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.

Learning from the AIDS epidemic

~ Jason Schwartz

  The American Journal of Medicine has an interesting commentary examining parallels between the AIDS epidemic and the opioid epidemic. While the early history of government inaction, public fear, and stigmatization of HIV/AIDS is a shameful stain on this country's conscience, 30 years later we have achieved tremendous victories, and the disease has transitioned from … Continue reading Learning from the AIDS epidemic

New Recovery: Acid and Alcohol Don’t Mix – TBS

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

For this week's Throwback Sunday Post, ignore the reference to acid. I selected it because it speaks to the dangers of a couple of recent developments: the spectrum approach to substance use disorders the recurring references to 23 million Americans being in recovery The danger of these developments is that they blur the lines between those … Continue reading New Recovery: Acid and Alcohol Don’t Mix – TBS

Harm reduction is the goal – not a step along the road to recovery

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 6 Comments

Drug and Alcohol Findings asks the big question about harm reduction and exposes the fault lines. What is a harm reduction service for? Just one issue for you to ponder, but a (the?) big one, because surely the first thing any organisation should be clear about, is what it is there to achieve. The answer … Continue reading Harm reduction is the goal – not a step along the road to recovery

Social Connection, Wellness and Recovery

~ Jason Schwartz

DJ Mac posted some research on the relationships between social connection and wellness and recovery. When Julianne Holt-Lunstad and colleagues published their gargantuan meta-analysis of mortality risks in 2010 they found a ’50% increased likelihood of survival for participants with stronger social relationships.’ In this paper it looked like this was a stronger predictor of long healthy life than stopping … Continue reading Social Connection, Wellness and Recovery

Opioid treatment medications roundup

~ Jason Schwartz

The New England Journal of Medicine posted an opinion piece calling for expanding use of medications to treat opioid addiction These alarming trends led the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to deem prescription-opioid overdose deaths an epidemic and prompted multiple federal, state, and local actions.2 The HHS efforts aim to simultaneously reduce opioid abuse … Continue reading Opioid treatment medications roundup

Sentences to ponder

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 4 Comments

"The average person, understandably, doesn’t realize how careful scientific research has virtually wiped out skepticism of AA and twelve-step facilitation counseling among researchers. Many scientists — including me — were skeptical of AA 25 years ago, but a series of rigorous outcome studies supporting AA’s effectiveness changed our minds. Unlike in much of popular debate, … Continue reading Sentences to ponder