Welcome to Methadonia: A Social Worker's Candid Account of Life in a Methadone Clinic

With her Master of Social Work diploma still fresh in her hands, Rachel Greene Baldino embarked on a year-long journey as a new professional in a methadone clinic. She was ecstatic that she would be starting her career in a full-fledged counselor's position. But was she prepared for what lay ahead?

Her personal account of the year that followed will give you an eye-opening glimpse into the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions she experienced. The author honestly and openly describes her feelings about the work and the people, and describes in graphic terms what she observed during her year in a methadone clinic.

This is a personal account of one person's story--that of a neophyte professional. As such, it does not describe all methadone treatment or all methadone clinics--only one person's observations in one setting. While it does outline the benefits of methadone treatment and its life-saving effect on many people, it is not a research-oriented book and does not present the many years of research findings on this treatment. It does provide insight into one new professional's experience, including such issues as vicarious traumatization, and it bravely reveals her weaknesses as a new professional in a highly specialized field.

Besides chronicling her year as a counselor in a methadone setting, Baldino makes recommendations for changes to the treatment system--recommendations she sees as a "starting point" for discussion among those who are in and associated with the field. A glossary is provided to help readers quickly identify and define key terms associated with heroin addiction and methadone treatment.