Insights & Resources
Recovery Capital is the third leg of the addiction solution stool
ISSUE #1 — The IndexIn a commentary written by Josh Nussbaum, CEO and co-Founder of Halcyon Health, he identified measurement as the third leg of the solutions stool for addiction in the U.S. Nussbaum wrote that we must measure “disease progression, treatment efficacy, and long-term outcomes.” Such a measurement has the potential for upstream disruption. Yes, we need to improve the quality of care and advance the types of care for the millions getting care, but millions more are destined to experience the hell of addiction if we don't have a connected upstream or prevention strategy.
Read More →By David
3/11/21
On transportation and addiction recovery
As a reader of this newsletter, you now know that addiction is a lens through which I will view inequities, barriers, and poor design. With limited exceptions, addiction is a condition that manifests over time and through repetition. Reversing the effects of addiction are incredibly difficult because our environment isn’t optimized for health or to make life easy — unless of course you have the things needed to navigate the environment (in which, life is never really easier, just easier).
Read More →By David
3/7/21
What is Recovery Capital?
Recovery Capital is a concept that respects the entire presence and experience of a person.Most definitions of recovery capital — like the one below — shift the focus from the reasons one has addiction to the components that promote recovery. As you’ll come to understand, such pathology versus resiliency gymnastics are not necessary. Recovery Capital is the depth and breadth of internal and external resources that can be used by someone to begin and sustain wellness from addiction. (Granfield & Cloud, 1999)
Read More →By David
3/7/21
Recovery Capital: A Series on Sustainable Recovery
Addiction is a costly problem. Depending on certain factors, the cost is between $500 billion and $1 trillion. Most of these costs are due to strain on public services (healthcare, criminal justice, social services) and economics (labor shortages, reduced opportunity). And as you can see from just the economics, addiction impacts many areas of life. Yet, most solutions are focused and designed around a particular substance.
Read More →By David
3/3/21
Identifying a set of operating principles
Form follows function. This is a hard and fast rule, right?I suppose it depends on whom you ask. Put an architect, product designer, industrial engineer, and a software developer in a room together and my guess is the discussion, err debate, could go on a long time.
Read More →By David
3/1/21
Making good with irony and absurdity
What does Ferris Bueller say at the end of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”?“Yep, I said it before and I’ll say it again; life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it’”A Bloomberg CityLab/MapLab story about the inefficiencies of bus networks awakened a series of memories from 15 years ago when I was in the early months of reinventing my life. I moved to Sioux Falls, SD from the jail in Winner, SD during the last week of January 2006. I was staring life over without a job and living in a sober home. My license was revoked for 5 years. My parents bought me a bike to get around, some new clothes, a cell phone, and paid a few months of my rent.
Read More →By David
2/20/21
Pobal Officially Announces a Partnership with Commonly Well to Integrate its Recover Capital Index (RCI)
Pobal, a technology and education-driven addiction treatment and recovery platform, has partnered with Commonly Well to integrate the Recovery Capital Index® (RCI), an industry-leading and scientifically validated recovery determinants assessment.Pobal is reimagining addiction recovery through a digital ecosystem of on-demand courses, tools, and community. The Ascent Recovery Program offers courses designed to educate practitioners and clients on the psychological, biological, and social dimensions of substance use disorder to promote treatment, recovery, and healing.
Read More →By David
2/17/21
Don’t wait for the most painful proof
We’ve set our default to act when action becomes the hardestIs there something in your life that could and should be changed or fixed but you’re holding off because it’s just not bad enough yet?
Read More →By David
2/15/21
On our addiction to resiliency porn
All of human history is marked by the stories we tell of our own triumph and the tragedy of others.These stories provide comfort and caution. They also inspire us to be better.But what happens when individual stories of triumph and tragedy fuel opportunism from crisis?
Read More →By David
2/7/21
On interrupting the inevitable
The inevitability paradox strikes again. We have a mental health crisis coming — so we hear.The inevitability paradox posits that because of (x) happening, (y) will happen and we have to accept it. But, there are things we could do to deal with (y). The paradox is, if we just did (y) in the first place because it’s good for us anyway, (x) never would have happened.
Read More →By David
1/30/21
The community design argument for open drug use
Dr. Carl Hart’s new book, “Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear,” continues to push the envelope on how we think about drugs, policies around drugs, and addiction.I'll read the book, just as I've read most of Dr. Carl Hart’s work, but ... yeah, there's a big but here. On the surface, Dr. Hart is dancing dangerously close with complete irresponsibility.
Read More →By David
1/19/21
Get everyone an oar
As the events of 6 January unfolded and in the days since, I have gravitated to the words and acts of both John F. and Robert F. Kennedy. It's clear from the insurgency on the Capitol that America is not working for everyone. Whether we fully understand the insurgents position or not, there's a dangerous imbalance.
Read More →By David
1/17/21