Emeritus Senior Research Consultant
Graduated Goddard College, 1977 (Psychology/Addiction Studies)
Specialty areas: history of addiction treatment and recovery; recovery research
Dr. William (“Bill”) White, Emeritus Senior Research Consultant at Chestnut Health Systems, has worked in the addictions field since 1969 in clinical, educational, and research roles. He is a prominent recovery advocate who has served as a volunteer consultant to recovery community organizations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa. He has authored or co-authored 400+ articles, 350+ recovery blogs, and 21 books, including Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. For the past 25 years, his research has focused on mapping the prevalence, pathways, styles, and stages of long-term addiction recovery. His contributions have been honored by awards from Faces and Voices of Recovery, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, NAADAC: The Association of Addiction Professionals, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, and Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry.
Selected Publications:
White, W. L. and Kelly, J. F. (2025) Toward a solution-focused addiction science. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1701524. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1701524
White, W. L., Galanter, M., Kolodner, G., Kepner, W. E., Sarapas, C. & Mouton, C. L. (2025). Medications for opioid use disorder: Enhancing retention to achieve long-term remission and recovery. Chestnut Health Systems, Lighthouse Institute.
Galanter, M., White, W. L., & Hunter, B. (2022). Virtual Twelve Step meeting attendance during the COVID-19 period: A study of members of Narcotics Anonymous, Journal of Addiction Medicine, 16(2), e81-e86. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000000852
Eddie, D., White, W. L., Vilsaint, C. L., Bergman, B. G., & Kelly, J. F. (2021). Reasons to be cheerful: Personal, civic, and economic achievements after resolving an alcohol or drug problem in the United States population. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 35(4), 402–414. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000689
White, W. & Callahan, J. F. (2015). Addiction medicine in America: Its birth and early history (1750-1935) with a modern postscript. The ASAM essential of addiction medicine, second edition, Abigail J. Heron and Timothy Koehler Brennan (Eds.), Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, pp. 145–150.
White, W. (2014). The history of addiction counseling in the United States. Alexandria, VA: NAADAC: The Association of Addiction Professionals.
White, W. L. & Evans, A. C. (2014). The recovery agenda: The shared role of peers and professionals. Public Health Reviews, 35(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391703
Roth, J., White, W. & Kelly, J.(Eds.) (2013). Broadening the Base of Addiction Mutual Support Groups: Bringing Theory and Science to Contemporary Trends. Oxfordshire: Taylor & Francis Books.
White, W. (2012). Medication-assisted recovery from opioid addiction: Historical and contemporary perspectives. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 31(3), 199–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/10550887.2012.694597
White, W., Kelly, J. & Roth, J. (2012). New addiction recovery support institutions: Mobilizing support beyond professional addiction treatment and recovery mutual aid. Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 7(2-4), 297–317. https://doi.org/10.1080/1556035X.2012.705719
Kelly, J. & White, W., Eds. (2011). Addiction recovery management: Theory, science and practice. New York: Springer Science.
White, W. (2007). Addiction recovery: Its definition and conceptual boundaries. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 33, 229–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2007.04.015
Coyhis, D., & White, W. (2006). Alcohol problems in Native America: The untold story of resistance and recovery. Colorado Springs, CO: White Bison, Inc.
White, W. & Kurtz, E. (2006). The varieties of recovery experience. International Journal of Self Help and Self Care, 3(1–2), 21–61. https://doi.org/10.2190/911r-mtq5-vj1h-75cu
White, W. (2005). Recovery: Its history and renaissance as an organizing construct. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 23(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1300/J020v23n01_02
McGovern, T., & White, W. (Eds.). (2003). Alcohol problems in the United States: Twenty years of treatment perspective. New York: Haworth Press.
White, W. (2000). The history of recovered people as wounded healers: I. From native America to the rise of the modern alcoholism movement. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 18(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1300/J020v18n01_01
White, W. (1998). Slaying the dragon: The history of addiction treatment and recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems/Lighthouse Institute. (Japanese translation published in 2007). (Second Edition White, W. (2014). Slaying the dragon: The history of addiction treatment and recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems/Lighthouse Institute.)
Appointments and Awards:
McGovern Family Foundation Award for the best book on addiction recovery for Slaying the Dragon (1999)
Keith Keesy Memorial Award presented by the Illinois Association of Alcohol and Drug Dependence (2001)
President’s Award, NAADAC—The Association for Addiction Professionals (2001)
IAODAPCA Lifetime Achievement Award (2002)
National Association of Addiction Treatment Provider’s Michael Q. Ford Journalism Award (2003)
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Award for Compelling Documentation of the Alcoholism Movement in the United States (2004)
Eagleville Award—(presented annually by Eagleville Hospital to a person who has made a significant contribution to the field of addiction treatment) (2006)
Lifetime Achievement Award presented by NAADAC—The Association for Addiction Professionals Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)
Jeff Luke Servant Leadership Award (presented by White Bison, Inc. for service to the Native American Wellbriety Movement) (2006)
John P. McGovern, M.D. Award (presented by the American Society of Addiction Medicine for outstanding contributions to the field of Addiction Medicine) (2007)
Lifetime Achievement Award, Mayor’s Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission, City of Philadelphia (2009)
Dr. Nelson J. Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award, National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (2010)
The John P. McGovern Award and Lecture, Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc. (2010)
Recovery Award for Excellence in Addiction Research & Education, Foundation for Recovery (2011)
Recovery Heroes Honoree, NET Institute-Center for Addiction & Recovery Education (2011)
Norman E. Zinberg Award & Memorial Lecture, Harvard University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry (2012)
Friend of the Field Award (for extraordinary contributions to the field of opioid addiction treatment), American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (2012)
Lifetime Achievement, The Voice Awards, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (2012)
Saul Feldman Award for Lifetime Achievement (for sustained and significant contributions to leadership and policy in the mental health and addiction recovery field), ACMHA: The College for Behavioral Health Leadership (2013)
Resolution of Commendation (for sustained and seminal contributions to the addiction treatment and recovery field), Board of Directors, The Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (2013)
Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award (for outstanding contributions and lifetime devotion to the recovery advocacy movement), Faces and Voices of Recovery/America Honors Recovery (2015)
Related Links:
Best, D., Duffy, S., Smith, D., Bryson, J., & White, B. (2025). An “outside in” model of recovery capital growth: building personal and social recovery capital from community resources. Addiction Research & Theory, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2025.2523825
Best, D., Rome, A., Hanning, K. A., White, W. L., Gossop, M., Taylor, A., & Perkins, A. (2010). Research for recovery: A review of the drugs evidence base. Scottish Government Social Research. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch
Best, D., Rome, A., Hanning, K., White, W. L., Gossop, M., & Taylor, A. (2010). Road to recovery evidence base review: Report to the Scottish Government. University of West Scotland; Justice Analytical Services Division of Scottish Government.
