Selected Papers of William L. White www.williamwhitepapers.com Collected papers, interviews, video presentations, photos, and archival documents on the history of addiction treatment and recovery in America. Citation: White, W. (2004). Women who made (and are making) a difference. Counselor, 5(5), 25-29. Posted at www.williamwhitepapers.com Women Who Made (and are Making) a Difference William L. White Emeritus Senior Research Consultant Chestnut Health Systems [email protected] When I entered the field of addiction is a passionate and articulate advocate for treatment in the 1960s, it was a man’s world, enhanced accessibility and quality of and it had been a man’s world for more than addiction treatment. 175 years. It was a professional arena Dr. LeClair Bissell is one of the dominated by male service consumers, male modern pioneers of addiction medicine and service providers, male administrators, and the broader field of addiction treatment. Her male policy makers. Women filling such contributions to the field are reflected in roles were an anomaly, not the norm. That awards from the American Society on world changed because women pioneers Addiction Medicine and the Christopher D. made significant contributions to the history Smithers Foundation. Her publications of the addiction treatment field. The purpose include Alcoholism in the Professions (1985) of this article is to honor a few of these and Ethics for Addiction Professionals pioneers who made, and are making, a (1987). difference through their research, clinical Claudia Black, PhD, has for more innovation, public and professional than two decades given voice to the impact education, public policy advocacy and of alcoholism on children and the family. She through their philanthropy. Here are more is the author of numerous books, including It than sixty women who made and are making will Never Happen to Me (1982). a difference in the addiction treatment and Dr. Sheila Blume is an addiction recovery arena. psychiatrist and long-time advocate for the special needs of addicted women. She Dr. Andrea Barthwell has served as served as Director of the New York State the Deputy Director of Demand Reduction in Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse the White House Office of National Drug and Director of South Oaks Hospital in Control Policy. Before assuming this Amityville, NY and published more than 100 position, she served as medical director of scientific articles on addiction. several addiction treatment programs and as Stephanie Brown, PhD, is the president of the board of the American director of the Addictions Institute in Menlo Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Barthwell Park, CA. and is the author of Treating the williamwhitepapers.com 1 Alcoholic (1985) and Treating Adult Children Center—a facility that has treated more than of Alcoholics (1988) and the co-author of 64,000 individuals and adult family members The Alcoholic Family in Recovery (1999). since opening in 1982. Her powerful Her pioneering work is helping illuminate the personal testimony continues to inspire the stages of personal and family recovery. recoveries of women across the country. Barbara Cimaglio, Christina Dye, Dr. Ruth Fox was a psychoanalyst Fran Harding, and Janet Zwick are among who began specializing in the treatment of the more than 20 women who currently alcoholism in 1941. She went on to a direct state departments / offices / distinguished career in the alcoholism field, commissions responsible for the planning, including serving as the Medical Director of funding and evaluation of addiction the National Council on Alcoholism from treatment services. 1958 to 1969. In 1954, she founded the New Stephanie Covington, PhD, is a York City Medical Society on Alcoholism— widely acknowledged expert on addiction the precursor to the American Society of and recovery among women. She has Addiction Medicine. Her written works served as the chair of the Women’s include Alcoholism, Its Scope, Cause, and Committee of the International Council on Treatment (1955). Alcoholism and Addiction and has published Dr. Vernelle Fox was the pioneering numerous articles and books, including A force behind the Georgian Clinic and Woman’s Way Through the 12-Steps (1994). Rehabilitation Center for Alcoholics that Geraldine (“Gerry”) O. Delaney opened in the early 1950s (in Atlanta and served for years as the Director of Alina Savannah). She served as the Center’s Lodge in Blairstown, NJ. To her “students” medical director from 1955 to 1970 and who had failed to find recovery in other made significant national contributions programs, she was known for the toughest within the re-emerging field of addiction of love. One of most charismatic and true medicine. characters of the addictions field, her letters Wanda Frog has been a recovery were often signed, “G.O.D.” advocate for Native American women and Jan DuPlain was an early public women of color for nearly forty years. Her policy advocate for the needs of addicted contributions include the leadership she women. She led the first Office of Women brought to the National Indian Board on within the National Council