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The role of social workers in the treatment of addictions

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Reaction to The Role Of Social Workers In The Treatment Of Addictions

Straussner provides an excellent overview of the evolution of the social workers role in the treatment of addiction. I was particularly interested in the information provided about Mary Richmond, who as early as 1917 recognized alcoholism as a disease rather than a sin. Richmond essentially laid the groundwork the modern medical view of alcoholism that is most often attributed to E.M. Jellinek. The fact that it was not until almost 50 years after Richmond published her book Social Diagnosis that alcoholism became officially considered a disease makes me wonder if the fact that Richmond was a woman, or the fact that she was a social worker (as opposed to a doctor or a psychologist) somehow trivialized her assessments.
In Social Diagnosis, Richmond makes a compelling case for the perception of alcoholism as a disability instead of a moral choice. She is acutely aware of the difference between a social drinker and one can only drink to excess. She is also aware of the importance of the social workers role in diagnosis treatment and ongoing recovery. She states, social work has an important part to play, first in