

billions from deceptions that “Suboxone Film was safer, less divertible, and less abusable”

April 10, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 2 Comments

From Bloomberg: Indivior misled doctors and government health programs into believing that the drug, Suboxone Film, was safer and less likely to be abused than rivals, the Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday. . . . Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Virginia said Indivior’s deceptions had contributed to an epidemic that has … Continue reading billions from deceptions that “Suboxone Film was safer, less divertible, and less abusable”

On self-identification, recovery advocacy and identity

April 9, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz

I recently became aware of the blog, Tenured Addict. He has a great new post on addiction, recovery, advocacy and language. It's a thorough and challenging post on a potentially thorny issue but it's written in a personal and generous spirit. Here are a couple of pull quotes, but take the time to read the … Continue reading On self-identification, recovery advocacy and identity

“bad doctors are not going to become good doctors because you give them more rules”

April 7, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

I've posted before about maintenance medications, like buprenorphine, that are frequently referred to as the gold standard. I've also posted about how there may be a discrepancy between the kinds of outcomes people with opioid addiction are seeking and the outcomes found in the evidence-base for maintenance treatments. I've also pointed out that, while many … Continue reading “bad doctors are not going to become good doctors because you give them more rules”

The opioid crisis as a disease of despair?

March 17, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 5 Comments

[Note: This is a repost from 1/19/18. This narrative has continued to gather steam over the past year. It's not that this narrative contains no truth, it's that it's incomplete and misleading.] The narrative that the opioid and overdose crisis is a product of despair has become very popular. The logic is that people in … Continue reading The opioid crisis as a disease of despair?

More on “alternative endpoints”

March 3, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

I've posted before on "alternative endpoints" for treating opioid use disorders, which is the idea that research on treatments should not just focus on abstinence as an outcome. There is now a push for alternative endpoints for alcohol use disorders: Reductions in alcohol use bring about significant improvement in adverse consequences, mental health status, and … Continue reading More on “alternative endpoints”

“Everyone should get that kind of care”

February 27, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz

Marie Claire has a well done article about a doctor with addiction and highlights the gold standard care that addicted physicians receive. The PHP model has shown remarkable results. The first national study of state PHPs, which was published in the Journal of Substance Abuse in 2009, found that of 904 physicians enrolled in 16 … Continue reading “Everyone should get that kind of care”

“shaming,” “stigmatizing,” and call-outs

February 10, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 3 Comments

Something is amiss in recovery advocacy. Earlier this week, the Surgeon General's office tweeted the following paraphrase of a speech given by the Surgeon General. (Later clarified to be incorrectly transcribed.) https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/1092797363058552837 Addiction is not a moral failing and that it affects "good" families. Nice message, right? We need more influencers to say the same … Continue reading “shaming,” “stigmatizing,” and call-outs

“the sale of opioids and the treatment of opioid addiction are ‘naturally linked'”

February 3, 2019February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

Of interest to me is their interest in entering the addiction treatment market. ProPublica has a new report that review's documents from a lawsuit filed against Purdue Pharma. The suit alleges that Purdue misled doctors and the public in ways that created the opioid crisis and blamed patients when they, predictably, developed opioid use disorders. … Continue reading “the sale of opioids and the treatment of opioid addiction are ‘naturally linked'”