Integrating Spirituality and Counseling for African American Clients with Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders, Part 2

By: Kisha Freed, Success Coach, Six Seconds Certified EI Practitioner/Assessor, Mindfulness Meditation Instructor        Mark Sanders, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Substance Use Disorders Counselor. Photo credit: Delmaine Donson

The first article of this series establishes the contextual framework that we build upon in this discussion—especially regarding the historical significance of spirituality for enslaved Africans in America, the cultural importance of community and spirituality for African Americans, and the effectiveness of spirituality as an instrument of self-connection for African Americans engaging in mental health and substance use recovery services.

In this installment, we explore various methods for integrating spirituality and counseling for African American clients in recovery and fostering a connection of trust and care in therapist-client relationships.

Kisha: Mark, you have a lot of first-hand experience with spiritually integrated therapy. What advice can you give to providers who are interested in offering spiritually integrated services for African American clients?

Mark: My approach to integrating spirituality and counseling begins by asking clients a series of questions so I can better understand their perspectives, their needs, and what's culturally or spiritually important to them:

1.    What are your sources of comfort, strength, peace, love, joy, and connection?

2.    What do you hold on to or what gives you strength during difficult times?

3.    When you experience racism, discrimination, or oppression as an African American, what sustains you and keeps you going?

4.    Do you believe there are differences between religion and spirituality? If yes, what are those differences?

5.    Are you a part of a religious or spiritual community?

6.    Did your parents follow any specific religion or spiritual belief system? If yes, what were their views? Do you believe their beliefs influenced their response to experiences of racism, oppression, and other life challenges?

7.    Have you kept the same religion or spiritual beliefs you were raised with (if any), adopted new beliefs, or integrated new beliefs with those you were taught as a child?

8.    Which aspects of your religion are helpful to you (if any)? Which do you find challenging or not so helpful (if any)?

9.    Have challenges caused by mental illness or substance use changed the manner or modality through which you express your spirituality? If yes, how?

10. Many African Americans celebrate and/or share their spirituality through artistic expression (e.g., music, poetry, painting, dancing, rap, drama, creative writing, etc.) How do you celebrate and/or share your spirituality (if at all)?

11. Are you interested in pursuing any creative expressions of spirituality and/or art therapy in your recovery?

12. As a counselor, is there anything I can do to help you access resources so you can stay connected with your spirituality and/or support a burgeoning sense of spiritually or artistic expression on your recovery journey?

Kisha: These are some powerful questions–they invite the client to review how the past has affected their present and they provide an opportunity for clients to openly discuss both secular and spiritual motivations within the scope of self-empowerment. This approach has been known to speed recovery by compounding clients' desires to address the problem. By using open-ended questions, you are creating a space for the client to exercise self-agency and get in touch with themselves as the author of their life. It might be a bit uncomfortable at first, but the discussion can help them ease into a mindset of personal responsibility.

How has integrating spirituality with counseling impacted your clients, and how has it changed your practice on a larger scale? Click here to continue reading.

Recent Surge in U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Has Hit Black Men the Hardest

BY JOHN GRAMLICH

Nearly 92,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2020, marking a 30% increase from the year before, a 75% increase over five years and by far the highest annual total on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Preliminary figures suggest that the 2021 death toll from overdoses may be even higher.

While overdose death rates have increased in every major demographic group in recent years, no group has seen a bigger increase than Black men. As a result, Black men have overtaken White men and are now on par with American Indian or Alaska Native men as the demographic groups most likely to die from overdoses.

There were 54.1 fatal drug overdoses for every 100,000 Black men in the United States in 2020. That was similar to the rate among American Indian or Alaska Native men (52.1 deaths per 100,000 people) and well above the rates among White men (44.2 per 100,000) and Hispanic men (27.3 per 100,000). The overdose death rate among men was lowest among Asians or Pacific Islanders (8.5 per 100,000).

As recently as 2015, Black men were considerably less likely than both White men and American Indian or Alaska Native men to die from drug overdoses. Since then, the death rate among Black men has more than tripled – rising 213% – while rates among men in every other major racial or ethnic group have increased at a slower pace. The death rate among White men, for example, rose 69% between 2015 and 2020.

As has long been the case, women in the U.S. are less likely than men to die from drug overdoses. But death rates have risen sharply among women, too, especially Black women. The overdose fatality rate among Black women rose 144% between 2015 and 2020, far outpacing the percentage increases among women in every other racial or ethnic group during the same period.

Despite the steep rise in the overdose death rate among Black women, American Indian or Alaska Native women continued to have the highest such rate in 2020, as has been the case for most of the past two decades. There were 32 overdose deaths for every 100,000 American Indian or Alaska Native women in 2020, compared with 21.3 deaths for every 100,000 White women and 18.8 deaths for every 100,000 Black women. Fatality rates were much lower among Hispanic women (7.5 per 100,000) and Asian or Pacific Islander women (2.7 per 100,000).

The racial groups in this analysis include people of one race, as well as those who are multiracial. All death rates are adjusted to account for age differences between U.S. demographic groups.

John Gramlich is an associate director at Pew Research Center.

Click here to continue reading.