Boyle, M. G., White, W. L., Corrigan, P. W., & Loveland, D. L. (2001). Behavioral health recovery management: A statement of principals. Fayette Companies and Chestnut Health Systems
Burwell, B. O., Dennis, M. L., Etheridge, R. M., Lubalin, J. S., Theisen, A. C., Fischer, P. F., & Schlenger, W. E. (1989). Implementation evaluation design for NIMH McKinney Mental Health Services Demonstration Projects for homeless mentally ill adults. Volume 2: Status report of the Stewart B. McKinney Demonstration Project [Technical report]. Research Triangle Institute
Duffy, S., Best, D., McInerney, K., Thompson, H., Smith, D., Evans, V., Stebbings, R., & White, W. (2025). The Family Recovery Capital Framework, STAR Recovery, PROPS, Recovery Connections. Adfam. (UK Report). https://deriu82xba14l.cloudfront.net/file/2511/2025%20The%20Family%20Recovery%20Capital%20Framework.pdf
Duffy, S., Best, D., McInerney, K., Thompson, H., Smith, D., Evans, V., Stebbings, R., & White, W. (2025). The Family Recovery Capital Framework, STAR Recovery, PROPS, Recovery Connections. Adfam. (UK Report). https://deriu82xba14l.cloudfront.net/file/2511/2025%20The%20Family%20Recovery%20Capital%20Framework.pdf
Galanter, M., White, W. L., & Hunter, B. (2022). Virtual twelve step meeting attendance during the COVID-19 period: A study of members of Narcotics Anonymous. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 16(2), e81–e86. https://doi.org/10.1097/adm.0000000000000852
Galanter, M., White, W. L., & Hunter, B. (2025). Online Narcotics Anonymous: An option for addressing methamphetamine use disorder. Journal of Addiction Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/adm.0000000000001606
Kelly, J. F., & White, W. L. (Eds.) (2011). Addiction recovery management: Theory, research and practice. Springer Science.
Roth, J. D., White, W. L., & Kelly, J. F. (2013). Broadening the base of addiction mutual support groups: Bringing theory and science to contemporary trends. Routledge.
Stauffer, B., & White, W. (2025, November 11). The coproduction of a recovery evidence base on the frontiers of future recovery research: Frontiers of Recovery Research Series - William White Interview with Bill Stauffer. (Frontiers of Recovery Research Series). Recovery Review. https://recoveryreview.blog/2025/11/11/the-coproduction-of-a-recovery-evidence-base-on-the-frontiers-of-future-recovery-research/
White, W. (2025). Book Review: The Untold Story of Addiction Treatment in the United States Volumes One-Four) [Review of the book The Untold Story of Addiction in the United States by K. Anderson]. William White Library, https://deriu82xba14l.cloudfront.net/file/2502/2021%20Anderson%20Untold%20Story%20of%20Addiction%20Treatment.pdf
White, W. L. & Kelly, J. F. (2026). On the need and contents of an addiction recovery research agenda. Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70347
White, W. L., & Kelly, J. (2010). Commentary. Alcohol/drug/substance "abuse": The history and (hopeful) demise of a pernicious label.
White, W. L., & Kelly, J. F. (2025). Toward a solution-focused addiction science. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1701524. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1701524
White, W. L., Dezhakam, H., Ranjbar, E., Sarapas, C., & Mouton, C. (2026). Integrating medication and psychosocial support for addiction recovery: A study of Congress 60. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2026.2617255
White, W. L., Galanter, M., Kolodner, G., Kepner, W. E., Sarapas, C. & Mouton, C. L. (2025). Medications for opioid use disorder: Enhancing retention to achieve long-term remission and recovery. Chestnut Health Systems, Lighthouse Institute. https://deriu82xba14l.cloudfront.net/file/2461/2025%20MOUD%20Retention%20Monograph%20Final.pdf
White, W. L., Humphreys, K., Bourgeois, M., Chiapella, P., Evans, A., Flaherty, M., Gaumond, P, Haggerson, P., Haberle, B., Hill, T., Kaskutas, L. A., Kelly, J., McDaid, C., Powell, J., Scott, C., & Taylor, P. (2013). The status and future of addiction recovery support services in the United States.
White, W., Galanter, M., Humphreys, K., & Kelly, J. (2020) "We do recover": Scientific studies on Narcotics Anonymous.