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| Substance and Justice: Conceptualizing Functional Approaches to Recovery and Rehabilitation |
| Monday, May 26, 2025 |
| 4:00 PM–4:50 PM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 143 A-C |
| Area: CBM/VBC; Domain: Theory |
| Chair: Stephanie Lin (University of Hawaii-Manoa ) |
| Discussant: Anna Kate Edgemon (The University of Mississippi) |
| CE Instructor: Anna Kate Edgemon, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: In 2023, 1.8 million people were incarcerated in the US and 48.5 million struggled with problematic substance use. Current systems for caring for people in prison or struggling with substances tend to be focused on stopping problematic behaviors rather than constructing more effective and flexible repertoires. This symposium will apply behavioral concepts to exploring alternative contexts for building the repertoires of those in recovery or rehabilitation. The first talk will offer a conceptual analysis of how psychedelic-assisted therapy might work to build more freedom and flexibility into the lives of people struggling with substances. The second talk will offer a conceptual analysis of how restorative justice could be integrated into the current penal system to heal both justice-involved individuals and their communities. The symposium will close with a discussion of the advantages of viewing recovery and rehabilitation through a behavioral lens, and barriers to implementation of behaviorally-informed interventions in these contexts. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): Judicial Processes, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Restorative Justice, Substance Use |
| Target Audience: BCaBAs, Individuals offering direct therapy, Individuals beginning training in behavior analysis, Individuals who have recently completed baccalaureate-level work |
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the value and utility that a behavioral lens brings to psychedelic pharmacotherapies for SUDs
2. Describe the difference between punishment-based approaches and restorative justice approaches to intervention and rehabilitation in the current penal system
3. Compare how restorative justice and psychedelic-assisted therapies utilize non-punitive, context-sensitive approaches to promote behavior change and long-term rehabilitation in both the penal system and substance use disorder treatment |
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| Substance for Substance: The Psychedelic Approach to Substance Use Disorders |
| BELLA LAINE PATTERSON (University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana Lafayette) |
| Abstract: Traditional treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs) primarily center on behavioral therapies (Carroll & Onken, 2005) and pharmacological interventions (Forray & Sofuoglu, 2014), focusing on managing withdrawal symptoms (Kosten et al., 2019), craving reduction (Heinz et al., 2003), and modifying harmful patterns of substance use (Carroll & Onken, 2005). While these approaches are effective, they are not necessarily constructive, focusing on symptom reduction rather than building new repertoires. The growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics offers a new avenue for treating SUDs. Psychedelic-assisted therapy, using substances like psilocybin and MDMA, shows potential to disrupt rigid thought patterns (Carhart-Harris & Friston, 2019), facilitate emotional processing (Watts et al., 2017), and catalyze profound personal insights (Griffiths et al., 2016), leading to a clinically transformative potential that underscores the importance of addressing underlying psychological and emotional drivers of addiction.
This conceptual talk will explore the value and utility of a behavioral lens to psychedelic pharmacotherapies for SUDs. By examining the mechanisms through which psychedelics influence behavior (e.g., Default Mode Network, reinforcement contingencies), we can better translate these approaches into practical, evidence-based interventions. A behavioral conceptual analysis provides a framework for identifying core therapeutic processes, allowing for more targeted interventions tailored to individuals’ psychological needs. |
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| Restoring Rehabilitation: The Functionality of Restorative Justice in the Penal System |
| JACOB C NORRIS (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) |
| Abstract: The United States legal system can be described as immensely troubled (Cullen et al., 2011; Tewksbury, 2010; Prins, 2014). Issues associated with the penal system range from financial burdens placed on citizens, communities, and the offender’s family, to most notably creating a cycle of incarceration that disproportionately affects poor, urban communities (Apel & Diller, 2016). Judicial processes that are conducive towards spaces of healing, not only for the victims of offenses, but towards the offender, conceptually introduce a pathway towards restoring the penal system back to its roots, rehabilitation. Restorative Justice is a judicial process involving various processes such as apologies, accountability and restitution of harm/injury, facilitation of healing, and an orientation towards reintegration of offenders back into the community context in which they committed offenses against, either in conjunction with or without criminal punishment (Dhami et al., 2009; Menkel-Meadow, 2007). This conceptual talk will seek to examine the current penal system as a punishment-based intervention allowing for the functional analysis of considerations and consequences related to integrating the components of Restorative Justice into this failing and inequitable system. |
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