Celebrating Dual Recovery in African American Communities

September is National Recovery month. In honor, there will be marches, parades and other celebrations of substance use disorders recovery. African Americans have caught the spark of recovery month and have joined the rest of the country in celebrating this sacred month. While research indicates that substance use disorders and mental illness overlap at the rate of 50-70%, little attention is paid to mental health recovery.

This post is meant to encourage African American communities to also celebrate mental health recovery. Because of historical trauma, as a community we have our fair share of PTSD, complex trauma, depression, anxiety disorder, and ADD. According to Dr. Joy Degruy, we also suffer from a condition she calls Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome as a result of 400 years of historical trauma,

So let us march and celebrate mental health recovery in African American Communities! This visibility could help reduce the stigma of mental illness in African American communities. Once mobilized we could also form African American mental health advocacy movements. This movement could fight for treatment as an alternative to incarceration, Medicaid expansion, an increase in mental health services in African American communities, and the need for more African American mental health professionals.

Graduation: From Marijuana to Crack and Opioids

For years I specialized in working with African American adolescents who primarily smoked marijuana. Most began smoking marijuana between the ages of 11 to 13 and just about all made a declaration that marijuana was not addicting and that they would never use real addictive drugs like crack and heroin. When asked the reasons they would never use crack or heroin, they would say things like:

My aunt smoked crack and she sold her body for pennies to buy more crack

 or 

My uncle used heroin and overdosed in an alley with a needle in his arm.

Evidence indicates that in spite of the declaration of marijuana only, many of these youth will graduate to cocaine, opioids and other drugs as they age and as addiction progresses. Many of these youth begin experimenting with xanax, molly and other pills. When they turn 21, they celebrate adulthood by buying their own liquor, legally for the first time. As they enter emerging adulthood many will begin to add stimulants like cocaine, Oxycotin and heroin to their menu of drugs.

One study found that if an adolescent smokes marijuana for over 200 days in a year, they become more vulnerable to stimulant and opioid dependence. I have seen this in clinical practice and have talked with colleagues who have also witnessed this phenomenon.

For states which legalize marijuana, legalization begins at age 21. For teens who begin smoking marijuana before age 16 they become more vulnerable to mental health symptoms and a permanent drop in IQ caused by early marijuana use. In addition, many youth who start smoking marijuana at young ages do so to medicate childhood trauma and are at an increased risk of addiction. Many African American adolescents have said to me, “There is gun violence and gangs in my community. Of course I smoke marijuana to deal with that!”  Once the addiction process has set in, they become more vulnerable to cocaine and opioid dependence, in spite of the early declaration, “I'll never use those drugs!”

For African American adolescents, prevention of stimulant and opioid dependence can involve addressing marijuana use as early as possible including primary and secondary prevention. Early treatment for those whose marijuana use has been diagnosed as early stage dependence is also recommended. Addressing the trauma which often precedes substance use is of the upmost importance.

A Tribute to Roman Coronado-Bogdaniak, MD

by Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC

Between the mid-1980's through the early 1990's Crack Cocaine hit General Motors Corporation in Detroit Michigan hard! Substance use disorders treatment facilities in Michigan were at capacity with GM employees and the overflow wound up in treatment centers throughout the country. This included Chicago where I worked as the gatekeeper for the General Motors Substance Abuse Program.

When a GM Employee was admitted into a substance use disorders treatment facility within a 40 mile radius of downtown Chicago, my job was to drive to the treatment center and do an assessment to determine the level of care and length of stay. Then treatment centers were mostly in suburban communities. The majority of the GM employees were African American men. Most often, the entire treatment team, the majority of other clients in treatment and the city where the treatment center was located were white. The GM employees were always happy and surprised to see me. Their eyes would light up like a Christmas tree when I appeared. I was often told by them that I was the only Black face they had seen since they entered treatment. One GM employee humorously told me, “Even the squirrels in this place and city are white." These employees spoke of feeling isolated while in treatment.

It became clear that most of the treatment facilities were not trained to provide culturally responsive treatment for African American nen. Wanting to be a part of the solution, in 1989 I started writing a handwritten book, which I titled, Treating the African American Male Substance Abuser. I completed the handwritten manuscript in 1991 and in that year, I met Roman Coronado-Bogdaniak. Dr. Coronado was the first Addictionologist I had ever met. He received his doctors degree (M.D.) at Warsaw Medical Academy in Poland in 1981 and his masters degree in Addictions Studies from Governors State University in 1985. Dr. Coronado spent his career teaching and writing about addictions treatment and recovery.

When I met Dr. Coronado-Bogdaniak I mentioned the book and he volunteered to edit it. As an amateur writer, I welcomed his edits! In his role as Director of the Addiction Counselor Training Program at Montay College in Chicago, he also sponsored the first trainings I ever did on Treating the African American Male Substance Abuser in his role at Montay College He coordinated and sponsored these trainings and the book wasn't even published yet! I am forever grateful that this doctor, who was of Polish heritage saw the importance of work which focused on African American males with substance use disorders and he put his talents behind support of the project.

After the book was edited, I was scared to publish it. I had never seen a book in my profession exclusively focused on counseling African American men and feared that publishing the book would be like ‘career suicide’. I feared that if the book were published, I might never be hired again, because of the stigma we face as Black men. 

