How and to what degree women have accessed recovery from substance use disorders and related mental health challenges has changed significantly over the past several decades. Whereas in the past, there was generally one post-treatment pathway recommended (Twelve Step), in this 21st century the concept of a recovery patchwork continues to gain attention and traction. Importantly, the pandemic increased innovation in the self-help and treatment space and opened new options and ways to engage with women. Unfortunately, and to the recovery movement’s great detriment, as the number of other and newer recovery options has grown, so too has a deep tension and polarity between the ‘multiple pathway’ and the ‘Twelve Step’ approaches. In this presentation, Dr. Nickel emphasizes an important truth: no treatment program or peer support organization has a monopoly on healing, and individuals and professionals working and / or living in the recovery space in recovery have an ethical responsibility to acknowledge that modalities that might not work for one person may well save another person’s life.
*For the purposes of this presentation “women’ Includes women-identifying individuals and non-binary persons who identify with women’s communities.
Learning Objectives:
1. Explore the concept of ‘individualized recovery patchworks’ for women, and consider the many emerging options available to supplement traditional pathways of recovery support.
2. Examine the disconnect between embracing the philosophy of client-centered care and meeting clients ‘where they are at’ and the practice of recommending a one-size-fits-all solution for women’s recovery support post treatment.
3. Consider ‘steps’ that treatment programs, behavioral health professionals, and recovering individuals can take to better support women during and post treatment, and in so doing create a more unified recovery ethos across the treatment industry.
Dr. Dawn Nickel – or “Mama Dawn” as she is affectionately known in the women’s recovery space, is a founder of the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation and an experienced thought leader with extensive experience in researching and writing about women experiencing substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and intimate partner violence.
Dawn is a Certified Professional Recovery Coach, with a PhD and consulting expertise related to women and health care policy. In her work as as a researcher Dawn has focused largely on exploring how best to support women who experience substance use disorders, mental health issues, and intimate partner violence, the three issues that prompted Dawn to start her own personal recovery journey in 1987.
Dawn understands that choosing to start her recovery journey at age 27 was only the beginning; she continues to choose and practice it every day. She currently identifies as being in active recovery from anxiety, grief, workaholism and the patriarchy.
Dawn recently published her first book 'She Recovers Everyday: Meditations For Women' – a daily meditation book that acknowledges the specific needs of all women in any type of recovery – and is generously donating 20% of the proceeds to the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation.
When she isn’t writing, working as a healthcare and social policy consultant, or helping to grow the movement she started, Dawn can be found hanging out at home with her partner and family, walking or hiking with She Recovers’ friends, doing the odd 1000-piece puzzle, or reading. Her life goals include “graduating” therapy at some point, writing more books and a screenplay, completing her travel bucket list, and spending quality time with family, especially her precious grandchildren.
