Addiction Treatment – Social Model or Medical Model?

Treatment for substance use disorders (addiction or SUD) comes in many forms. The”best fit” may vary significantly depending on an individual’s background, history of use, medical comorbidities, support system, and other factors. Two specific models of addiction treatment are often discussedโ€”the medical model of addiction treatment and the social model of addiction treatment.   The […]

U.S.Households With an Addicted Parent Impact 19 Million Children

According to a new study based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19 million U.S. children live in a household with at least one parent with a substance use disorder (JAMA Pediatrics). This figure represents nearly one-quarter of all children in the United States. The study analyzed data from 62 […]

The Consequences of High-Intensity Drinking

In an old Ella Fitzgerald song that has stood the test of time, she sings, “You say either, I say either. You say neither, and I say neither. Either, either, neither, neither, let’s call the whole thing off!” It springs to mind when we talk about a new category of alcohol consumption called “high-intensity” drinking. […]

Wake Up Call – When a CEO Takes the Night Shift

As a CEO, it’s easy to get disconnected from your organization’s front lines. But what happens when a CEO takes a step back into the trenches, answering the call for help in the dead of night? For this CEO, taking overnight admissions calls at Sanford Behavioral Health became a transformative experience that changed the way […]

Why Do Mental Health Treatment Centers Collaborate?

At Sanford Behavioral Health, we take pride in providing access to care for individuals with addiction, eating disorders, and mental health conditions, whether Sanford is the right place for them or not. Likewise, we partner with trusted organizations that offer additional pieces to the mental health treatment puzzle. In so doing, we create a more […]

Michigan Cannabis (Marijuana) Update: Stats, Recreational Use & Addiction

  In 2008, Michiganders voted to legalize medical cannabis. Ten years later, they voted “yes” for its recreational use and were first allowed to buy adult-use cannabis from a storefront in 2019. Since then, Michigan retailers have sold more than $11.5 billion in adult-use and medical cannabis products, making it one of the top four […]

Why Not Try Dry January?

An interesting thing happened to me this holiday season. I had a late-night Target pickup, and as I exited the parking lot and headed to the highway, I made an honest driving mistake. My Target has one of those go-right-to-go-left situations where you must cross four lanes of fast-moving traffic to get to a U-turn […]

Excuses? Our Admissions Team Has Heard Them All

It’s that time of year when families gather. Pageants at spiritual centers and schools and an array of events herald holidays and the coming of the new year. The admissions specialists at Sanford Behavioral Health have probably heard every excuse for putting off the inevitable treatment for addiction, especially this time of year. We have […]

Hope for Creating Personal Boundaries in the Addicted Home

Recently, Sanford Behavioral Health Founder Rae Green and I presented an educational in-service for the Mental Health Association of Michigan. Our focus was on boundaries (personal or external) for recovering families. After the presentation, I began thinking deeply about boundaries and recovery. I became even stronger in my belief that families dealing with addiction have […]

Mocktail Recipes to Toast the Holidays

It’s party time, and the good news for those who are in early recovery or alcohol-free is the trend toward the damp/dry lifestyle and the growth of sober bars and mocktails on the menu. In Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan, many establishments serve non-alcoholic drinks, and Chartreuse Sisters serves homemade sweet treats and mocktails with enticing […]