Folders
Recently Modified
Mel Schulstad was one of the founders of NAADAC, then known as the National Association of Alcoholism Counselors (NAAC). He was a WWII bomber pilot who retired in 1966 to volunteer for the Fairfax Hospital alcohol program. In 1973, he was a paid counselor for Arlington County and elected as the first President of the Virginia Association of Alcoholism Counselors (VAAC), which renamed later to the…
The John Hopkins University President’s Frontier Award is given to a faculty member poised to make a defining contribution. It was established in 2015 as a $300,000 funding award for potential breakthroughs backed by a donation from Louis J. Forster, a university trustee. Its multi-tiered nomination process goes through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
The Alabama School of Alcohol and Other Drug Studies (ASADS) presents the Carl Nowell Leadership Award to individuals within the state of Alabama who exemplify leadership and collaboration to address addiction. Carl Nowell was a founding committee member of the ASADS who spent practically his whole career with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS). He’s also honored in an award…
The Michael Ford Journalism & Writing Award is presented annually by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) to recognize journalistic or literary contributions that help advance addiction treatment and recovery services. Michael Ford was an advocate and former board chair of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. Jeff Jay and Debra Jay (2026) Paul Steinbroner, who…
Established in 1997, the John P. McGovern Award on Addiction and Society is presented to leaders who make significant contributions to public policy, addiction treatment, and research that shape the model of addiction used by society. An endowment from the John P. McGovern Foundation funds the award. Petros Levounis (2024) Kelly J. Clark (2022) Margaret A. Jarvis (2021) John Renner (2018) Mark S.…
In 2008, the nonprofit Writers in Treatment was founded by Leonard Lee Buschel and Robert Downey Sr. to help workers in the entertainment industry gain access for alcohol and drug addiction. In 2010, the organization established and presented the Experience, Strength, and Hope Award to Christopher Kennedy Lawford of the Kennedy family. The annual award ceremony is traditionally hosted in Los…
In 1976, Peter Hayden founded Turning Point, Inc., to focus on African-Americans struggling with substance use disorder. As of 2022, they’ve served over 24,000 people, prompting the NAATP in 2021 to create a new award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Turning Point would receive the first award, and Dr. Hayden’s name would be used to honor him. Philip Rutherford (2026) Dr. Dietra…
The Dr. Jasper Chen See Volunteer Leadership Award is dedicated to recognizing philanthropy, board members, advocates, or others in the volunteer space. Sherri Layton (2025) Dan Pecora, Rosecrance Health Network (2024) Guadalupe Espinosa Rugarcia (2023) Ruth Ann Rigby (2022)
Marc Galanter is a psychiatry professor of the New York University School of Medicine and Founding Directory of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The Marc Galanter MD Award honors individuals who make contributions to biological aspects of addiction as well as recovery capital frameworks. Cara A. Poland (2025) Anthony P. Albanese (2024) Michael F. Weaver (2023) Timothy J. Wiegand (2022)
The Dr. James West Quality Improvement Award is granted to individuals or organizations responsible for new breakthroughs in addiction treatment. West was part of the team of surgeons who performed the first successful human kidney transplant from a cadaver. After a personal battle with alcoholism, in 1982, he became the founding medical director of the Betty Ford Center. In 2001, the National…
William F. Callahan was a detective and councilman who maintained a career in public service until retirement in 1971, after which he pivoted into addressing substance use disorders. He was appointed to the Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council and was co-founer of PACES Counseling Associates of East Harford and Avon. He founded the Connecticut Federation of Alcohol and Drug Abuse counselors…
The Nelson Bradley Career Achievement Award was established in 1983 by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) as a lifetime achievement award. Nelson J. Bradley was a psychiatrist who served as the superintendent of Willmar State Hospital in Minnesota, pioneering an approach that incorporated 12-Step principles and peer counselors into treatment facilities, now called…
The Lora Roe Memorial Addiction Counselor of the Year Award was renamed in 1988 (and again in 1998 for brevity) from the NAADAC Counselor of the Year Award. Not much is easily discoverable about Lora Roe, as is unfortunately the case for many pioneering drug and addiction counselors of the 20th century who worked on the frontlines before media, academics, and historians paid the attention they do…
The H. Westley Clark Award for Distinguished Service was established in 2024 in honor of Dr. H Westley Clark. Clark served as the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) under the U.S. federal government’s Substance Use and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), before which he also served as chief of the Associated Substance Abuse Programs at the U.S. Department of Veteras…
The Davida Coady Gorham Medical Professional of the Year Award was renamed in 2019 from the NAADAC Medical Professional of the Year Award. Dr. Davida Coady Gorham practiced medicine internationally before settling on addiction medicine. She was a first responder in humanitarian crises in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and India, where Mother Teresa invited her to be a medical director. Instead, she came…
According to the homepage: “The ASAM Presidential Award honors an individual for outstanding dedication and service in addressing addiction issues or promoting education, training or awareness of the specialty of addiction medicine.” The award’s name comes from its selection process, which consists entirely of the discretion of the ASAM President. As a general rule of thumb, I look at awards as a…
The Croonian Medal and Lecture is awarded by the Royal Society and Royal College of Physicians, both based in the United Kingdom. Named after the 17th century Fellow William Croone, the award includes a medal, a cash prize, and an invitation to give a lecture to the Society. The 2021 Croonian Lecture was given by Professor Barry Everitt, who discussed his research into the neurological mechanisms…
The Royal Society, an independent scientific academy based in the UK, awards the Copley Medal to scientists for breakthroughs in physical or biological research. Previous winners include Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.