NBA Star Relates His Path From Addiction to Recovery

For Immediate Release
Donovan Kuehn
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Going from shooting free throws to shooting heroin, Chris Herren knows all about addiction. His inspiring story of recovery will be featured at this year's Recovery Month kickoff luncheon, hosted by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals.

Recovery Month, held every September, spreads the positive message that prevention, treatment and recovery for mental and substance use disorders is available and that recovery in all its forms is possible.

NAADAC is pleased to welcome Chris Herren as this year's kickoff keynote speaker. A basketball legend from Fall River, Mass., Herren realized his dreams by playing for the Celtics in the NBA, only to lose it all to addiction before rising again with a new dream.

A standout high school player, he played for legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian at California State University, Fresno. At Fresno State he held school records in both assists and steals. He ultimately was drafted by the Denver Nuggets and later played for the Boston Celtics.

Herren’s basketball success concealed a darker side, and his dream soon became a nightmare of addiction – first alcohol, then cocaine and finally heroin.

After extensive rehabilitation stays, Chris has been drug-free and alcohol-free since August 1, 2008. Herren has refocused his life and dreams to put his sobriety and family above all else.

In June of 2009, Chris launched a basketball player development company, Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, Inc. Since the summer of 2009 Chris has trained over 200 basketball players including some of the top basketball prospects in New England. Off the court he continues to share his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching just one person and making a difference in their life.

Additional featured speakers include Pamela Hyde, JD, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and H. Westley Clark MD, JD, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). Emcee Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, Executive Director of NAADAC, will preside over this esteemed panel of speakers.

This year's theme, Recovery, It's Worth It, aims to raise awareness about the financial and human costs of substance use disorders and highlights the benefits that investing in treatment can have on those who enter recovery, their families and the larger community.

Recovery Month has been widely recognized as one of the most successful campaigns in the country for communicating information about public health. The Recovery Month Luncheon, which is sponsored by Alkermes, Inc., Gosnold on Cape Cod and Reckitt Benckiser is an excellent opportunity for addiction services professionals to show their support of Recovery Month.

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, is the largest membership organization serving addiction counselors, educators and other addiction-focused health care professionals, who specialize in addiction prevention, treatment and education.

NAADAC is also joined by its partners the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), the nation's leading drug prevention organization, (add link to  ) and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), the preeminent source for comprehensive training and cutting-edge technical assistance to the entire Drug Court field. (add link to http://www.nadcp.org/nadcp-home/)

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