The Johnson Institute (JI) represents a long history of encouraging and perfecting more appropriate and timely responses to alcoholism and drug addiction. Its leadership in the chemical dependency field spans 40 years and is continuing to eliminate barriers to recovery today.
In 1966, the Johnson Institute was formed and dedicated to designing treatment programs as well as educating individuals, families, professionals, and entire communities about addiction disease. The Johnson Institute is named after Rev. Vernon Johnson, an Episcopal priest who convened a Minnesota church study group to figure out how to convince alcoholics to accept help before incurring tragic consequences of their drinking.
The result was the first application of the intervention concept that would become the standard approach for getting alcoholics into treatment. From that first historic new insight came “Minnesota Model” programs that have helped hundreds of thousands of recovering alcoholics around the world.
The Johnson Institute produced and published a variety of educational books, including Vernon Johnson’s seminal and still popular book, I’ll Quit Tomorrow. The Johnson Institute continues to publish numerous books, pamphlets and videos.
By 1990, treatment techniques advanced by the Johnson Institute had become standard practice in the chemical dependence field. In 1992, Johnson Institute transferred distribution of its training media to Hazelden Information and Educational Services and refocused its attention on removing barriers to effective treatment.
Today, Johnson Institute identifies, nurtures, and supports initiatives to reach individuals and families early in their difficulties with chemical dependency. From its beginnings with a Minnesota church study group, JI now comprises four centers dedicated to fresh policies and new awareness of addiction disease.
The Center for Education and Advocacy supports such initiatives as Recovery Ambassadors, Faces and Voices of Recovery, Advancing Help and Hope Workshops, National Recovery Month and Sports Salute to Recovery.
The Center for Resource Development is dedicated to changing America’s attitudes and opinions about addiction recovery. It finds links between JI’s mission and projects and the goals of funding institutions. This center also holds the highly successful America Honors Recovery Luncheon in September to recognize recovering citizens who have made major contributions to recovery efforts.
The Center for Policy and Communication provides platforms for discussion and strategic planning. It brings together more than 80 organizations for biannual National Forum on the latest in the recovery field and continues JI’s publishing tradition of excellence, including the latest Speaking Out for Addiction Recovery, by Johnny Allem, president of the Johnson Institute.
The Rush Center for Congregational Action recognizes the special opportunity that bringing science and faith perspectives together can have in benefiting congregations of all faith traditions. Its highly successful Faith Partners program uses a team approach to allow recovery to happen within congregations of all faiths. It also publishes a new quarterly publication, Faith Partners Journal.
Johnson Institute’s approach has evolved over more than 40 years yet its commitment to advancing understanding of alcoholism and chemical dependency is unwavering.