Real Change in Recovery with Matthew Roosa

Real Change in Recovery with Matthew Roosa

How do different strategies aid in addiction recovery? This conversation on Airing Addiction focuses less on individual sobriety stories and more on how systems can actually change to support recovery in a real, practical way. Consultant and social worker Matthew Roosa joins host Lisa Blanchard to talk about decades of work in mental health and substance use treatment, quality improvement, and why the way services are designed can make or break someone’s chances of getting help.

Matthew explains the NIATx model in plain language, breaking it down into five clear principles, from "understanding the customer" to using rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to test small changes instead of launching huge, unmanageable overhauls. You’ll hear how simple process changes—like reducing paperwork, making environments more welcoming, or embedding medication conversations into routine sessions—can massively improve access and retention. Matthew and Lisa also dig into person-centred care, challenging the old "fit the programme or fail" mindset.

As Matthew puts it, "We’ve had a long history of asking people to fit a program… instead of saying, who are you? Let’s explore what you need." They talk frankly about stigma in healthcare, such as the way substance use screening is treated as optional while blood pressure is treated as essential, and how language like "medication-assisted treatment" quietly suggests that medication isn’t real treatment.

There’s also an honest look at staff burnout and "change fatigue", and how effective change has to respect both clients and frontline workers. If you’re involved in treatment services, curious about how systems can better support recovery, or just like hearing smart people make complex ideas feel simple, this episode offers plenty to think about. What’s one small change you could champion that might make care more welcoming, kinder, and more effective for the people who need it most?