How much social media is too much for a teen? No one knows for sure, but the issue of social media addiction has many people concerned. One study, published in 2016, not only showed that 59% of parents believe their teens are addicted to their mobile devices, but 50% of teens themselves believe they are addicted. That in and of itself is alarming. However, consider that this now eight-year-old research was done prior to the widespread adoption of other more sophisticated platforms, like TikTok.

TikTok is a social media app that curates short-form videos for users and is now one of the most popular platforms used by teens 13-17 years old. It has the potential to be particularly addictive due to its computer algorithm, which allows it to analyze user behavior and curate content to match user interests—whether that’s viewing, mentioning or “liking” dance videos, study tips or acts of violence. (Plus, the opportunity to scroll never ends, so no cues exist that remind teens to stop and move on to a different activity.)

Concerns don’t just span roles and ages, nor are they confined to specific groups. At a time in history when differing beliefs are causing painful divisions within the nation, people across the political spectrum are coming together in unwavering agreement—social media is harming children and teens and something must be done. As of June, the bipartisan “Protecting Kids on Social Media” bill was pending, which would establish guidelines for social media, including banning children under age 13 from having accounts.

Read the full story in the NASW Social Work Advocates magazine.

NASW continues its collaboration with Sesame Workshop (SW) and recently partnered for a roundtable discussion regarding parental addiction. SW is a nonprofit impact organization whose mission is to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Through its social impact initiatives, SW creates resources for young children, families, and providers that bring awareness and research-based guidance to help problem-solve tough issues impacting children.

The purpose of the roundtable was to examine SW’s existing content related to substance use, identify any gaps in material, determine the best way for providers to leverage the information in professional practice and to increase awareness of the resources in partnership with organizations such as NASW.

Nine panelists representing a variety of organizations and expertise participated in the discussion and offered insights on parental addiction. The panelist discussed content development that considers ages and stages of development and best practices in addressing the impacts of substance use on children. NASW presented the social work perspective in addressing substance use and highlighted the workforces’ impact in treatment and child welfare settings. NASW made three content recommendations that would assist social workers in educating and treating families impacted by addiction.

1. Develop resources that guide caregivers and professionals in conversations with children about overdose deaths.
2. Create content that depicts interactions with social workers and other vital helping professionals in the field of recovery and addiction.
3. Identify how current and future SW resources can integrate into existing treatment modalities such as trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

Information and recommendations from the panel discussion will help SW staff develop content and conduct additional on-the-ground research as next steps.

SW currently has helpful online resources at Parental Addiction that include videos, interactive activities, and professional development to assist providers and families to understand and manage the impact of parental addiction on young children. The content includes examples of healthy coping skills such as storying-telling, meditation, and deep breathing. There are also examples of lived experiences that highlight a family’s journey to recovery. The resources are fun, age appropriate, and relevant to social work practice. Several panelists indicated the benefit of the resources in various treatment and education settings. Consider viewing and utilizing the tools in your practice area!

In 1989, National Recovery Month was started during the month of September. The purpose of Recovery Month is to raise awareness and promote evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, celebrate the recovery community, and acknowledge service providers and communities that assist individuals with their recovery. Recovery Month provides continued education and encouragement around recovery, elevating accomplishments and reaffirming the possibility of recovery.

SAMHSA defines recovery as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives and strive to reach their full potential. Social workers provide counseling and psychotherapy services to patients in recovery.  Social workers help patients eliminate psychosocial stressors such as homelessness, loss of job, divorce, and loneliness that may have led to their use of substances. They walk patients through their journey of recovery providing supportive services that lead them to a healthier and rewarding lifestyle.

NASW celebrates Recovery Month and congratulates those in recovery for their resiliency and tenacity. The association shares the following resources with members who work with patients in recovery.

NASW Resources

New Messaging from Faces & Voices of Recovery for Talking About Recovery
Faces & Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) is a national campaign of individuals and organizations joining together with a united voice to advocate for public action to deliver the power, possibility, and proof of recovery from substance-use disorders. FAVOR has developed a language that social workers and others can use to talk with the public and policymakers about recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs.

