Professionals from throughout the Nation Selected for 2006 Awards

For Immediate Release - Alexandria, VA

Donovan Kuehn
703-741-7686, ext. 125
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NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, selected the winners of its 2006 annual awards. The awards, meant to recognize excellence in the addiction profession, have been awarded to a diverse group.

Mel Schulstad Professional of the Year
The Mel Schulstad Professional of the Year award was created in November 1979 and is named after the first President of NAADAC. The award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the advancement of the addiction counseling profession.

This year's recipient, Dr. Frances Clark, has been an addiction counselor for 17 years and a trainer for 13 years. She was the president of Middle Tennessee Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (MTAADAC) for two years and is the president-elect for the Tennessee Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (TAADAC). Dr. Clark is also a nationally recognized expert as Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) look to her for advice and guidance.

William F. "Bill" Callahan Award
This award is presented for sustained and meritorious service at the national level to the profession of addiction counseling.

Shirley Beckett Mikell has been selected as the 2006 William F. "Bill" Callahan award winner. Beckett Mikell has worked in the addiction profession for over 33 years. During that time she has worked with opiate replacement clients, has played a key role in establishing a certification system in South Carolina and has also conducted training events nationally and internationally for over 20 years to encourage and spread best practices for addiction professionals. Currently, Beckett Mikell serves as the Deputy Executive Director of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, the pre-eminent association for those working in the addiction services profession.

Lora Roe Memorial Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor of the Year
This award is presented to a counselor who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of addiction counseling.

Thomas Thelin, the winner of the 2006 Lora Roe Memorial Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor of the Year award, has over a quarter of a century of experience in alcohol and drug counseling in community, private and religious sectors. He has been on the staff of the Adcare Day Treatment Program for the past 16 years and is currently the program's Coordinator and lead Clinician. He is as on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Board of Substance Abuse Counselor Certification, the Massachusetts Addiction Council and the Bridges Conference Planning Board. Thelin has been noted for his commitment to put his patients first and go above and beyond to help them.

NAADAC Organizational Achievement Award
Presented to organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to the addiction profession and particularly strong support for the individual addiction professional.

The Options Recovery Services, Inc. of Berkeley, Calif. is the recipient of the 2006 NAADAC Organizational Achievement Award. The mission of Options Recovery Services is to break the cycle of substance abuse and crime. The organization offers rehabilitation to those charged with a substance abuse related offense as an alternative to incarceration. It works with the courts, district attorneys, police and probation departments to help restore the dignity of those who have hit "rock bottom."

The 2006 annual awards will be presented at the NAADAC annual conference, co-hosted with the California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC) and the National Association of Lesbian and Gay Addiction Professionals (NALGAP), scheduled for September 28 to October 1, 2006 in Burbank, California.

Award criteria and past winners