on Alcoholism Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NIBADA) and the under the banner “Alcoholism is a Women’s National Association of Native American Issue.” Children of Alcoholics (NANACOA). Mathea Falco, Esq., served as Edith Gomberg, PhD, is Professor in Assistant Secretary of State for International the Alcohol Research Center, Department of Narcotics Matters under President Jimmy Psychiatry, University of Michigan, where for Carter. She is currently president of Drug more than 20 years she has conducted Strategies, a national drug policy center and pioneering research on addiction in women is a frequent contributor to Counselor. and older adults. Florence R. was the first female Sarah Graham-Mulhall served as member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Her story Deputy Commissioner of the State of New appeared in the first edition of the book, York Department of Narcotic Drug Control. Alcoholics Anonymous (1939), a title She was a visible spokesperson and prolific selected after she objected to the proposed writer on new patterns of opiate addiction title, “One Hundred Men.” and their treatment in the early twentieth First Lady Betty Ford courageously century. Her published works included, declared to the American public that she had Opium: The Demon Flower (1926). been treated for, and was recovering from, Beverly Haberle (Executive Director addiction to alcohol and other drugs. She is of The Bucks County Council on Alcohol and the driving force behind the Betty Ford Drug Dependence and Project Coordinator williamwhitepapers.com 2 of Pro-ACT--Pennsylvania Recovery Jean Kirkpatrick, PhD, founded Organization), Lisa Mojer-Torres, Esq., Women for Sobriety in 1975—the first (civil rights attorney), and Jeannie Villarreal addiction recovery mutual aid society (Project Coordinator of Recovering designed specifically for women. Her Advocates for Treatment, Vallejo, CA) are writings—including Turnabout: Help for a part of a new generation of effective New Life (1978) and Goodbye Hangovers, recovery advocates. They are included here Hello Life (1986)—and speeches helped lay to honor the women who are leading and the groundwork for the growth of gender- working within grassroots recovery specific addiction treatment in the United advocacy organizations across the country. States. Dr. Lucy Hall served as Physician in Joan Kroc began her philanthropy Charge of the Reformatory Prison in within the alcoholism field in 1976 with her Sherburne, Massachusetts. Her 1880 financial sponsorship of Operation Cork, an studies of female inebriates were the first alcoholism education program. She studies to note the existence of domestic provided seed money for alcoholism-related violence in the lives of addicted women. projects for more than 25 years. Maya Hennessey is a long-tenured Candy Lightner organized Mothers advocate on women’s issues within the Against Drunk Driving following the death of addictions field. She is included here to her 13-year-old daughter in 1980. MADD celebrate the contributions and struggles of helped reshape America’s attitudes and those women who have served as public policies toward impaired driving and advocates for women’s issues within the forged the climate in which persons arrested addictions field. for impaired driving are subjected to Mary Hannah Hunt headed the mandatory clinical screening. Department of Scientific Temperance Lois W. and Anne B. set up a service Instruction of the Woman’s Christian office in 1951 to support the growing number Temperance Union. Under her leadership, of family groups that were meeting in the WCTU championed mandatory conjunction with Alcoholics Anonymous. In temperance education in the schools and 1954, the office was incorporated as Al-Anon minimum drinking age laws. Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Fifty years Joan Jackson, PhD, conducted later, there were more than 32,000 pioneering studies in the 1950s and 1960s registered Al-Anon meetings in twelve on the impact of alcoholism upon the family. countries. Her work challenged pejorative Marty Mann, the first women to characterizations of the wives of alcoholics achieve prolonged sobriety within Alcoholics and charted family adaptations to the Anonymous, founded the National progression of alcoholism. Committee for Education on Alcoholism in Mary Beth Johnson, Lonnetta 1944. Her writings and speeches almost Albright, and Nancy Roget are among the single-handedly laid the groundwork for women who have assumed leadership roles modern alcoholism education and within the national network of addiction alcoholism treatment. Her books included technology transfer centers. Their inclusion Primer on Alcoholism (1950) and Marty honors the growing number of women who Mann Answers your Questions about are assuming administrative leadership Alcohol and Alcoholism (1970). After roles within the field. decades serving as a public policy advocate, Charlotte Kasl, PhD, developed the she worked as an alcoholism counselor at 16-step empowerment model for women in Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, recovery from addiction. She is the author of Connecticut.