Facing the Opioid Crisis (podcast episode)
David Stoecker, LCSW, is founder and director of Better Life in Recovery. He recommends that we look at the opioid addiction pandemic through a harm-reduction lens, rather than a punitive one. He argues that abstinence is not the only path to recovery and that we need to create healthy communities and to provide recovery support to those who need it.

Additional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Recovery Is for Everyone: Understanding Treatment of Substance Use Disorders. The CDC explains what substance use disorders are along with different treatment and recovery options and the importance of reducing stigma.

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare

• Disrupting Stigma: How Understanding, Empathy, and Connection Can Improve Outcomes for Families Affect by Substance Use and Mental Disorders. Brief created to support collaboration amongst teams in their efforts to help reduce stigmas. The brief provides strategies and best practices when working with individuals affected by substance use and mental disorders.

• Understanding Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Resource Guide for Professionals Referring to Treatment. Resource which provides tools for providers to utilize when working with individuals and families affected by substance use.

• Online Tutorials, for Substance Use Treatment Professionals, Child Welfare Professionals and Legal Professionals.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
NIDA defines recovery and provides descriptions of different types of recovery programs and provides two tools providers can use when working with individuals who are entering recovery.

Online Treatment Locator, the confidential and anonymous resource for individuals seeking treatment for mental and substance use disorders in the United States and its territories.

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline, is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English andSpanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

• SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center, SAMHSA has compiled a list of resources that can help communities, providers and policymakers incorporate evidence-based practices into their work and settings.

• Recovery from Substance Use and Mental Health Problems Among Adults in the United States, recent brief report released in 2023 of self-reports of recovery among adults aged 18 and older in the United States. The findings provide information regarding reasons connected with recovery and how efforts can be made to assist with sustaining recovery.

• Recovery is Real & Holistic, infographic regarding persons in recovery.

Social Media Toolkits

National Recovery Month Partner Toolkit, CDC toolkit which provides social media content to help raise awareness regarding National Recovery Month.

2023 Toolkit for Recovery Month, toolkit which can be used to help with raising awareness through social media, hashtags, and other ideas related to hosting community events to celebrate Recovery Month.

National Recovery Month Events

Faces and Voices of Recovery, list of events during the month of September for Recovery Month.

When students leave the halls of academia and decide to venture on their first social work job, there is trepidation. Will I be able to cut it? Do my skills align with the amount of knowledge I gained in school?

Students must decide what type of social worker they want to become, and where they would like to work. There are clinical, military, hospital, school social work, and other options.

Addiction is one route that a social worker can pursue, and it typically requires a Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW) certification. This simply means that an individual can marry various systems, schools of thoughts, and theories, and apply them to real-life scenarios. It also is a great selling point for large institutions that have prestigious names to carry. Large hospital systems typically employ LMSW social workers because they have demonstrated clinical acumen and the ability to navigate practice scenarios.

So why should  students enter the realm of clinical social work in addiction? Well, for one, addiction is serious societal issue. There are two main  types of addiction – behavioral and chemical. Common behavioral addictions include food addiction, gambling addiction, gaming addiction, and hoarding. Chemical addiction involves substances, most notably alcohol, opioids, cannabis, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine, and methamphetamines.

One can be diagnosed with a substance use disorder if he or she meets a certain criterion determined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). Here are some sobering statistics: In 2022 in New York (including New York City), 1,131,000 adults and 52,000 young people were diagnosed with a substance use disorder.

What are Opiates?

One form of substance is opiates. Opiates are a type of drug used to treat pain, but oftentimes these drugs are abused because of their addictive qualities.

There are natural opiates, like codeine, morphine, and heroin (heroin is made from morphine). These drugs are used after surgeries and used on an as-needed basis. There are also semi-synthetic opiates, which are part naturally producing and part manufactured drugs. One of the biggest and well-known semi-synthetic opiates is OxyContin.

A drug prescribed for serious pain in the 1990s, oxycontin is highly addictive, and has come under major media scrutiny due to its makers’ (Sackler family and Purdue Pharma) unsavory marketing strategies as ‘non-addictive’ opioids. This could not be farther from the truth, and most patients seeking help from drug use start their stories with “I got into an accident in high school and was prescribed oxycontin.” It is downhill from there.

