Professor Patricia Roos’s published works have been important contributions to the ongoing conversation about gender dynamics in the workforce. Her most recent book, however, is a more personal one about grief and resilience: Surviving Alex. In this book, she uses skills developed in her career to examine explanations and treatments for the growing overdose epidemic. She finds them wanting. She integrates existing research and writing on addiction with information she gathered over the years she lived with Alex’s mental health and substance use disorders, and with the trauma associated with his death. She talked with important people in Alex’s life and gathered information from the institutions in which he resided, providing a wealth of information from social workers, doctors, psychiatrists, rehab staff, and jailers to flesh out her personal narrative and interviews.

And, she imagines a world steeped in compassionate harm reduction methods, as opposed to the punitive approaches that currently exist. Pat’s presentation will be followed by a brief presentation on harm reduction by DC’s Department of Behavioral Health. Free Naloxone (Narcan) will be available to attendees.

At 6:30 pm, Pat will be available to sign books which will be available for purchase in the Library Lobby.

More information can be found at patroos.com.