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Moral Determinants of Wellbeing

2020 was by any measure a bad year for humanity. In the United States, we bore witness to intense disruption to the social fabric of our nation. And then, during the first full week of 2021, the citadel of American democracy, the U.S. Capitol, was invaded by U.S. Citizens during an active session of Congress.

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By David

1/10/21

The Commonly Well logo and the headline "2021 Annual Letter"

Annual Letter: 2021

What a year it has been. From the global pandemic affecting us all, to me writing my first annual letter as the founder of a wellbeing and technology startup. This year serves as a demarcation of change or transition for many. 

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By David

1/10/21

The Commonly Well logo and the headline "Most Read of 2022"

Most read posts of 2020

One outcome of 2020 was more writing output, an exercise I like but finally got prioritized

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By David

1/3/21

The Commonly Well logo and "Happy New Year"

There was good in 2020

We will always experience ups and downs, but what we reflect on impacts our happiness and wellbeing.

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By David

12/31/20

A hand sketching a user experience design

Addiction care needs a strategy for rigorous measurement and rapid progress

Measuring success through recovery capital indicators will boost care engagement, align with community priorities, and transform more lives Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash The addiction and overdose crisis in the United States is raging. COVID is exacerbating the underlying drivers of addiction. And despite the extraordinary efforts of great people and organizations, the problemContinue reading "Addiction care needs a strategy for rigorous measurement and rapid progress"

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By David

12/28/20

The logos of the Recovery Capital Index and Homeward Pikes Peak

ANNOUNCEMENT: Homeward Pikes Peak adds Recovery Capital Index to advance permanent housing initiatives

Homeward Pikes Peak to use the Recovery Capital Index to support addiction recovery efforts and measure long-term outcomes while housing those experiencing homelessness. 

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By David

11/17/20

The Recovery Capital Index logo and "Covid 19"

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Recovery Capital Index is being used to understand the effects of COVID-19 on treatment disparities and access to care

A prospective study using the Recovery Capital Index® (RCI) is underway in Washington D.C.Bibhas Amatya and Omar Saadi, students from George Washington University, are conducting a study in affiliation with opioid treatment clinics throughout various wards in Washington D.C. The team seeks to understand the discrepancies in opioid treatment programs and the disparities in patient’s access to care.The study aims to build trends in data among evidence-based treatment models in establishing identifiable relationships in mental health and addiction recovery to prevent relapse rates that may have been influenced by the public health crisis.

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By David

9/16/20

A line of mirrors

What Gets in the Way of Change

We have a lot of change or desired change happening around us. But whether the change is personal, professional, cultural, political, or something else, we want change to be meaningful and sustained. Change in a cultural realm isn’t much different than change at the individual level. Both scenarios need acceptance. So what gets in the way of seeing change materialize?

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By David

8/21/20

A hand dropping an envelope into a ballot box

Look to First Principles To Solve the Voting Problem

Who can vote and who cannot has been an original fixture of American democracy. This reality is counter to the ideal of our representative democracy. And now, on the cusp of a presidential election in the middle of a pandemic and social strife, the very act of voting is plagued with uncertainty. This problem seems incredibly solvable.

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By David

8/21/20

A desk with sketches and designing tools spread out

Participate in a Design Charrette

Over the years, many individuals have provided knowledge and insight that led to new solutions or ideas in my former work at Face It TOGETHER. Some of this knowledge was acquired directly and indirectly. But as I transition into new opportunities and the launching of Commonly Well, I’d like to return the favor in a very direct way.Let me host a design charrette for you or your team.

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By David

7/16/20

An old alarm clock

Leveraging the Value of Structure

A couple weeks into the COVID-19 lockdown, I intentionally introduced two structured behaviors in to my life. When faced with uncertainty, my natural reaction was to create certainty. Control what you can, let go of everything else.

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By David

7/16/20

Profile view of a happy, smiling woman

Celebrate Good Decisions

If our mind has reached a point of identifying an extraordinary behavior — good or bad — we should recognize something remarkable has happened.

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By David

7/5/20