My work with Dr. Coronado-Bogdaniak continued. I was approached by an agency called Travelers and Immigrants Aid, a program that worked with South East Asian and African Refugees, whose substance use was increasing when they migrated to the United States. They wanted me to educate the staff on how to address substance use with their clients. Dr. Coronado-Bogdaniak coordinated the program through Montay College and students were able to receive college credits. We established the first Southeast Asian and African Refugee Addiction Counselor Training Program in the world. Our students were from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Ethiopia.

Dr. Coronando-Bogdaniak died a sudden death in the early 1990's. He was in his late 30's at the time of death. I attended his funeral and decided afterwards that life was too short to be afraid. A few months after his death I published, Treating the African American Male Substance Abuser. Since then I have given hundreds of speeches on counseling African Americans with substance use disorders, written additional books and articles on the subject and provided consultations to organizations wanting to provide culturally responsive services for African Americans seeking recovery. Today I offer a salute and heartfelt thank you to Dr. Roman Coronado-Bogdaniak, one of the first to believe in the importance of this work.

African American Married Couples in Recovery

An Interview With William S., one of the Co-Founders of Married Couples in Recovery

Historically, there is no precedent about how to have a successful marriage when both partners are in recovery. Neither the spouses of Bill W. or Doctor Bob, the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous were members of the AA fellowship. This is also true for Jimmy K., the founder of Narcotics Anonymous.

Whole person recovery is physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Physical recovery often occurs first. You start to gain healthy weight, your skin starts to look better, your youthful vitality and your smile return. You look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I look good!” You go to a peer led recovery support group meeting and one of the other members of the group finds you attractive too! You start to date. A year later you decide you want to marry. Neither of you have practice of maintaining a marriage and recovery simultaneously. How do you do it?

Another common scenario is a couple who married when they were both were getting high. They enter early recovery and for the first time they try to make their marriage work without being under the anesthetic influence of drugs. They acknowledge not knowing how.

Interviewer: William S, what are the reasons you co-founded Married Couples in Recovery?

William S:     We were some of the biggest partiers in the world when we were getting high. In recovery, some of us still like to party, sober. I saw married  couples in recovery go to parties and some would spend the evening dancing with people at the party who were single and wouldn't interact or ignore their spouse all evening. Resentments would build. Some of us have had to learn how to communicate, negotiate and problem solve with our spouse drug free. How to be romantic, drug free. We saw a value in bringing married couples together to learn from each other how to  maintain a happy marriage in recovery. Interviewer:   Why African American Married Couples in Recovery? 

William S:      Many of us have never witnessed healthy marriages. In families, at the movies or TV. All of the marriages on reality TV are unhealthy. That includes what we see on the housewives of Atlanta and Potomac. I thought we could figure this out together in recovery. 

Interviewer:   What are some activities you engage in as a part of African American Married Couples in Recovery? 

William S:      We have hosted some meetings together as married couples. We also recognize the value and importance of attending separate recovery support group meetings. Some of us are members of 12 step fellowships and we have found that those principles could help us through some of the bumpy roads of marriage. We have also had married couple cookouts. We have had workshops for married couples preceded by a dance. It’s great to see married couples dance with their spouse! We have organized Married Couples Speak-athon meetings, where one married couple after another share their story including their challenges and victories as married couples in recovery. Our big event was always a formal married couples in recovery dinner-dance on Valentines Day. 

Interviewer:   Valentines Day! Frederick Douglass is the first prominent American recovering alcoholic. His birthday is thought to be February 14th, Valentines Day. Do you have a big wish for African American Married Couples in Recovery? 

William S:      When we have healthy relationships, the next generations, including our  children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews are the beneficiaries. That  makes all the work worth it.

 Interviewer:   Thank you William for this interview.

Thank you, John Pitts!!

By Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC

In January of 1986 I applied and became an instructor of Addictions Studies at Harold Washington Community College, Chicago. My desire to teach was inspired by my frustration as a young drug counselor. I felt there were too many counselors doing too much talking and not enough listening to clients! I decided to try to change that by teaching a new generation of drug counselors.

I was hired quickly for one semester by the chair of the Addictions Study Department, Jeffrey Shore. Jeffrey told me that at the end of the semester he would do a classroom observation to decide if I would be asked to continue to teach at the college. 

The start of the observation was a nightmare. I had a student that was monopolizing the class while Jeffrey was observing. An African American student, John Pitts, who was older than me and wise, interrupted the monopolizer by asking me a question I could answer. I was back on track! I looked at John Pitts to say thank you non-verbally and he gave a wink. John Pitts saved my teaching career!

I continued to teach at Harold Washington College for 14 years and ended my college teaching career as an Addictions Studies educator at the University of Chicago. I have lectured all over the world and can trace every lecture (6 degrees) to the 14 years I taught at Harold Washington College. Thank you again, John Pitts! Without your fast thinking, much of what I accomplished might not have happened.

If there have been John Pitt's who have played an important role in your life and career, please let them know.

The Early Years of the HIV/Aid Epidemic: Lessons Learned Counseling Gay African American Men With HIV and Substance Use Disorders

As a therapist I counseled Gay African American Men living with HIV or Aids and substance use disorders. These were the early 1990's prior to effective medication for HIV and increased life expectancy. Many clinicians and clients back then viewed a HIV diagnosis as ‘an immediate death sentence’. This post reflects those early years.

