A Social Justice Lens for Addictions Practice

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"Addiction is commonly conceptualized as a personal problem, a family problem, a neighborhood problem, a community problem, and even a social problem. But how might addiction be understood as a social justice problem?"

Dr. Laura Burney Nissen, Dean and Professor at the Portland State University School of Social Work, has an article in the latest issue of ATTC Messenger on this topic.

The article, Strengthening a Social Justice Lens for Addictions Practice: Exploration, Reflections, Possibilities, and a Challenge to to Promote Recovery Among the Most Vulnerable, suggests that "there is a need for more creative, conscious, and robust evolution in our addictions treatment endeavors to increase positive outcomes equitably—and that addictions treatment practitioners have a key role to play in advancing the social justice challenges inherent to practice in this field."