Vernon E. Johnson (August 23, 1920 – April 30, 1999) was an Episcopal priest and recovering alcoholic who devoted his life to a claimed method of alcohol intervention.A History of the Johnson Institute About Us, Johnson Institute, accessed 2007-12-04 Johnson's main achievements lie in the field of treatment of chemical dependency, especially alcoholism. Johnson did not believe that an alcoholic needed to "hit rock bottom" before recovery. He introduced the concept of intervention by family, friends, and employers. He supported "early intervention", because it interrupted the progression of the disease of alcoholism before the disease completely destroyed the alcoholic's life.
Following his own recovery from alcoholism, in 1962 Johnson led a church group concerning alcohol intervention.The Johnson Institute As a Minnesota Episcopal priest, Johnson encouraged the incorporation of faith into the treatment and he convinced many churches to provide space for recovering alcoholics' support group meetings. Johnson was also a member of faculty of the Rutgers University Summer School for Alcohol Studies. In 1966, he co-founded (along with Irene and Wheelock Whitney) the Johnson Institute,Irene and Wheelock Whitney Award which aims to provide early intervention and help employers deal with employee drinking. The institute has also provided training to over 8,000 professionals.Do Drug and Alcohol Interventions Really Work?
The Johnson Institute uses the "Minnesota Model", which Johnson constructed when he was leading the church group. Johnson's approach, known as a Johnson Intervention, has become the most widespread intervention technique for Alcohol Use Disorders, but critics argue that there is a lack of support for the approach in controlled research and that there is a potential for adverse results.McKillop, J. & Gray, J. (2015) "Controversial Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorders", in Lilienfeld, S.; Lynn, S. & Lohr, J. (eds) Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology, Second Edition, The Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1462517893 pp 324-326
In 2009, the Johnson Institute transferred its programs and products to the Hazelden Foundation.A History of the Johnson Institute Johnson Institute Announces Start of Nominations for 2006 America Honors Recovery Luncheon Awards Johnson also wrote several books about the treatment of chemical dependency, the most famous being I'll Quit Tomorrow. Johnson died in 1999 from cancer.Vernon Johnson: a pioneer
Published books I'll Quit Tomorrow- First published in 1973 by Harper & Row Publishers, I'll Quit Tomorrow Seven editions have been published to date.WorldCat - I'll Quit Tomorrow
Intervention, how to help someone who doesn't want help : a step-by-step guide for families and friends of chemically dependent persons First published in Minneapolis, Johnson Institute Books, 1986. Five editions have been published to date.WorldCat - Intervention
Everything You Need to Know about Chemical Dependence: Vernon Johnson's complete guide for familiesAmazon First published in Minneapolis : Johnson Institute, 1990, Two editions have been published to date.WorldCat - Everything you need to know about chemical dependence
God, Help Me to Be Me: Spiritual Growth During Recovery First published in Minneapolis, Johnson Institute, 1991. WorldCat: God, Help Me to Be Me: Spiritual Growth During Recovery
Behavior Vs. Values: Character Conflict During Recovery First Published in Minneapolis, Johnson Institute, 1991.
Alcoholism and the church: A call to action First published in New York : Episcopal Church. Church Pension Fund, 1979
References
External links Johnson Institute official website