The Impact of solid recovery prior to HIV diagnosis – The African American clients I worked with that had 2 or more years of recovery prior to their HIV diagnosis, were much more successful in maintaining their recovery compared to those little to no recovery prior to the HIV diagnosis. A lesson learned is how quality recovery can equip clients with tools to cope with life challenges. This can include: loss, divorce, evictions, and progressive medical diagnoses.

Resilience and empowerment – A well know African American HIV Case Manager, upon sharing news of a positive diagnosis with African American male clients would say to his clients, "You have survived being a Black man in America and homophobia. You'll handle this too.” Tennis star Arthur Ashe was diagnosed with Aids following a blood transfusion. Ash stated, "Living with Aids has not been the greatest challenge of my life. The greatest challenge has been being a Black man in America."

Purpose and desire to help the Black Community – In groups many of these men reported that they were living their life purpose for the first time in their life, after being diagnosed with HIV or Aids. Renowned psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl said the most common source of life purpose is life pain. In group one client stated, “Because of internalized homophobia, I was a people pleaser my entire life. After being diagnosed I am living my life for the first time without being a people pleaser. My purpose is to be happy!" Another client stated, "The last 10 years I stole things and I sold my body to pay for drugs. Now I found my purpose. Every week I go to a different mid-week church service in a Black neighborhood, share my story and give the church a wakeup call. I tell them that members of their congregation and community they serve are possibly HIV positive and they needed to take off their blinders and do something." His testimony and advocacy led to the formation of several church based HIV Ministries.

Anchoring recovery in the natural environment – A young African American man in recovery had sex with a partner. After the partner shared a few weeks later that they were HIV positive, the young man took an HIV test. Back then one had to wait 30 days for HIV tests results. He stated, "The wait seemed like forever! While I waited, I had a conversation with God. I said to God, if you let this HIV test come back negative, I will commit my life to helping members of the community who are HIV positive.” His HIV test was negative. He started a non-profit program which provided support groups and advocacy in the African American community for individuals living with HIV and addiction.

Harm reduction – Harm reduction is quite popular today. Three decades ago outreach workers in African American communities promoted harm reduction through regular condom distribution. They would encourage members of the community who were not HIV positive to wear condoms to avoid HIV infection. If they were already HIV positive the outreach workers would encourage condom use to avoid reinfection and to avoid infecting others. They provided needle exchange activities to reduce HIV transmission for IV drug users and methadone maintenance as an alternative to heroin addiction. A well-known medical doctor was accused of genocide because of his promotion of methadone in Black communities. The doctor stated, "I now feel vindicated because I know my prescription of methadone helped prevent many cases of HIV because with methadone there is no risk of needle sharing.” At a conference an African American harm reductionist stated "Harm reduction is community determined. In my community harm reduction is about jobs. When unemployment is high, despair sets in. Heroin use increases and so does the spread of HIV."

Heathy Suspicion vs. paranoia – Many members of the African American community were suspicious about the HIV virus. Many believed that HIV was a ‘nan made virus’ created to eliminate the Black community and some feared taking HIV medication. They were accused of being paranoid by non-African Americans. This was discussed in a forum at an HIV conference and a Black psychologist weighed in. "What some people view as paranoia, in the black community is actually healthy suspicion. All you have to do is remember the Tuskegee experiment and you can see how some members of the black community would be suspicious of HIV and the medicine to treat it." A white male at the conference, who identified himself as a person living with Aids spoke next. While coughing he said, "When people in communities of color say the issues around HIV in their community are different, we need to believe them!" 

This was some of the most rewarding work of my life!

Recovery In African LGBTQ Communities

June is National Pride Month. In this post we highlight Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992), a person in recovery, advocate and founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and co-founder of the group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R). 

Marsha is credited with playing an important role in the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969 by push back as the New York Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular Gay Bar in Greenwich Village. During the riots Marsha yelled, "I got my civil rights." The aftermath of this rebellion played a major role in the Gay Liberation Movement and the first Gay Pride Rally, which ultimately became an important international celebration during National Pride Month.  

African Americans seeking recovery who are LGBTQ face triple discrimination based in race, sexual orientation and having a substance use disorder. Your resilience is celebrated.

Happy Pride Month!

Culturally Responsive Treatment for African Americans With Substance Use Disorders

For years I have heard substance use disorders professionals discuss culturally sensitive, culturally specific, afro-centric, African centered treatment for African Americans with substance use disorders. When I hear them describe their ‘Afro-Centric Program’ it is often, business as usual. In this post I will share my view of components of a program that is culturally responsive to the treatment needs of African Americans Seeking Treatment.

The Program Creates a Welcoming Environment. This can include warm and sincere greetings, pictures on the wall and magazines in the waiting room which reflect African American culture, a tour of the facility and positive service from the intake specialist. This says to African American clients, you are welcome here!

African American Staff. While I am not suggesting that all the staff need to be African American, research indicates that when African American clients work with African American counselors trust is developed quicker, the clients feel less of a need to code switch, that is, changing their dialect or style of speech to make the counselor comfortable. They also stay in treatment longer when working with Black counselors and they make more progress. The organization should strive for inclusion at all levels of the organization. When race determines who gets promoted, turnover among African American staff is the likely outcome. When that occurs, African American clients suffer.

Materials Which Reflect African American Culture. It is important that reading materials, audiovisual materials reflect the experiences of African Americans seeking recovery so that they can see themselves in the material.

