Forward: I first met Dona as she got PRO-A off the ground in those early years of the recovery movement here in Pennsylvania. PRO-A was one of the first statewide Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs) in the nation. I don’t even think I had heard of an RCO before I met Dona. She has had a … Continue reading Interview #6 Dona Dmitrovic – Reflections on the historic 2001 Recovery Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the start of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement
Doctors, Nurses and Recovery
Last week a book I had ordered dropped through the letterbox. It’s Adam Hill’s ‘Long Walk Out of the Woods’. He’s a doctor who developed an alcohol use disorder and recovered from it. The book about his journey is next on my reading list. The arrival of Adam’s book triggered thoughts of my own story and then … Continue reading Doctors, Nurses and Recovery
On advocacy and criticism
This post was originally published January 1, 2020. I'm not sure why, but I've been missing Roger Ebert recently. I've posted about him a few times before and commented on my appreciation that he was a film lover first and a film critic second. I think it's safe to say that social media has multiplied … Continue reading On advocacy and criticism
WHERE is Addiction?
If you were asked to physically point to the location of a person’s addiction illness, where would you point? My answer might surprise you. Where would you point if you were asked? Have you ever thought of that question? I’ll share my answer to that question a little later in this essay. But first, try … Continue reading WHERE is Addiction?
In Praise of Service
It doesn't come up much here, but I am a social worker. Both of my degrees are in social work, I've taught social work for the last 17 years, I've served on NASW's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Section, as well as NASW-Michigan's Legislative and Social Policy Committee and Ethics Committee. This blog focuses on … Continue reading In Praise of Service
Interview #5 Tom Hill – Reflections on the Historic 2001 Recovery Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the start of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement
Forward: Few people have had as much impact on the way we think about recovery advocacy in America as has Tom Hill. He has been generous of his time with so very many of us in our efforts to strengthen recovery community organizations across the nation. Tom mentored me in his prior role as Senior … Continue reading Interview #5 Tom Hill – Reflections on the Historic 2001 Recovery Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the start of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement
Unethical care, shoddy care, and the “poverty industry”
As someone who spent 25 years working for a nonprofit providing long-term residential addiction treatment, I'm of two minds about the state of residential treatment in the US. On the one hand, our agency struggled mightily to maintain high-quality, ethical, evidence-based care that kept patients engaged and supported them through the treacherous first 1-2 years … Continue reading Unethical care, shoddy care, and the “poverty industry”
Drug policy – who calls the shots?
Last week, the highlight of my week was not presenting at a conference or completing my part of a hard-worked funding bid, though both of these were satisfying. By far the loveliest thing to happen was a short conversation with an ex-patient who came back to say thank you. She particularly stressed the part that … Continue reading Drug policy – who calls the shots?
Interview #4 Ben Bass – Reflections on the historic 2001 Recovery Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the start of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement
Forward: As I was calling around to set up interviews, Ben Bass came up in several conversations. Several people in attendance told me he was at the historic St Paul 2001 Recovery Summit. When I did this interview and spoke with him about the summit and his recollections of the beginnings of the new recovery … Continue reading Interview #4 Ben Bass – Reflections on the historic 2001 Recovery Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the start of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement
Sober 21
I stumbled on Sober 21 this morning, which describes itself as "a compendium of essays by, and interviews with, sober musicians". The editor's introductory essay describes the project as follows: It’s a free resource for musicians who want to begin the journey, or are new to the path of getting clean and sober from drugs … Continue reading Sober 21
Recovery Review 