Episode 12: Dr. Gabrielle Jones talks community and culturally responsive substance use treatment

Dr. Gabrielle Jones is the recipient of the 2024 ASAM Award for the Promotion of Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, and Justice in Addiction Medicine. She joins the Treat Addiction Save Lives Podcast to discuss her experiences working with young people and how those experiences brought her into the field of addiction medicine. Dr. Jones shares her thoughts on the importance of community and connectedness throughout the treatment and recovery process while recognizing each individual’s uniqueness. She talks about the need for cultural responsiveness in addiction treatment, which is the topic of her upcoming book, Culturally Responsive Substance Use Treatment: A Guide for Practitioners, Students, and Organizations. Dr. Jones emphasizes the importance of recognizing each individual’s lived experiences and identities and developing an individualized and comprehensive addiction treatment program based on these factors. Dr. Jones shares what she discovered while working in various communities and how identity played a role in substance use in these areas. She also discusses her involvement with The Miles Hall Foundation, raising awareness, and expanding access to mental health treatment to those who need it. Dr. Jones shares her thoughts and experiences with stigma related to addiction and addiction treatment, including the impact of non-stigmatizing language and some ways in which she has personally experienced stigma while treating addiction, in addition to forms of stigma faced by patients. Finally, Dr. Jones offers advice to those who may be considering or beginning a career in addiction medicine.   In addition to being honored by ASAM, Dr. Jones is also being recognized by Oklahoma State University with the College of Education and Human Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award, which is given to those who demonstrate significant promise toward establishing a distinguished career and making impactful contributions to their profession and beyond. Honorees seek opportunities to grow in their talents and purposefully serve others. Their quest for excellence is shown through their accomplishments, service to the community, and leadership potential.   Gabrielle Jones, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and the CEO and founder of Steady Clinical Consultation, Training, and Development Services. She founded Steady to improve substance use treatment for historically marginalized populations at the system level and to provide consultation and coaching to leadership and executives who are committed to championing Belonging, Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (BJED&I) in their workplace and for their workforce. Her expertise is in substance use treatment for youth and adults, and BJED&I initiatives at the system level. She has over a decade of experience working with marginalized communities, specifically, adolescents labeled \"at-risk,\" people involved in the juvenile justice system and their families, and people who have substance use concerns or have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Dr. Jones has worked in direct care hospital settings, community mental health settings, primary school settings, and university settings as a faculty member. She provides trainings to non-profit organizations related to substance use and cultural responsiveness in the context of mental health treatment, and consultation to individuals working with populations listed above. In addition to Dr. Jones’s consultations and trainings, she is active in non-profit board leadership, serving as vice chair for The Miles Hall Foundation, an organization committed to creating an alternative to calling the police during a mental health crisis, and previously serving as the Membership Board chair for the American Psychological Association. Dr. Jones received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at California State University, Long Beach. She completed her Master’s and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Oklahoma State University. Her upcoming book, \"Culturally Responsive Substance Use Treatment: A Guide for Practitioners, Students, and Organizations\" introduces her CRST Framework and is intended to transform the current substance use treatment landscape and promote a standard of care that is truly culturally responsive.   Links: ASAM’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, and Justice in Addiction Medicine Award Culturally Responsive Substance Use Treatment: A Guide for Practitioners, Students, and Organization The Miles Hall Foundation Steady Clinical Consultation, Training and Development Services Oklahoma State University College of Education and Human Sciences American Psychological Association   If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Treatment is available and recovery is possible. Visit ASAM’s Patient Resources page for more information.