Speaker: Kurt White, LICSW

The concept of “recovery” has a long history in the field of addictions; indeed, many would say that the recovery concept is central to addictions treatment.  However, there has been an evolution of the meaning of “recovery’ over time, and variations in opinion about what this term really means. This has become more and more relevant in recent years, as the movement for “recovery oriented systems of care” has been a priority at the policy level in substance abuse treatment. Herein, we will explore some of the history of the recovery concept including similarities and differences in views, as well as the recent initiative at the federal, state, and agency level for “recovery oriented systems of care.”