Citizen-advocate partnerships: engaging the public in treatment advocacy.(From The Field ...)

This morning I closed my office door and forwarded my phone calls to concentrate on writing about engaging the public in treatment advocacy. As if to remind me of the irony of isolating myself while writing about citizen engagement, a colleague knocked on my door to introduce me to "Neal."

Neal has a daughter who is in jail waiting for placement into a community-based treatment program. Clearly distressed, Neal asked me what he can do to convince elected officials that treatment needs to be more readily accessible to those who need it.

This scenario plays out every day in different ways across the country. Persons with substance use disorders face the ugly consequences of their illness while anguished family members and friends wonder what more they can do to find treatment for their loved one and peace of mind for themselves.

Meanwhile, those of us who are employed in the field of addiction treatment tend to operate within the confines of our own professional circles, too seldom partnering with the very clients, families, and communities for whom we advocate. How many more Neals are out there with whom we haven't yet …