Joe Gerstein reinstated to President of SMART Recovery -

A live show and interview with Dr. Joe Gerstien from Massachusetts, with host Monica Richardson. Please join us live and in the chat room for any questions and comments.

Joseph Gerstein was the Founding President of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Self-Help Network, Inc., d/b/a SMART Recovery in 1994. He introduced Rational Recovery into the Greater Boston area, then oversaw its spread throughout Massachusetts. In 1994, he participated in the creation of the new non-profit entity: SMART Recovery. Subsequent to his term as President, he was elected Treasurer, a post he held until elected President again for 2017. Dr. Gerstein has at various times served on the Boards of 10 non-profit organizations. He has served on a variety of Committees of SMART Recovery.

Dr. Gerstein practiced Internal Medicine and Pain Management at a Harvard-affiliated hospital and served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine on that Faculty for almost 30 years. In 1987 he formed Mount Auburn Community Independent Practice Association, the most successful such entity in Massachusetts, which now has over 500 physicians and 70 employees. For the last 10 years of his career he also served as Medical Director or Senior Vice-President of Tufts Health Plans, a non-profit HMO recently rated #1 in the US by US News & World Report. While there, he sued TAP Pharmaceutical on behalf of the Federal Government under the False Claims Act, achieving a guilty plea and fines and rebates of almost $1 billion to the Treasury. 2 years ago he served as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University related to his experience in the Tufts positions.

Dr. Gerstein has personally facilitated over 3000 SMART Recovery meetings, almost 800 in prisons.

Dr. Gerstein and his wife received the American Humanist Association's Humanist Pioneers Award for their work in SMART Recovery and Dr. Gerstein was recently named Harvard Humanist of the Year