I've pushed back before on the limits of research, "rational" policy, evidence-based policies, and the assumption that research is objective, etc. On Being recently discussed science and the unknown. Here are a few choice bits. On the limitations of science: Dr. Gleiser: . . . one of the grand goals of modern physics is to build a Theory … Continue reading On knowing and piety toward science
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.
Is Disease Management a Good Investment? We May Finally Have an Answer
This doesn't focus on recovery management, but a new study supports the argument that disease management saves money. In 2003, Pepsi started an employee health program that included risk assessments, on-site wellness events, lifestyle management, disease management, complex care management, telephone nurse advice lines, and maternity management. By 2011, there were 5 telephonic lifestyle programs … Continue reading Is Disease Management a Good Investment? We May Finally Have an Answer
Take LSD, stay out of prison? Huge study links psychedelic use to reduced recidivism
Hmmm. Some pretty breathless reporting of a recent study looking at offenders who are dependent upon hallucinogens. A study of more than 25,000 people under community corrections supervision suggests the use of psychedelic drugs like LSD can keep people out of prison. The research is the first in 40 years to examine whether drugs like LSD and … Continue reading Take LSD, stay out of prison? Huge study links psychedelic use to reduced recidivism
Tribes of the recovering community
This week's tribe is Dual Recovery Anonymous: Dual Recovery Anonymous™ is a 12 Step self-help program that is based on the principals of the Twelve Steps and the experiences of men and women in recovery with a dual diagnosis. The DRA program helps us recover from both our chemical dependency and our emotional or psychiatric … Continue reading Tribes of the recovering community
Hope as a human right
A court ruling speaks to the primacy of hope. Hope is an important and constitutive aspect of the human person. … To deny them the experience of hope would be to deny a fundamental aspect of their humanity and, to do that, would be degrading. via Even life prisoners should have hope and a chance … Continue reading Hope as a human right
Jail methadone = 40 days longer out of jail
Is it possible to lower our expectations any further? County jail inmates who received methadone, an opiate substitute, took longer to return to jail than opiate addicts who were forced to quit cold turkey, a delay in re-incarceration that slows the revolving door of criminal justice, according to a study conducted by the University of … Continue reading Jail methadone = 40 days longer out of jail
Feds raid Reckitt Benckiser offices; criminal probe underway
Hmmm. All is not well with the manufacturer of Suboxone. Reckitt Benckiser’s offices in Richmond, Va., were raided by a team of IRS and Office of Inspector General (OIG) agents on December 3rd. No one is saying what the feds are investigating, but here is some legal analysis. The search warrant, which company officials say … Continue reading Feds raid Reckitt Benckiser offices; criminal probe underway
For Depression Treatment, Meditation Might Rival Medication – Forbes
A new study finds mindfulness meditation to be an effective treatment for depression: On the list of ways in which meditation appears to benefit the brain, depression treatment may be the latest to gain scientific backing. A new review study, out yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine, finds that … Continue reading For Depression Treatment, Meditation Might Rival Medication – Forbes
Stephanie Brown Interview on Addictions and Psychotherapy
Stephanie Brown on object attachment in addiction and recovery: RW: Is this what people refer to as hitting bottom, or surrendering somehow? SB: That's the first experience - to hit bottom, to surrender, and to reach outside the self. So people seek help, they go to 12-steps. They then shift their object attachment from alcohol … Continue reading Stephanie Brown Interview on Addictions and Psychotherapy
Recovery vs. Disease Management
The Hopeworks Community blog has an outstanding post contrasting recovery and disease management. His focus is on mental illness, but the parallels are clear. One can't help but reflect on the fact that the addiction recovery movement rose in response to the failure of the mental health system to help addicts recover. There's a lot … Continue reading Recovery vs. Disease Management
Recovery Review 