Janice V. Johnson Dowd holds a BA from the University of Michigan and a MSSW from the University of Texas at Austin, where she worked as a teaching assistant and research assistant. Her master's thesis was titled "Alcoholism, PTSD, and the Vietnam Veteran." She has worked in employee assistance programs and inpatient and outpatient treatment settings. Dowd has been involved in community outreach, public speaking, and providing clinical services to patients. She has been active in the twelve-step community in Texas, Alabama, and the Gulf Coast region. She is regularly asked to speak at workshops, conferences, and AA meetings on relapse, family recovery, and making amends. Dowd's work has recently been published in AA Grapevine, and is a regular on podcasts that address addiction and recovery.