There are also synthetic opiates, a dangerous, man-made class of drugs manufactured in laboratories. These drugs include Demerol, methadone, and fentanyl, and represent lethal classes of drugs due to their potency. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), because of fentanyl’s extremely high potency (it is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine) and its ability to readily enter brain tissue, it can be lethal to breathe air with atomized fentanyl in it or touch a contaminated surface.

In other words, if someone ingests fentanyl or uses heroin, cocaine, or cannabinoid laced with fentanyl, he or she can die. Right on the spot. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the fentanyl crisis: in 2020, there was an estimated 30 percent increase of overdose deaths related to opiate use, with a growing amount due to the drug fentanyl. The number is higher today, as the pandemic has lasted two plus years and is still part of the fabric of our lives.

Those entering addiction field must ask themselves, “Am I ready to see a client overdose or even die?”

Why would a social work student decide to enter this field?  It could be because they have a passion for social justice and a commitment to ending pain and suffering.

Those contemplating working in this field should also ask themselves, “Is this a field that I can realistically go into, knowing that my patients might overdose, or worse, die?” It is not an unfair question. Social workers in schools,  nonprofit organizations, research, and mental health settings are likely to see their clients or patients the following day. The same cannot be said of working in a methadone clinic. Patients seeking help for opioid addiction go through phases of change, one of them being relapse. A relapse episode is the most dangerous as a patient might overdose and not be able to call 911 in time.

Methadone  is a treatment for opiate use disorder and has been around since the 1950s. It reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opioids. Not all medical professionals embrace this model. Abstinence models would argue that it is better to curtail drug use through complete renunciation of drug use, rather than substitute one opioid (methadone) for another (heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine, codeine). Abstinence only models frown upon the use of methadone because it does not address psychosocial factors that contribute to drug use. However, a body of research indicates that methadone is an effective model to treat opiate use and opiate dependency.

The transition from study of addiction and knowledge of opiates is not seamless. Students are taught that addiction is a chronic but treatable disease rather than a moral failing. However, in practice, patients often feel stigmatized and ashamed of their drug use. In methadone clinics, patients walk around listlessly, bang on doors to be seen, and fidget in their seats trying to get rid of the goosebumps ravaging their systems. Clinical social workers in this setting must recognize the reality of such pain and manage the needs of every staff member – not an easy task.

How addiction social workers work with nurses, doctors and psychiatrists

Clinical social workers may feel the pressure to be overly sensitive to their patients’ behavior and to help nurses and doctors. Nurses monitor diversion (are clients selling methadone instead of taking it, returning a full bottle, or forgetting to return an empty bottle). Nurses can lose their licenses if patients mismanage their medication, and social workers must help nurses, especially when they have added information that can help explain unexpected drug use or relapse.

Clinical social workers help nurses by increasing patient schedules (from once a week to three times a week, for instance), providing more intensive counseling as per nursing recommendation and exploring higher levels of care like detox programs or inpatient care if a client  is struggling. There can be no egos in a methadone clinic. Everyone must work together, and there is no right way to treatment. Treatment is a collaborative effort. New clinical social workers must adapt and focus on the patient, nursing concerns, and other ad-hoc requests.

Clinical social workers also collaborate with doctors and psychiatrists who assess a patient’s overall function through dose evaluations. While a doctor’s scope is limited to chemical issues stemming from drug use, oftentimes doctors will speak with clinical social workers about changes in their patients’ lives. Did something happen at home? Did a patient lose employment and therefore resort to drug use? Is someone being abused? Social workers must be attuned to the nuances and changes in their patients’ lives to provide accurate and helpful insight into behavior changes.

A clinical social worker in addiction treatment setting is a professional juggler

This information alone is enough to make ones’ head spin. And a clinical social worker may still wonder, ‘What does it really feel like to work in such an intense environment?’ ‘Is it really for me?” Well, for one, a methadone clinic is incredibly fast paced. Everything happens in a heartbeat, and sometimes there is no downtime. Everything can feel like an emergency. It may not be possible to provide 45-minute counseling sessions to six patients in one day.

More likely a clinical social worker will see 12 to 15  patients, avert a crisis, and scramble to write up notes by end of day. The name of the game is learning the complex needs of the clinic while also considering a patient’s needs in a loving, present way. Psychodynamic therapy or looking at past traumas or family dynamics is helpful when patients are stable and can explore their urges, cravings, and needs from a more detached lens. The heart and soul of a methadone clinic is crisis management – and this can come as a shock to a bright-eyed social worker looking to be a therapist.