Respect For the Diversity of African American Culture. In the book, Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America, Pulitzer Prize writer Eugene Robinson describes 5 sub-groups in the Black Community. The groups include: The Culturally Elite, which is the rich and influential such as Oprah Winfrey, Michelle and Barack Obama, Biillionaire Robert Johnson etc; The Bi-racial group, including individuals such as Halle Berry, Don Lemon, Tiger Woods, Naomi Osaka, Barack Obama; The Middle Class, which is the majority of African Americans; The Emergent, recent immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean Islands; The abandoned, 25% of African Americans who live in generational poverty. It is clear that there are cultural differences between each sub-group, therefore, a one size fits all treatment plan for African Americans would be ineffective.

Holiday Celebrations. Treatment centers often celebrate holidays. Consider adding Frederick Douglass Day to the list of celebrations. According to historian William White, MA, Frederick Douglass was the first prominent American Recovering Alcoholic. Another Holiday to consider is Malcolm X Day. In recovery, Malcolm was an advocate for millions. Another holiday to consider is the annual Afeni Shakur day. She was the mother of rap star Tupac Shakur. At the time of her death she was in long term recovery and founded the Tupac Shakur Center for Performing Arts. These holidays could be celebrated on the birthday of these 3 great recovery pioneers. These celebrations could send the message to African American clients that they are important and provide drug free celebrations for them post discharge from treatment.

Family Involvement. In African American culture the extended family is the primary unit. Efforts should go into assertive outreach by staff to involve the family in treatment.

Trauma Informed Care. Trauma is at the care for many clients with substance use disorders, including African American clients. For African American clients, this trauma often includes dehumanizing experiences such as: police stop and frisk, police brutality, police arrests, jail and prison, trauma, the trauma of shopping and eating in restaurants while Black. Trauma also includes community and family violence. Programs striving to be culturally responsive to the needs of African Americans seeking recovery should provide training on the organizational level on how to become a trauma informed system of care and provide training for front line staff on unique trauma experienced by African Americans and how to address that trauma and retraumatizing them while in treatment.

Continuous Care. We often use the term aftercare, but often aftercare is an afterthought. Continuous care often involves creating a plan to help support the recovery of African American clients post discharge from a current level of care. Continuous care planning can involve making referrals to mutual aid groups with reputations of being African American friendly and helpful. It is important to be aware of the community African American clients are returning to and discover in discussion with the client community factors which help support recovery and community factors which put the client at risk for relapse. Protective factors can include: a family that is supportive of recovery, jobs, prosocial recovery support groups, recovery coaches indigenous to the community. Risk factors include: easy access to drugs; the absence of drugs, a non-supportive family and the absence of mutual aid groups which support recovery

Continuous care planning can involve a plan to connect with the protective factors and avoid the risk factors. It is important to remember that African American clients have different stressors. Stress for those working in corporate America can include dealing with micro-aggressions, micro-insults and micro-invalidations. Those living in economically poor communities might have to deal with community violence which could trigger traumatic stress disorders. Others might be dealing with racial identity issues in recovery as First Lady Michelle Obama stated, My husband Barack Obama was too Black for some people and too white for others.

Conclusion. This writing was meant to be a start. Not a complete blueprint on how to provide culturally responsive services for African Americans seeking treatment and recovery. To learn more, click here  http://www.museumofafricanamericanaddictionsrecovery.org/webain

Letter To My Father

May 29, 2023

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC

May 29, 1986 I was giving a speech. Within the first 5 minutes of the speech I received an urgent phone call that my dad died at work while smoking crack cocaine. This is the 37th year Anniversary of his death. Two weeks after my fathers death college All American Basketball player LenBias died while snorting cocaine in celebration of his being drafted number one by the Boston Celtics. Following Bias's death, Congress intensified the war on drugs and the U.S. prison population increased from 400 thousand inmates in 1985 to 2.5 million in 2005. Disproportinately African American men with substance use disorders.

Dad, I spent the next 3 decades, speaking, advocating, writing books and articles on substance use disorders treatment and recovery for African Americans in honor of you. All of the speeches and materials I collected, culminated in the creation of this online museum. This year the Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment and Recovery was honored with the 2023 Faces And Voices of Recovery, Innovations In Recovery Award. I dedicate this award to you! Your son

Mark

Integrating Spirituality and Counseling with African American Clients With Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders, Part 1

By: Kisha Freed and Mark Sanders

Publication Date: May 19, 2023

This post, the first in a three-part series, shares perspectives from Kisha Freed, a Success Coach, Six Seconds Certified EI Practitioner/Assessor, and mindfulness meditation teacher, and Mark Sanders, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Substance Use Disorders Counselor.

Over the years, counseling has addressed mind and body. There has been some apprehension about the effectiveness of integrating spirituality into counseling practice. However, in Does Spirituality Still Have Relevance For Recovery?, licensed professional counselor James E Campbell mentions that “interest in the spiritual implications of substance use, treatment, and recovery appears to be gaining momentum once again.”

In his article Integrating Spirituality in Counseling Practice, author Gerald Corey indicates “There is growing empirical evidence that our spiritual values and behaviors can promote physical and psychological well-being. Exploring these values with clients can be integrated with other therapeutic tools to enhance the therapy process.”

