February 27, 2020

Episode 8: Bill Kinkle: 12-Step Coercion

37 minutes

Today I spoke with a man named Bill Kinkle.

Bill is a nurse, a paramedic and an advocate working at, what he calls, the intersection of harm reduction and recovery. Bill describes himself as a person in recovery as well (although he's explain that the term recovery probably means something different to him than it does to many others-- this is something we discuss in the interview.)

Unfortunately, Bill lost his nursing license in the process of seeking professional help to overcome an opioid addiction. He and I discuss what may have led to his addiction; we discuss his experience in the treatment system; and we talk about how (and what) he's doing now.

A relevant point: Bill’s worldview, including his religious views, did not jibe with AA, yet he was expected to attend AA in order to regain his nursing license…. This is not only bad practice, but the situation is arguably a violation of Bill’s first amendment right.

Unfortunately, we frequently hear similar stories from our LPP clients.

Lastly, Bill is also the co-host of a show called Health Professionals in Recovery Show, a podcast designed to open the conversation for healthcare professionals experiencing problematic substance use and recovery in a profession that is hostile to drug use.

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FOLLOW BILL:

The Podcast https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/health-professionals-in-recovery/e/60970706?autoplay=true

On Twitter-- @HPIRPodcast @billkinkle