About Kevin McCauley, MD
Dr. Kevin McCauley is a Senior Fellow at The Meadows of Wickenburg, Arizona. Dr. McCauley wrote and directed two films: Pleasure Unwoven about the neuroscience of addiction which won the 2010 Michael Q. Ford Award for Journalism from the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, and Memo to Self about the concepts of recovery management. Kevin lives with his wife, Kristine, in Sedona, Arizona.
You can contact Dr. McCauley via email: kevintmccauley@hotmail.com
From Dr. McCauley’s April 27, 2026 Program in Malvern, PA
“Emerging Addiction & Treatment Trends”
What drives addiction? The answer starts with dopamine, the brain chemical behind motivation, learning, and the powerful pull of substances.
Dr. Kevin McCauley is known for making addiction science accessible. In this program, he updates his signature “Periodic Table of the Intoxicants” to reflect today’s drug landscape, including why fentanyl is so much more dangerous than other opioids, how cannabis use can shift from helpful to harmful, and why the enthusiasm around psychedelics in therapy deserves a closer look.
This program was funded by the Chester County Department of Drug & Alcohol Services.
From Dr. McCauley’s October 12, 2023 Program in Malvern, PA
“New Perspectives on Addiction & Recovery”
Dr. McCauley’s presentation addressed current neuroscience and public health research about addiction (Substance Use Disorder) for people in or seeking recovery, their families, friends and co-workers, and public policy professionals. He discussed two important areas of recent discovery: epigenetics (the study of how behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way genes work) and psychoneuroimmunology (interactions among behavioral, neural and endocrine, and immune processes). Much of this research validates the lived experiences of people with addiction, and this program helped us to understand those experiences.
This program was self-funded by Be a Part of the Conversation. If you would like to support our organization, please click here to donate. Thank you! 💖
From Dr. McCauley’s March 8, 2022 Online Program
“Where Stress, Trauma & Addiction Intersect”
Chronic stress, trauma, and addiction are intimately associated with chronic disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and relapse. But why? The answer: our immune system. Those of us in recovery from trauma and addiction need to understand how chronic stress, trauma, and substance use can trigger inflammatory processes in the brain and immune system.
The good news is that we can support recovery by strengthening our immune system. Dr. McCauley talked about the different ways our environment, brain, and immune system interact – and how we can improve our immune system and, ultimately, our resiliency.
This program was funded by the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services
On December 3, 2019 Kevin McCauley, MD was the guest of Be a Part of the Conversation for two presentations.
In the morning, Dr. McCauley presented “Memo to Self: Protecting Sobriety with the Science of Safety.” Our audience included social workers, psychologists, and counselors who received continuing education credits.
In the evening, more than 100 community members gathered at the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon as Dr. McCauley presented “New Perspectives on Addiction & Recovery.”
↓View the presentations below.↓
Special Thanks to
View Dr. McCauley’s CEU PowerPoint
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Watch the Video of Dr. McCauley’s 12/3/19 Community Presentation
Watch the Video of Dr. McCauley’s 12/3/19 Community PresentationDr. McCauley will not be visible until two minutes into the video.
We apologize for the brief interruption in video.
Videography by Jay Wiley Photography
Learn More About Recovery Management
Recommended links from Dr. McCauley
Recovery Management and Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care by William White
Addiction Recovery Management: Theory, Research and Practice (2010), John Kelly and William White (eds.)
This is the seminal survey text on Addiction Recovery Management. We used this as the blueprint for designing our Recovery Management/Recovery Residence program. Most of the concepts discussed in our film “Memo to Self” can be found (and came from) this book, and I believe it is the most important book I have ever read. Every person interested in the field of addiction treatment and recovery support should read this book at least once.
A New Paradigm for Recovery: Making Recovery – and not relapse – the Expected Outcome of Addiction Treatment
A report by the Recovery Management Working Group in 2014 summarizing Recovery Management principles.
William White Papers Website: papers on Recovery Management
Recovery Management and Old School Social Work (Bill White and Mark Sanders)
How are physicians treated? A National survey of physician health programs.
DuPont RL, McLellan AT, Carr G, Gendel M, Skipper GE. How are addicted physicians treated? A national survey of Physician Health Programs. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2009 Jul;37(1):1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2009.03.010. PMID: 19482236.
Setting the standard for recovery: Physicians’ Health Programs (2009)
A link to the citation on PubMed.org for the second of the two original “Blueprint Studies”
Six lessons from state physician health programs to promote long-term recovery
A 2012 article by two authors of the Blueprint Studies that we used in our film to describe the six things that PHPs provide their recovering participants to give them higher likelihood of entering long-term remission of their substance use disorders.
A summary of supporting journal articles supporting the Blueprint Studies
How to achieve an 80 percent recovery rate
A 2012 blog commentary by American Society of Addiction Medicine President Dr. Stuart G Itlow on the findings of the Blueprint Studies and their application to other groups of patients.
Drug Dependence Treatment: Sustained Recovery Support
A 2008 United Nations report on the importance of recovery management principles
What is recovery? A working definition from the Betty Ford Institute
The 2007 report from the Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel on the definition of “recovery” from the NAADAC website. This panel was comprised of some of the brightest minds in addiction treatment and research, including several Blueprint Studies authors.
What is recovery? Revisiting the Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel Definition
A 2010 letter to the editor of the Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery.by A. Thomas McLellan, PhD (an author of the Blueprint Studies) updating some of the concepts about recovery from the 2007 Betty Ford Institute’s Consensus Panel.
Recovery and Recovery Support
Taken from the website of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration delineating the four dimensions that support recovery: health, home, purpose and community.
The Status and Future of Addiction Recovery Support Services in the United States
The Betty Ford Institute’s Consensus Statement on Recovery Support Services