While continuing research studies are underway to identify the beneficial effects of spirituality in mental health and SUD practices, a 2009 survey conducted by the California Mental Health & Spirituality Initiative revealed that 88% of African Americans agree that their faith is an important factor for their personal and family’s well-being.

In this three-part series, we explore some implications of integrating spirituality and counseling with African American clients with mental illness and substance use disorders. We hope that mental health and addiction recovery counselors will find that integrating spirituality into their practice can help them to increase connection, foster a safe space for belonging, and promote quicker recovery for their clients.

In Part 1, we build a foundation for the overall discussion by defining spirituality, discussing the differences between spirituality and religion, and, lastly, the importance of spirituality for present-day African Americans within the context of past oppression and survival. In parts 2 and 3, we will discuss the integration of spirituality and counseling, how to conduct a spiritual assessment, and varieties of spiritual interventions that can be helpful when counseling African Americans with mental health and SUD.

Click here to continue reading.

Black, Hispanic Patients Receive MOUD After Opioid-Related Events Less Frequently Than White Patients

Tom Valentino, Digital Managing Editor

05/16/2023

Despite making a similar number of visits to healthcare providers in the 6 months following an opioid-related event, White patients receive medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) up to 80% more frequently than Black patients and up to 25% more frequently than Hispanic patients, according to a recent study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Dartmouth College.

Findings from the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers reviewed a random sample of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with disability—a group of Americans who are among the most affected by OUD—who experienced at least 1 acute OUD-related event, such as overdose, infection, or detox admission, between 2016 and 2019. Among the Medicare claims reviewed, researchers identified 25,904 OUD-related events—15.2% of which occurred among Black patients, 8.1% among Hispanic patients, and 76.7% among White patients.

In the 6 months following OUD-related events, Black patients received and filled a prescription for buprenorphine 12.7% of the time. For Hispanic patients, the rate was 18.7%, and among White patients, the rate was 23.3%. Rates for naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication, were similar: 14.4% for Black patients, 20.7% for Hispanic patients, and 22.9% for White patients.

In a news release announcing the findings, study lead author Michael Barnett, associate professor of health policy and management at Harvard Chan School, noted that opioid overdoses have been rising more quickly among Black individuals than any other racial group, surpassing overdose rates in the White population for the first time in decades in 2021. Overdose rates in the Hispanic population are up 40% recently, he added.

 “We need to understand barriers to obtaining life-saving addiction treatment for minority populations to address this huge demographic shift and public health crisis,” Barnett said in the release.

 Prescriptions for opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines, meanwhile, were received and filled frequently. Regardless of race, prescriptions for opioid analgesics were received and filled 23% of the time after OUD-related events. Benzodiazepine prescriptions were received and filled by Black patients 23.4% of the time, 29.6% by Hispanic patients, and 37.1% by White patients.

“Skyrocketing rates of overdoses in minority groups are unlikely to shift without a major overhaul in the addiction treatment system,” Barnett said. “Addressing the overdose crisis and racial disparities in addiction will likely require community-specific interventions that engage with minority populations and the clinicians who serve them to reduce stigma and bolster trust.”

Reference

Substantial racial inequalities despite frequent health care contact found in treatment for opioid use disorder. News release. Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health. May 10, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2023.

https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/ap/news/black-hispanic-patients-receive-moud-after-opioid-related-events-less-frequently-white

Community Mobilization is No Guarantee of Long Term Success in Movements to Address Addictions Treatment and Recovery in African American Communities: Lessons From the Civil Rights Era and Other Ideas

Never in history have more groups come together to address substance use disorders treatment and recovery in African American Communities like we are seeing today. This mobilization could be inspired by the Black Lives Matter Movement and the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis, MN. police officer. Communities are now motivated to address addiction in Black Communities comprised of individuals in recovery, allies, Ph.D.’s, MD's, researchers, university educators, frontline clinicians, writers etc. In essence, because of this commitment and talent pool we are in position to do a work which can have a lasting impact as it pertains to treatment and recovery in Black Communities. A review of the past 60 years suggests that this great impact should not automatically be assumed. History reveals that each decade a crisis occurs, the community responds, and when the crisis decreases in intensity the work stops. Usually with no blueprint for the next generation to follow to continue the work beyond the crisis. Here are some examples.

1960's Heroin crisis in Black Communities. Groups such as The Black Panthers and Nation of Islam called addiction a form of genocide in the Black Community and advocated nonuse as a form of protest. 

1970's Alcoholism seen as a major problem throughout the country. A profession was born to certify addictions professionals nationwide. The National Black Alcoholism Council (NBAC) was formed to help African Americans to become certified addictions professionals and to advocate for Black people with alcoholism.

1980's, 90's, 2000's Peter Bell begins writing on Counseling The Black Alcoholic. The Crack Cocaine crisis occurred. Len Bias died snorting cocaine; congress intensified President Nixon's War on Drugs. African American men became the most imprisoned group on planet earth and thousands of African American women had their new born and older children taken away because of the stigma of addiction. Advocacy started occurring across the country, second chance legislation was passed. Black churches across all denominations formed church based drug ministries in response to the crisis. An incredible movement which fell apart primarily because of denominational differences. Recovery homes owned by African Americans were opened throughout the country. Visionary leaders such as Joe Powell, Andre Johnson, Anita Bradley, Dora Wright were a part of the RCSP and RCO movement.

