What if everything you thought you knew about addiction treatment was rooted in outdated thinking? After 26 years in the substance use disorder field, Jon Schlenske brings a perspective that challenges conventional wisdom while offering genuine hope for those struggling with addiction. Jon is Division Chief, Substance Use Disorders and Integrated Services at Comprehensive Healthcare in Yakima, WA.

This conversation traces Schlenske's journey from grassroots case management to his current role leading Integrated Care at Comprehensive Healthcare. His experience spans treating pregnant women with opioid addiction at Vanderbilt to developing hospital diversion and outreach programs.

At the heart of our discussion is a powerful reframing of addiction as a legitimate disease. Schlenske explains how it meets all the clinical criteria of other diseases – it has symptoms, it's progressive, it involves withdrawal, and it can be fatal. Yet society continues to treat those with addiction differently than people with cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. This stigma creates barriers to treatment while adding unnecessary shame.

The conversation doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. With only one in eight people maintaining sobriety six months after treatment, Schlenske questions why outdated approaches remain dominant despite poor outcomes. He makes a compelling case for medication-assisted treatment, emphasizing how pharmaceuticals can provide the stability needed for deeper healing.

Perhaps most powerful is Schlenske's emphasis on hope and human connection. Instead of focusing solely on complex modalities, he suggests that recovery begins when we treat people with dignity and address the trauma that often precedes addiction. The path forward requires not just better treatment but a shift in how society views and supports those battling substance use disorders.

Whether you're struggling, supporting someone, or just trying to understand, this episode offers insights that could change how you think about recovery. Listen now to join the conversation about building more compassionate, effective paths to healing.

Comprehensive Healthcare
Jon Schlenske on LinkedIn

Other useful links from Brett:

• Sober Curious Consulting - Brett's Recovery Friendly Workplace consulting business.
• Brett's YouTube channel
• Washington Recovery Alliance - building the capacity of the recovery community to advance substance use recovery and mental health wellness by catalyzing public understanding and shaping public policy in Washington State.
• Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit - providing information, tools, and resources to help employers from all sectors—government, for-profit, non-profit, and not-for-profit—effectively prevent and respond to substance misuse in the workforce from the Department of Labor.
• Data on SUD in the US (2022) - from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Link to my favorite PDF for statistics.
• Addiction 101 - it’s not a moral failing—it’s a treatable illness. Get the facts about this misunderstood medical condition from my friends at Shatterproof.