John Sweeney Responds

[Excerpt] New Labor Movement in the Shell of the Old? by Jeremy Brecher and Tim Costello is just the kind of thoughtful critique the New Voices of the American labor movement need if we are to make the transition from campaign rhetoric to meaningful change. During the campaign last summer and fall, I ended virtually every speech with my personal commitment to such reviews and critiques by saying, And my idea of a perfect labor movement is one which constantly re-examines itself and corrects its own imperfections

Peer Support for Addiction in the Inpatient Setting

Background: In 2006 the Institute of Medicine reported that combined mental illness and substance use disorder was the second leading cause of disability and death in women and the highest cause in men. More recent data obtained from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Ahrnsbratz et al 2016) indicates in 2016 only one in ten of the people who need treatment, receive it. At Cambridge Health Alliance’s Everett Hospital, the site of this pilot project, opioid overdose and acute alcohol intoxication comprise one in every ten visits in the Emergency Department. In January of 2018, CHA partnered with North Suffolk Mental Health to embed two Recovery Coaches in the Emergency Room and Inpatient setting to support and engagement and navigation into treatment for patients presenting to the hospital with addiction. Aims: The aim of this study is to describe Year One of the Recovery Coach pilot project, with recommendations for improvement to inform further program growth. Method: The population of patients who worked with a Recovery Coach in Year One is described in terms of demographic information, insurance status and ACO attribution. Semi-structured interviews of patients, Recovery coaches, staff, providers, and administrators were conducted to extract qualitative themes among the stakeholders. Results: The average patient is described as a 44-year-old, white, low-income, English-speaking male living in a surrounding community with Alcohol use Disorder. Themes emerging from interviews indicate positive support for the program from all stakeholder perspectives. Strong themes of value in patient engagement, Recovery Coach empowerment, and influence on staff and provider work satisfaction emerge, as well as several areas of opportunity for program improvement. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide valuable stakeholder input that will improve the program and inform its expansion. The findings should not be generalized to other programs, as the CHA inpatient-based Recovery Coach model is different than other programs described in the literature. However, this study may be of interest to another hospital planning to develop an inpatient-based model

“Representing Canadian Interests in all Matters Relative to Canadian War Dead:” Lt. Col. J.A. Bailie and the Recovery, Concentration and Burial of the “C” Force Casualties in Japan and Hong Kong

Abstract : The processes and rituals of grieving, memorializing and remembering a nation’s war dead are well known, while the project of recovering, concentrating and preparing wartime casualties for burial is less clearly understood. The task of burying the Canadian war dead in the Pacific fell to one individual, former pow, Lt. Col. J.A. Bailie. This paper investigates Bailie’s experience that began with his pow journals and ended with the consecration of the Yokohama and Sai Wan Military Cemeteries in Japan and Hong Kong. Bailie’s efforts and the relationships he developed with Canada’s allies heralded successful results, despite meagre resources and support