By Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I Marin Nelson, Founder & CEO Sobrynth The first thing Marin Nelson remembers about the morning she decided to stop drinking was the quiet. She was standing in her kitchen in Brooklyn, the early light just beginning to come through the window. The night before was a blur. Another blackout. Another morning waking up unsure what had happened. But this time the fear felt different. For the first time, she realized clearly that if something did not change, alcohol...

By Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I During a compliance review several years ago, I sat with the leadership team of a substance use treatment program that believed they were fully prepared for any regulatory review. Their conference table was covered with carefully organized binders. Policies were labeled, sections were tabbed, and each document referenced the appropriate regulatory language. From the outside, the program appeared well organized and confident in its compliance systems. When I...

By Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I I once worked with a corporate client that had a star senior leader. For anonymity purposes, let’s call him “Jim”. Jim’s performance was solid and reliable. There were no red flags (on paper). However; as I continued my assessment, I learned that there was more going on behind the scenes. Through discussions with executives, I learned that Jim’s life was in constant triage mode. He had a partner in active addiction. Their kids were absorbing the stress and...