A clinical social worker is a professional juggler. An essential job function is to hold space for patients in crisis, to complete daily, weekly, and monthly deliverables, and to help nurses, doctors, and other key staff members stay on the same page.

This is a challenging proposition, not because clinical social work is hard, but because patients with opiate use disorder oftentimes present with other mental health issues that make treatment harder to quantify. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and personality disorders are oftentimes linked to addiction.

This level of patient complexity requires a dexterous mind. Clinical social workers are hugely integral members in the puzzle that is addiction. And stepping away is okay, too: this elevated risk, high reward environment isn’t for everyone. Practicing commitment to social justice comes in all forms. The best approach when thinking about addiction and a methadone clinic is to research, investigate, and determine a goodness of fit. If the answer is yes, working in a methadone clinic can be highly rewarding. Addiction social work is in the business of saving lives. What could be a more noble pursuit than that?

Marisa Markowitz, LMSW, CASAC-T, is a Clinical Social Worker at New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Vincent P. Dole Treatment and Research Institute for Opiate Dependency. Marisa studies the relationship between technology and its adverse effects on mental health, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Disclaimer: The National Association of Social Workers invites members to share their expertise and experiences through Member Voices. This blog was prepared by Marisa Markowitz in her personal capacity and does not necessarily reflect the view of the National Association of Social Workers.

Getty images

Retail alcohol sales spiked 20 percent during the first six months of the pandemic. A study shows Americans drank 14 percent more often in response to pandemic-related stress, according to an article posted at thelily.com.

However, more people are considering staying sober for a period. A New Year tradition called “Dry January” has helped to grow this trend.

Sabrina Spotorno

“A month off and then some can do so much good for your overall well-being, your memory, your sleep, your digestion,” said NASW member Sabrina Spotorno, a clinical social worker and credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor at Monument, an online platform for alcohol treatment and recovery. “The sky’s the limit, really, as you phase out from that relationship with alcohol,” she said.

Spotorno recommends seeking a medical assessment before starting a sobriety journey. “We do encourage just having that conversation with a medical provider,” she said. Doctors at Monument offer 20-minute consultations to help people determine the best way to wean off alcohol.

Read about other NASW members being quoted in the media in NASW’s Social Work Advocates magazine.

By Diana Ling, MA, Program Manager and Leslie Sirrianni, LCSW, Senior Research Project and Training Coordinator; Health Behavior Research and Training Institute, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin

A troubling trend has taken hold over the past two decades: drinking patterns among men and women have converged – and in some cases, young women are now drinking more than young men. A review of six surveys between 2000 and 2016 found that the number of women ages 18 and older who drink each year rose by 6 percent (compared to a 0.2 percent decrease for men), while women’s binge drinking jumped by 14 percent (compared to a 0.5 percent increase among men). A more recent study found that girls and young women ages 12 to 20 are now drinking more alcohol than their male counterparts.

At the same time, research has shown that women are more likely to suffer harmful effects from drinking. Compared to men who drink, women are at greater risk of experiencing memory problems, liver inflammation, cognitive deficits, and certain cancers. Those who are capable of becoming pregnant also risk prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).

This National Women’s Health Week (May 8-15), social workers can make a difference by making alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) part of routine practice. Alcohol SBI is an evidence-based practice for reducing risky drinking backed by more than 30 years of research. For a guide to best practices, including validated screening tools for girls and women of reproductive age, please see the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Practice Perspectives on alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment.

NASW, the NASW Foundation, and the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work are partners, along with leading medical organizations, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Collaborative for Alcohol-Free Pregnancy. This cross-discipline initiative encourages health professionals to help prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies and FASDs by screening women for risky alcohol use.

For professional development resources, visit NASW’s Behavioral Health webpage. Additional clinical resources are available through our Collaborative partners:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention Efforts
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevention Program

Social workers provide counseling services and mental health treatment to individuals who may also have an alcohol use disorder and help them address barriers to treatment. They also provide education around potential harm due to misuse and use treatment modalities that are flexible and work for both harm reduction and abstinence.

