Maxine Thome, guest writer Published 4:37 p.m. ET Oct. 28, 2020 | Updated 5:08 p.m. ET Oct. 28, 2020

Maxine Thome(Photo: Courtesy photo)

In my 40 years of working in the field of social work, Ive been an inpatient therapist in a state-run psychiatric facility, directed behavioral health for a family practice residency program in Saginaw, ran a child sexual abuse program, worked with women sex workers and created a program to help people living with HIV-AIDS that eventually morphed into the Lansing Area AIDS Network. Today, I run my own private practice.

As I reflect on the populations Ive served from family practice to sexual abuse to HIV-AIDS theres a common thread: substance use disorder.

Im not implying everyone in those categories uses substances, but I have experienced the disproportionate and devastating impact of substance use within disenfranchised populationsespecially lower socioeconomic groupsbecause of lack of access to care, bias, hatredand biochemical predisposition.

We must, as a society, shift our mindset away from viewing substance use disorder as criminal activity and toward treating it as the biochemical malfunction science is proving it to be. In doing this, we will protect vulnerable populations from further imprisonment, trauma and disenfranchisement.

This new mindset includes replacing imprisonment as a sole solution to substance use with prevention resources like counseling, social workers and education programs, within communities to stop the problem before it occurs.

In January, the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration recommended to divert people with behavioral health needs away from the justice system citingstrain on county jail resources, delay restoration in felony casesand that it often leads to further mental health deterioration while in jail.

If I, a white, educated woman, had a substance use disorder (addiction), my insurance would cover my admission into a rehab program. If a poor person who didn't have adequate insurance and got arrested as a result of something fueled by substance use, they likely wouldnt have the same access to treatment. Those odds increase if it is a person of color.

Prison is not a place for people who are drug-dependent.

Addiction whether it's alcohol or other substances is a biochemical malfunction. So it's the biochemical need, the physiological need that exists. And that's why we refer to substance use as an illness or a disease. There's also a need to use substances because of stress, but I firmly believe the addictive component is biochemical and should be treated as such.

Clinical social workers are among the nations largest providers of mental health services, including substance use treatment. There were 2,729 deaths from drug overdoses in the state of Michigan in 2017 more than from car accidents according to state government data.

With help from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and key statewide organizations, were providing a substance use disorder training to effectively increase the reach and impact of Michigan social workers on those suffering from substance use disorder in schools, hospitals, shelters, low socioeconomic communities and beyond. But, it will not happen without a societal mind shift of knowledge and compassion around substance use disorder.

Maxine Thomeis the executive director of the National Association of Social Workers - Michigan.

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We need a new mindset on substance use, and stop treating addiction as criminal activity - Lansing State Journal