Editorial & Medical Review Policy
How we make sure you can trust what you read
Here’s who writes our articles, how we check the medical information, and what happens when something needs to be corrected.
Who writes our articles?
Many of our articles begin with questions people ask when they contact South Jersey Recovery Program. They want to understand their treatment options, know what to expect, or find ways to support someone they care about.
Our staff writers work with our admissions and operations teams to turn those questions into helpful, easy-to-understand articles. Some pieces are written by individual team members, while others are published under the name South Jersey Recovery Program Editorial Team.
We believe you should know who’s behind the information you’re reading. That’s why articles include an author byline, with professional credentials where applicable, and links to individual author profiles.
Our writers may receive help preparing drafts, but the person named as the author always reads and approves the final content before publication.
Who checks the medical information?
You shouldn’t have to guess whether the medical information you’re reading has been checked by a qualified professional.
At South Jersey Recovery Program, Donna Saunders, LCSW, LCADC, CCS, our Clinical Director, is responsible for medically reviewing our website content.
When an article has been medically reviewed, you’ll see Donna’s name, credentials, and the date of her review. This helps you understand who checked the information and when.
We also keep authorship and medical review separate. If Donna writes an article herself, she’s credited as the author rather than appearing as both its author and reviewer.
How can you tell who contributed to an article?
Different articles need different kinds of expertise.
An article about medication, withdrawal, overdose, diagnosis, or levels of care receives a medical review from Donna Saunders.
Other articles focus on practical questions, everyday challenges, or experiences people may encounter while seeking treatment. These may be written together with a named member of our team who brings relevant professional experience.
To keep things clear, each article has no more than two bylines: an author and either a medical reviewer or a co-author. When you see the Editorial Team listed, it always means the team is the author, not the medical reviewer.
We want you to know whose experience and knowledge have shaped what you’re reading, without having to search for that information.
Where does our information come from?
There’s a lot of information about addiction and mental health online, and it isn’t always easy to know what to believe.
We take care to base medical and clinical information on established research and trusted public health sources. These include:
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
We use peer-reviewed research and government sources to support clinical claims, and we include references in our articles so you can check the information yourself.
Our team also brings experience from working with people seeking addiction treatment. When we share observations from that experience rather than findings from published research, we make that distinction clear.
Our goal is to help you understand the facts without making treatment decisions feel more confusing than they need to be.
How do we keep our articles up to date?
Treatment recommendations change as new research becomes available. Programs and services can change, too.
We regularly return to our medically reviewed articles to make sure the information is still accurate and relevant. Each article shows its original publication date and, when applicable, the date it was last medically reviewed.
Medically reviewed articles are scheduled for another review 12 months after their previous review. We may revisit them sooner if clinical guidance changes or we update our treatment programs.
A review date only changes when the article has actually been checked again. We don’t automatically refresh dates to make older content appear new. That way, you can see when the information was reviewed and have a clearer idea of how current it is.
What if you notice something that doesn’t seem right?
We do our best to publish accurate information, but we also believe in being open when something needs another look. If you find information that seems incorrect, outdated, or unclear, we want to hear from you.
Email us at info@southjerseyrecoveryprogram.com and include a link to the article, along with a short explanation of what concerned you.
We’ll review your feedback with our medical reviewer. If a correction is needed, we’ll make it within five working days and note the change in the article. Your feedback helps us keep our content useful for everyone who turns to our website for answers.
What our articles can and cannot do
We hope our articles help you feel better informed about addiction, recovery, and the treatment options available to you. But reading an article is not the same as receiving medical advice from a professional who knows your circumstances.
Our content is provided for general information and education. It doesn’t replace an individual clinical assessment, medical advice, or treatment, and reading it doesn’t create a treatment relationship with South Jersey Recovery Program.
We also want you to know that we don’t publish sponsored articles or accept payment to recommend or mention a particular product, provider, or treatment program.
If you have questions about your own situation, speaking with a qualified healthcare professional can help you understand the next steps.
- For a medical emergency, call 911.
- For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
- For treatment information and referrals, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.