I want to call readers attention to a post on this site that really resonated with me. My colleague, Mr. Austin Brown, posted “Back to Basics 2” on January 20, 2020.  If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so.  He hits some very important points, you can find his post here. … Continue reading We are the Cavalry that the next generation is waiting for

I recently attended the memorial service for Lyndin Worth Bolton and would like to share his obituary on this blog and write a few sentences honoring his life and work. Worth taught in the addiction certificate program at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work and passed away at the end of 2019. I came … Continue reading In Memoriam: Worth Bolton

I like this particular series as it allows me a less formal mode of discussion. This is an imperfect piece told in a halting style. Confessional really. It is also somewhat cathartic. To be able to casually air my opinions thus frees mental space and emotional energy for my more formal commitments. This particular piece … Continue reading Back To Basics- Vol 2: Losing the Revolution

Holly Whitaker, quoted in the Guardian newspaper, talks about AA and her impression that it doesn't have much to offer women: The programme’s guidelines, created in 1939, centre on appealing to a higher power and renouncing the ego. How, she wondered, could this possibly serve women or minorities who historically have been powerless? “These are … Continue reading How can AA possibly serve women?

It is common knowledge that are substance use care system infrastructure is in disrepair. This is particularly true on the public funded side, were funding, including our federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant has historically been dwarfed by the magnitude of the service need. It has lost even more ground in recent … Continue reading SOR & STR Funding – A high-speed entrance ramp to a one lane road with an uncertain destination

As many readers may know, decreasing life expediencies in the United States has been associated with what are being termed deaths of despair.  That life expectancy in the United States is decreasing has significant implications for our society.  As noted by NBC News, “the last three years represent the longest consecutive decline in the American … Continue reading Battling deaths of despair with the contagion of hope – priming a discussion on expanding recovery at the level of community

Recently, I have seen yet another wave of anti-12 step promotion via various digital formats and blogs. The various talking point involve, "AA is not evidence-based","AA has incredibly low success rates," and a variety of cultural criticisms and safety warnings. Time and time again I run across people who quite suddenly demand that I offer … Continue reading 12-Step Skepticism and The Evidence

Good morning readers - I just wanted to share my first opinion piece for STAT News that was published this morning. " few Americans get anywhere near 90 days of care. Within the confines of existing insurance networks, short-term treatment of 28 days or less is all that most Americans are offered — if they can … Continue reading Addiction treatment is broken. Here’s what it should look like

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 and elevated critics. I've been thinking about the … Continue reading On advocacy and criticism

New Year’s Raven - artwork by Julie Miller of Haggis Vitae Studios, used by permission Sitting here on the last Sunday afternoon of the decade, I find myself reflecting on recovery and where we are at this moment in time. Much has occurred to expand recovery opportunities for every American with a substance use condition … Continue reading Reflections on Recovery at the end of the decade