Today Comprehensively, a group of talented professionals have come together to address substance use disorders in African American Communities. While the groups today represent, in my opinion the most talented group ever assembled to address the issue, there are several things that are important to help assure a lasting impact. These are suggestions for us to consider.

Always prepare the next generation to continue the work. In the before mentioned movements the leaders died or the crisis subsided and the movement stopped. This pattern can also be seen in our civil rights movements. Death and retirement can halt movements for years.

 We should put as much of the work as possible in writing which leaves a blueprint for the next generation.

As soon as we are ready, come together  as organizations to assure comprehensive planning. Our history reveals that fractions within ranks usually stop our movements. We can apply what we have learned from civil rights and other movements to this work.

Create a 20 year vision. Thinking about and planning for the future and what it will take to get there can help propel us to have a lasting impact.

Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in African American Youth

Addiction comes in many forms and does not discriminate. However, it’s important to understand its impact on specific populations to develop more targeted and effective strategies aimed at improving health equity. In honor of Black History Month, we will explore alcohol use disorder (AUD) and its impact on African American (AA) youth. We will also discuss the role of research in achieving more equitable health outcomes.

Across the U.S., underage drinking is a serious public health concern. Alcohol remains the most, and often, first substance used among youth. In 2021, nearly 6 million people aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol. Among those, more than half (3.2 million) reported binge alcohol use (SAMHSA, 2023). An estimated 29.5 million people aged 12 and older were diagnosed with an AUD in 2021 including 900,000 youth aged 12-17 (SAMHSA, 2021). Nearly 5% of those youth identified as Black or AA and 3% identified as two or more races (SAMHSA, 2021).

Understanding the development of alcohol behaviors is important to understanding why some adolescents drink. First, alcohol-related cognitions, known as alcohol expectancies (AE), develop as early as age 4 (Smit, et al, 2018). AE significantly influences drinking behaviors. A positive AE is the belief that alcohol leads to more pleasurable outcomes (e.g., being more social) and is associated with increased drinking. In contrast, a negative AE is the belief that alcohol leads to undesirable outcomes (e.g., feeling ill) and is associated with less drinking (Smit, et al, 2018). 

Longitudinal examination of AE and alcohol use outcomes show that AA youth aged 7-10 reported higher positive AE compared to White youth (Banks, et al, 2020). Despite higher positive AE in AA youth, White youth were more likely to use alcohol, suggesting positive AE posed lower drinking risk for AA youth (Banks, et al, 2020). However, even though AAs report later alcohol initiation and lower rates of use, they still have more significant alcohol-related problems compared to Whites. Unfortunately, the lack of diversity in most studies makes it difficult to understand why the relationship between AE, alcohol use, and its consequences differ among racial and ethnic groups. Click here to continue reading.

Trauma causes high levels of intergenerational substance use among Black women

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

By Melissa Krug

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Government data show that approximately 7.2 million women in the United States have substance use disorders (SUDs) and almost 20 million reported illicit substance use in the past year. New research suggests that trauma leads to high levels of intergenerational substance use among Black women, and race and gender may play a role, according to researchers from Penn State and the University of Kentucky.  

“More attention is needed to better understand the needs among Black women as the relationship between trauma and SUDs may be more pronounced because of their race and gender,” noted Abenaa Jones, assistant professor of human development and family studies and Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor in Health and Human Development. 

In the first study of its kind, the researchers examined the effects of trauma and intergenerational substance use on substance use and child welfare outcomes among Black women. Each increase in the number of parents or grandparents with drug and/or alcohol problems was associated with 30% increased odds of women’s drug use and 40% increased odds of these women having an open Child Protective Services (CPS) case with their children, according to Jones. Click here to continue reading.

Recovery & Resiliency - 2023 Black History Month Reflections

By Laurie Johnson-Wade

Co-Founding Director of Lost Dreams Awakening (LDA) Recovery Community

Organization & Peer Recovery CoE Steering Committee Member Recovery Reader Peer Recovery Center of Excellence

February, a month when our nation turns its focus towards Black Excellence and the history of Black citizens of the United States of America, and as I try to celebrate by working on these brief reflections, I must take note that this celebratory month is being eclipsed by the reality that a great number of black citizens still struggle to realize full agency here in the USA; a reality that is substantiated by the most recent public, and traumatic, events that we have collectively witnessed and are now grappling with in 2023.

 Black History Month allows me to reflect on the layers of my identity, something I am always hyper aware of, I’m a black female in substance use disorder (SUD) recovery since 1991, coupled with many other intersectional aspects that make me who I am;  I recognize “resiliency” as an indispensable strength of my life and other Black citizens of our great nation. 

 I would like to offer the following as a gift during Black History Month 2023. This is a briefing that was sent to me from Dr. Ryan Niemiec, at VIA, following the murder of George Floyd (a Black citizen who struggled with Substance Use Disorder) in 2020. Click here to continue reading.

Black History: A Protective Factor and Recovery Tool

Today is the first day of Black History Month. As I type this post there are 502 political bills aimed at blocking the teaching of Black History at elementary schools, high schools and colleges throughout the country. What makes the teaching of Black History so dangerous for those set out to ban it? The teaching of Black History is a threat to the status quo. When taught it has the ability to reduce ignorance, increase empathy and bring people closer together, especially those in the next generation. For African Americans, the history can be a source of pride and a reminder of your resilience. Cultural pride can lead to self-love. Self-love is a substance use disorder protective factor. Resilience offers hope that life transformation, including recovery is possible. Happy Black History Month!