When alcohol is consumed drinking in moderation is considered 2 drinks or less per day for men and 1 drink per day for women. Having conversations around consumption and alcohol use during early screenings can be used as an opportunity to discuss frequency of use, volume of use and possible need for treatment. Stigmas around treatment and seeking help are prevalent. Education and screening may be beneficial in informing individuals of treatment options and resources available to them.

Facts regarding alcohol use include the following:

• A standard drink contains 0.6 fluid ounces or 14 grams of pure alcohol.
• Underage drinking is common and early use can lead to an alcohol use disorder later in life.
• Men are almost two times more likely to binge drink more than women.
• Women face higher risk for alcohol related consequences due to having less water in their bodies than men.
• Before a person knows they are pregnant, alcohol can cause developmental problems for their developing baby. There is no safe time or amount of alcohol use in pregnancy.
• Alcohol levels are usually highest in breast milk 30-60 minutes after an alcoholic beverage is consumed, and can be generally detected in breast milk for about 2-3 hours per drink after it is consumed.

In honor of Alcohol Awareness Month, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has compiled the following list of resources.

• Al-Anon Meetings. Find an Al-Anon or Alateen Face to Face, Phone, or Online Meeting. Retrieved 3/22/22. https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/
• Alcoholics Anonymous. Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. Resource to finding meeting locations. Retrieved March 22, 2022. https://www.aa.org/
• Alcohol Facts and Statistics. Alcohol Use in the United States. Updated March 2022. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
• Alcohol Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): Best Practices for the Prevention and Treatment of Risky Drinking in Girls/Women of Childbearing Age. Assessment and interventions of risky alcohol use is extremely important amongst girls and women. Winter 2020.https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mXPYgpIQBkg%3d&portalid=0
• Binge Drinking. Binge drinking is a serious but preventable public health problem. January 6, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm
• COVID-19 pandemic and alcohol consumption: Impacts and interconnections. The effects of alcohol consumption and the consequences during social isolation and lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic. Toxicology Reports. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750021000469
• Dangerous Rites of Passage: Trends in College Alcohol Consumption. Research continues to focus on binge drinking and college alcohol consumption. June 2011. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=eJmbVNdAhnA%3d&portalid=0
• Drinking Levels Defined. Overview of alcohol consumption. Retrieved March 18, 2022. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs): Clinical Resources for Social Work Practice. Social workers can help with prevention by screening clients for risky alcohol use. 2019. http://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=gxtcgelcpHw=&portalid=0
• Is It Safe for Mothers to Breastfeed Their Infant if They Have Consumed Alcohol? Pumping after alcohol consumption does not reduce the presence of alcohol in breast milk. February 9, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/vaccinations-medications-drugs/alcohol.html
• Moderation Management Non-Profit for Self-Managed Alcohol Moderation. Source of information from a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol. Retrieved March 22, 2022. https://moderation.org/
• NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Clients and Substance Use Disorders. A document outlining standards for professional practice, professional preparation and development for social workers working with clients with substance use disorders. 2013. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ICxAggMy9CU%3d&portalid=0
• NASW Practice Perspectives: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Guide to Resources. Resources to various agencies and websites that provide information on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Spring 2017. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Xi0H5JNZ9Bg%3d&portalid=0
• NIAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. Source of information for persons seeking providers. https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/how-to-find-alcohol-treatment/step-1-search-trusted-sources-to-find-providers
• Preventing Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies: Tools and Strategies for the Social Work Practitioner. The role of social worker practitioners and the tools and strategies to help with prevention. Retrieved March 22, 2022. https://media.bcm.edu/documents/2017/fb/preventing-alcohol-exposed-pregnancies-tools-and-strategies-for-the-social-work-practitioner.pdf
• Smart Recovery. Resource to finding support meetings which are free and open to anyone. Retrieved March 22, 2022. https://www.smartrecovery.org/
• SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator. A confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities. Retrieved March 22, 2022. https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
• The Worsening Outcomes of the COVID-19 Lockdowns on Patients with a History of Alcoholism. Stress exacerbates alcohol consumption and use which leads to additional stress. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. April 12, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2021.1914257
• Treating Alcoholism. Understanding alcohol treatment, when to seek treatment and the types of treatment. Updated March 1, 2022. https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/Treatment/
• Underage Drinking. Underage drinking is common, dangerous, associated with adult drinking and preventable. October 6, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm
• US Department of Veterans Affairs Substance Use Disorder Program Locations. Resource to help locate specialized SUD programs for veterans based upon state. Retrieved March 22, 2022. https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/SUD.asp
• What’s A “Standard Drink”? Rethinking Drinking, Alcohol and Your Health. How much is too much? What counts as a drink? Alcohol consumption facts. Retrieved March 21, 2022. https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/What-counts-as-a-drink/Whats-A-Standard-Drink.aspx

