Opioid addiction is a widespread problem that social workers will undoubtedly face in practice. Curricular infusion is an approach that has gained recognition in social work education for integrating critical, contemporary topics into courses. This paper details a project that infused opioid addiction in baccalaureate of social work (BSW) courses,…

Females are at higher risk for certain opioid addictive behaviors, but the influence of ovarian hormones is unknown. In our rat model of heroin self-administration, females exhibited higher relapse rates that correlated with rates of heroin seeking on the first extinction session. We administered estradiol alone, or in combination with…

Opioid abuse has become an epidemic in America and exposure to the drugs often begins in high school. This article shares some facts about opioid use and some signs and symptoms to look for in students who may be addicted to the drug. The authors also offer tips for educators on how to deal with the legal issues involved in assessing, reporting,…

This conceptual article provides a counselor-oriented overview of the origins and consequences of the current opioid epidemic in the United States. After a thorough review of Bronfenbrenner's ecological perspective on human development, this article presents a case conceptualization model aimed at providing counselors with a tool and strategy to…

In the fall of 2015, Northern Kentucky University began a sustained, multidimensional effort to explore our region's devastating heroin epidemic. The goal was to engage NKU's students, faculty, and staff with the community through public dialogue, experiential learning, and research. Taken together, our engagements would contribute to public…

New developments in the treatment of mothers and infants affected by opioid addiction point to the promising effects of interventions that adopt a developmental perspective, occur concurrently with addiction treatment, and target the parent-infant relationship as early as possible. In this article, the authors provide general guidelines for…

This article shares the story of Lucy Bryson, who was hooked on crack cocaine and heroin when she was 17, and was working the streets to fund her addiction. Her future looked bleak when she was imprisoned four years ago but a project that builds trust and responsibility in young people by teaching them to work with animals has transformed her…

This article synthesizes neuroscience findings with long-standing criminological models and data into a comprehensive explanation of the relationship between drug use and crime. The innate factors that make some people vulnerable to drug use are conceptually similar to those that predict criminality, supporting a spurious reciprocal model of the…