Recovery Definition and Principles for African Americans With Substance Use Disorders Authored by Jonathan Lofgren, Joe Powell, Kasi Reed and Mark Sanders

There are numerous definitions of recovery. Most of the definitions focus on the individual. The most well known definition was developed by SAMHSA.

A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self directed life and strive to reach their full potential.

In interviews with African Americans in long term recovery we learned that recovery in African American communities has additional features beyond the individual. They viewed recovery as more communal, holistic and connected to the upliftment of the African American community as a whole. A group of seasoned substance use disorders professionals formed a committee to define recovery in African American Communities and the communities recovery principles.

African American Recovery Defined

African American recovery is restorative, holistic, and preventive; it includes physical, mental, social. and spiritual growth. Recovery embraces values and traditions of African American culture, and it’s communal and interconnected with our people. Recovery involves participating in family, neighborhood, community, and individualized healing that contributes to sustained health and wellness.

Principes of Recovery for African Americans

1. Hope. With all that we have endured, hope increases in recovery; it’s the belief that maintaining recovery leads to a bright future.

2. Purpose. Nia (purpose) in recovery for African Americans involves activities which help individuals and families make meaningful change, and that those changes also strengthen and support the health and wellness of our neighborhoods and communities.

3. Cultural Expression. Cultural expression is a protective factor that can be manifested in cultural celebrations, cultural holiday’s, art, dance, movement, music, poetry, singing, spoken word, and theater.

4. Trauma Informed Recovery. Recovery involves healing historical and present trauma in our body, mind, and community.

5. Recovery is supported through socio-economic-political-cultural justice. This activism involves seeking, pursuing, and demanding justice in all areas of life, and is an important aspect of African American culture and recovery.

6. Joy. In recovery, joy is an inner experience of happiness and satisfaction with life; it becomes an inspirational light for our community.

7. Recovery is a dimension of Freedom. Recovery is healing, empowering, restorative and liberating for African American individuals, families, and communities.

8. Advocacy. African American recovery concerns itself with the community. In the spirit of mutual aid societies and civil rights movements, recovery involves taking a stand for, lifting-up, in solidarity with and speaking-out for the health and wellbeing of our community.

9. Spirituality. Spirituality in recovery is often maintained with a strong sense of correction, peace, meaning, and love. There are multiple pathways of spirituality in recovery, including; religion, Imani (faith). mindfulness, breath work, physical disciplines, belief in higher powers and beyond.

10. Family, neighborhood, and community driven. African American recovery includes connection with the recovery community, family, friends, neighbors, and the community as a whole.

    © 10/2021 Jonathan Lofgren, Joe Powell, Kasi Reed, Mark Sanders

National Women's History Month

A salute to African American Women who have made historical contributions to Substance Use Disorders Treatment and Recovery.

Clara McBride-Hale. "Mother Hale" Founder of Hale House in New York City. Mother Hale housed children prenatally exposed to heroin in the 1960's and 70's, children prenatally exposed to cocaine in the 1980's and 90's and children born HIV positive.

Andrea Barthwell, MD, FASAM. Dr. Barthwell is the former President of The American Society of Addiction Medicine and she served as Director of Demand Reduction at the Office of the National Drug Control Policy under President George W. Bush.

Lonnetta Albright. As former Director of Great Lakes ATTC, Lonnetta helped shift Substance Use Disorders Treatment from the acute care model solely, towards a recovery oriented system of care. Under her leadership Great Lakes ATTC published a monograph series authored by historian William White, MA on recovery management and recovery oriented system of care. This series played a role in helping to shape the future of treatment and recovery services.

Corrie Vilsaint, PHD. Dr. Vilsaint is the principal investigator at the Recovery Research Institute and Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and research fellow at Harvard Medical School. Some of her research focuses includes recovery capital, reducing discrimination among individuals in recovery and racial health equity in remission and recovery.

Ijeoma Achara-Abraham, PsyD. In her role as a consultant, trainer and strategic planner, Dr. Achara-Abraham is one of the nation’s experts in helping cities and states transform their system to a recovery oriented system of care.

Tonier Cain. Tonier is an author, entrepreneur, movie producer and one of the nation’s foremost advocates and speakers on trauma informed substance use disorders treatment.

Anita Bertrand Bradley, LSW, LICDC. Anita is founder of Northern Ohio Recovery Association. NORA is a model program offering a full range of recovery services. Anita's work has been recognized nationally. She is the recipient of Faces and Voices of Recovery, Joel Hernandez Community Recovery Award, she was honored by President Obama 's Administration as a champion of change and Smart Women Magazine, Women who Excel Entrepreneur Award.

Ayana Jordan, MD, PHD. Dr. Jordan's extensive research, educational and clinical work focuses on increasing access to evidence based substance use disorders treatment for Black, Latinx and Indigenous persons of color nationally and abroad.

Dawn Tyus, PHD, LPC. Dawn Tyus is the Principal Investigator of the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, she is also PI and Director of Southeast Addiction Technology Transfer Center at Morehouse School of Medicine.