• What Are the Consequences. There are short term and long-term consequences associated with alcohol misuse. Retrieved March 17, 2022. https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/Whats-the-harm/What-Are-The-Consequences.aspx
• What Are the Symptoms of an Alcohol Use Disorder. Questions to help you think about alcohol symptoms and behaviors that may indicate it is time to seek help. Retrieved March 18, 2022. https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/Whats-the-harm/What-Are-Symptoms-Of-Alcohol-Use-Disorder.aspx
• What Are the U.S. Guidelines for Drinking. Drinking in moderation, the patterns and risk of consumption. Retrieved March 17, 2022. https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/Is-your-drinking-pattern-risky/Drinking-Levels.aspx
• Words Matter-Terms to Use and Avoid When Talking About Addiction. Terms to consider using the reduce stigma and negative bias when talking about addiction. November 29, 2021. https://nida.nih.gov/nidamed-medical-health-professionals/health-professions-education/words-matter-terms-to-use-avoid-when-talking-about-addiction

NASW, along with other leading medical groups, is part of the Collaborative for Alcohol-Free Pregnancy, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative. In partnership with the NASW Foundation and the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work, we are working to address risky drinking among women by improving practice, education, and awareness among health professionals.

Visit NASW’s website page on Behavioral Health for more resources. Additional clinical resources are available through our Collaborative partners:

• CDC, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Training and Resources
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevention Program

We appreciate your feedback and support for the NASW community.

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By Nancy Markoe, LICSW

National Recovery Month (NRM) promotes awareness about addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery, encouraging the hopeful and inspiring message that treatment is effective and people can and do recover. This observance highlights the strength and humanity of individuals who have fought for their lives, reclaimed their health, and are prospering in long-term recovery.

The goals of NRM are to:

• Reduce stigma by educating the public
• Celebrate individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder or mental illness
• Honor prevention, treatment and recovery support service providers, and
• Encourage individuals and communities to take action to help expand the availability of effective prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for families and individuals in need.

The theme of NRM 2021, Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community, resonates with social workers across the United States, reminding us that treatment should be available and accessible to everyone and no one is alone on the road to recovery.

Social work’s holistic, strengths-based approach and evidence-based methods are essential to successful treatment and sustained recovery. As behavioral health providers in numerous settings from hospitals and schools to clinics and community, social workers are uniquely qualified to diagnose, educate, support and treat patients in recovery. Understanding the role of the individual in environment allows social workers to navigate the complex social factors involved in both the creation of substance use disorders and in their successful treatment.

While the stress and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic have imposed enormous challenges on people living with substance use disorders and mental illness, the growth of telehealth platforms and virtual spaces have nonetheless helped patients access support in new ways. This disruption to school, work and social life has also allowed some to embrace and sustain positive change – even in the face of undeniable adversity.

Social workers recognize that substance use disorders and mental illness are every bit as deserving of our attention, compassion and healthcare investments as any chronic condition including breast cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. No other illness carries the stigma and shame associated with substance use disorders and mental illness and those in the recovery community are working hard to change that. Not just during NRM, but every day of the year. NASW encourages its members to support NRM and help combat the social stigma around addiction, celebrate recovery, and promote awareness.

Resources:

NASW

Behavioral Health Resources

NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Clients with Substance Use Disorders

Social Work Speaks Policy Statement “Substance Use Disorder Treatment”

Treatment

Al-Anon

Alcoholics Anonymous

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

SAMHSA Treatment Locator

SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

A free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental illness and/or substance use disorders.

Children and Adolescents

Alateen Virtual Meetings

Nar-anon Family Groups Virtual Meetings

National Association for Children of Addiction

National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens

Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine