Ep71 Addiction Treatment Be Impactful with NAADAC

Ep71 Addiction Treatment Be Impactful with NAADAC Terrence Walton

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

[00:00:02] Chris Langley: Hi, welcome to the Addiction Recovery Place podcast, the podcast championing addiction professionals around the world. I'm your host, Chris Langley, and I'm very pleased to introduce today's guest, Mr. Terence Walton. is the executive director and chief executive officer of NAADAC, the National Association for Addiction Professionals. is also an international leader, spokesperson, and an advocate for addiction treatment professional prevention and recovery, and is here to tell us about his career and his work with NAADAC. Welcome to Addiction Recovery Place podcast, Terence. It's so good to have you with us today

[00:00:34] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: thank you so much, Chris. It is my pleasure and honor to be here and talk with you. I'm familiar with your podcast and very psyched about being a guest today

[00:00:43] Chris Langley: , We really appreciate your time. And obviously there's a lot we're gonna be talking about today, and obviously we've got the conference coming up, and you're very busy. So let's get straight into it, shall we? So tell us about yourself and your extensive career within, in, in addiction, care so far.

[00:00:58] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: thank Thank you for that question. I usually begin every presentation when I'm before a large group or a small one by talking a little bit about who I am. just say that I have the very unique privilege of having done-- had the honor and privilege of spending the last, more than three decades of my life, helping people break free and stay free from addiction, mental health problems, and all the related stuff that goes with that.

and most of that time has been helping people who help people. I spent the first part of my career, seven or eight years, doing direct services, delivering, outpatient counseling services and, residential services mostly to adolescents and their families. I soon transitioned into leadership positions, running programs, helping to develop sys- informed systems, that, that, help to do the right thing, people impacted by these issues.

And, and I don't take for granted that I have been able to use my gifts and my talents and things that matter to me, Chris. Things that really represent what I came to understand very early on was my calling, not just my career, and that mattered to me. Listen, my parents were hardworking, gifted individuals.

However, their work was about feeding us, and they had to work in ca- in, jobs that allowed them to make a living and take care of me and my two brothers. they weren't able to use their gifts, and they weren't able to work in their passions. And this truly is my passion and my calling. And since coming to NAADAC, in twenty twenty-four, this has been in many ways the culmination of professional lifetime dedicated to people who are helping people, discover this wonderful thing that we have begun to call recovery.

[00:02:54] Chris Langley: That's fantastic. That's an amazing journey. So Terence, how did you first get involved with working with NAADAC? What made you join?

[00:03:01] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: because, even as a very young man, once I discovered what I wanted to do with my life, once I discovered that I was gonna dedicate my life to addiction treatment, recovery, prevention, and all things related, I wish way back then I had known about NAADAC, 'cause NAADAC has memberships for students.

They have as a very young professional, my desire to have impact, and I wasn't, Chris, ever concerned about rising up the ladder. That's the truth. I, generally did rise up the ladder. That was never my motivation. it's not today. I wanted to have impact. I wanted to have broader and broader impact.

And for me, that didn't mean up, it just meant I wanted to go broader. And so if I had known as a student and as a young professional that NAADAC existed, and NAADAC's been around for 53, 54 years, so we were around back then. I would've been all over it. I would've been a member. I would've joined the board.

I lived in Ohio during part of that time at the beginning. I would've joined the Ohio NAADAC affiliate. I'd have been a board member. I would've gotten lots of valuable experience and connections. I didn't know about it. I learned about NAADAC much later in my career, when I worked with the organization that was then known as the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

I've been at NAADAC, for just under three years now. I was at, NADCP, now known as All Rise, for 10 years as their Chief Operating Officer. And in that role, I was all over the country training professionals and in addition to helping run the operation. But I'm a trainer and a teacher, and so I was working with drug treatment courts, addiction professionals to the justice system, treatment courts and recovery courts.

And It was there because All Rise was and is, an approved NAADAC education provider. and as, NAADAC's-- and as, NADCP's or All Rise's expert, my connections began then with NAADAC, as an approved provider, early professionals there. I never knew that one day not only be a NAADAC member, but also its CEO.

But it really began as I rose in my career, as I began serving nationally for, an organization where part of what we did was help to prepare addiction professionals who worked in the justice system, the connection to NAADAC was natural, and when the opportunity to join the team arose, even though I had a great job for a great organization, it, and it still is a great organization, it wasn't a hard choice for me, Chris.

it might have been for some, but it wasn't for me.

[00:06:02] Chris Langley: Just seemed like a natural fit.

[00:06:03] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: It, was a natural fit, absolutely. Listen, I've worked in, and I've worked in justice environments and other environments, in school systems, I was always, the person whose focus was addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery. Always. I, in fact, this is something your viewers and listeners should know, because there's some folks out there trying to make career decisions and, trying to figure out what makes sense to them.

was my guide light. That was my guiding principle that I would evaluate every opportunity, every door that looked promising I would consider it as long as it didn't force me to spend a lot of my time on issues other than those that mattered most to me. And my greatest, my-- the, the true-- among the secrets to my success in this field is I wasn't distracted by other opportunities that might look good, but that would force me to work on lots of other issues with addiction prevention, treatment, recovery only being a piece of it.

every opportunity that I considered, it was offered to me or whether I went in search of it, that was a guiding principle. And so I said no to things that might have been s- seemed like great opportunities if it would've taken me away from my calling and my purpose. and so yeah, this for me, the opportunity to help lead this more than five-decade-old operation that has always been about what is ever is needed for the addiction workforce, the, the addiction professional workforce at that time in each era of its existence.

Oh, that, that's for a person like me, there is no better job on earth.

[00:07:59] Chris Langley: That's perfect. That's perfect. So, Terrence, obviously within your position, with your leadership, so what are, what, how, what can you describe as some of the benefits of joining NAADAC, and why should someone who is an addiction professional consider joining this organization?

[00:08:15] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: Well, listen, the things that, that I think are most obvious is the fact that, There is no organization, national, state, or otherwise, that offers a, a larger number, a wider variety of free continuing education hours, for its members. Now, most of the 30 to 40 webinars that NAADAC offers every single year, most of those are free to everyone, anyone in the field, anyone interested in the field, most of them are free to everyone.

And for members, so are the accompanying CEs, the accompanying continuing education hours, which for those of us who are credentialed or seeking credential is essential. So that's a really obvious benefit. In fact, my wife, she's also in the field, she's a social worker. She doesn't have addiction expertise, but because, in her private practice, there's always been individuals, who also dealt with, substance use disorder issues, does need to get herself educated.

And so initially, she was taking some NAADAC webinars. She wasn't a member, though she was my-- is my wife, but she wasn't a member. And eventually she said, wait a minute. probably join because rather than pay 25 bucks a webinar for CEs, if I were a member, these would be free." And she did the math.

And so she joined not just out of devotion to me, but it just made sense for her. So the CEs are the big thing. We also provide, greatly discounted, liability insurance, for professionals and for students, who are in internships. So those kind of things matter. We have discounts on all of our resources.

That matters. However, think what matters most and, what we've heard from, people who are really committed to doing, to reaching whatever their potential is within the field, it is the community and the connection. That we have a members-only online forum where people from all over the country, you know, online about all kinds of things.

Every member is automatically a part of the-- their own online affiliate community, but they can go to any group across the country, in any state, including special interest groups, to connect, to get resources, to get advice. The online forum is a huge benefit. And I'll stop there 'cause we can get on topics too.

But addition to that, it really is the opportunity to serve. And this is true at any level. People who are newer in the field, who are in the middle of their careers, however, they're looking for ways to have broader impact like I was. individuals who maybe have-- are, retired or near retirement, but they still wanna contribute in ways that fit within their new lifestyle.

The opportunity to join NAADAC, through one of our affiliates, 'cause, that's how it works When you join NAADAC, you join through the affiliate where you are, and then you're automatically a member of both your state affiliate, which focuses on issues very close to where you are, as well as the national organization at the same time.

the opportunity to serve, on a committee, a NADAC committee, a local board, the NAADAC board. By the time this airs, we will be in the middle of our election cycle for individuals to join our executive committee and our board. It'll be too late for these folks because those, you know, but the-- but we're in that process.

But each year, there are elections. So the opportunity to serve, to gain experience, and to contribute, and that sense of community is the things we hear, matter to people in addition to all the CEs and the discounts.

[00:12:13] Chris Langley: Yep, that's most definitely. something I wanted just to touch base on, Terence, was as an organization in the community that has many team members, what's available to them if they join NAADAC as an organization group?

[00:12:27] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: thank you for mentioning that, Chris, because we don't talk about it as much, but we also, because NAADAC is a membership organization, so we have, at any given time between thirteen thousand and fourteen thousand individual members. pro- people who are professionals, those professionals in the field, associate memberships for individuals who are not addiction professionals, but they interact with us.

Perhaps they are social workers or, perhaps they belong in an allied profession where they work in a treatment center or in an environment that, delivers prevention or treatment services, but they're not counseling. We have a membership category for them as well. We have a variety of designed for the individual because that is our focus.

We are a 501[c][6] association, so we primarily represent the needs and the interests of the individual professional. And because while not every professional is like my wife in private practice, many of us work within organizations, right? We work in places like I did for all of my career, work in places that may do a variety of things, including addiction services.

There are also people who work in organizations that have no direct connection the addiction field, but the organization cares about these issues. The organization wants to be a part of the solutions to the problems that they see in their communities. So organizational membership is also possible within NAADAC.

Those individuals and those who work there, get discounted memberships. They have the opportunity to have some input into the work of NAADAC. I mentioned the election that's going on right now in the NAADAC world. one of the positions on the board is the organizational delegate, an individual voted on and selected by all of the organizations to represent them on our board.

Again, our main focus is the individual members, but organizations matter as well. And so as a part of that, we are also committed both through our own efforts and in common-- and in partnership with some of our partner organizations to helping to develop the organizations that are part of us, to help them, be-become more, more competent businesses, to, help them understand our field better so they can develop services and products that serve that are here.

So I encourage those who are interested, to go to our website at naadac.org. the membership tab and then the organizational membership category to, to consider becoming an organizational member.

[00:15:16] Chris Langley: Yeah. it's incredibly valuable, I think, for an organization to certainly consider, joining NAADAC. And as you said, it doesn't have to necessarily be an addiction professional, but somebody that works with people who are going through addictions, and they just need that help and support and, you just maybe some training or some other, options.

So it's a, fantastic opportunity for people and organizations to join.

It really is.

[00:15:40] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: right, Chris, 'cause Some organizations, it's, it's-- they have several paths. Some organizations decide to, essentially pay for a variety of their, staff to become individual members. Others choose the route of the organization itself becoming a member, and, then everything is discounted, and then they also get just assistance for the individual, but to-- assistance for their organization, develop, employee assistance programs that rightly reflect, needs of people who have substance use issues, or potentially the assistance in creating what we call a recovery supportive work environment.

We should just do a webinar. We should do a podcast on that one day. Just how, can create work environments that are supportive of recovery in all its aspects. And so that's part of what, organizational membership is about and what it facilitates.

[00:16:39] Chris Langley: Yep, absolutely. We have NAADAC's Empower 2026 National Conference coming up here in the Midwest in August. this is the first time the conference has been in Kansas since, 2008, I

believe, and we're all looking forward to the three days to learn and network with fellow professionals from across the

country. Can you tell us about the conference and why addiction professionals sh- should really consider attending? 'Cause it's quite an opportunity, especially here in the Midwest.

[00:17:07] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: Listen, I talked about all the webinars we do. We do, 30 to 40 free webinars every year. We also have some specialized webinars that for at a discounted price, members can attend and others can attend. one of the, the, events we do is, we have license from the American Society of Addiction Medicine to train on their new ASAM criteria, the fourth edition.

We do a number of those virtually. We also, do an in-person ASAM training at our conference. In addition to the three days of Empowered 2026, we also have some post-conference days where we train on a number of topics, including the ASAM criteria. we-- all year long, we are feeding and supporting and trying to equip, addiction professionals.

But our big event is our annual conference. it goes all over the country, and as you're correct, we're coming to Kansas City, Missouri, in just a little while now. there'll be people from all over the country there, but we're really focusing also, on those who are in that area, being sure we're offering some special discounts, those in the, within driving distance of, Empower 2026.

So you can benefit from this national conference being in your neck of the woods for the first time in, in almost 20 years. So Empower 2026, every year, since I've been in place, every conference has a theme. 2025 was Unite 2025, and this year is Empower 2026. it's about everything that it sounds like.

That it's about part of our NAADAC's vision and mission is to empower the addiction workforce. And that means from a personal perspective, in supporting wellness and our own wellbeing and that of our families, those we care about. It's also about being sure that we have both an individual and collective voice, in the world around us.

Right now, there's lots of uncertainty. in the behavioral health field and those of us who rely on Medicaid and sources, there's lots of uncertainty. And, last year we focused on let's unify. let's, some of our differences, those fighting about abstinence-based and harm reduction and prevention versus-- Well, let's, agree to what we disagree on and find common ground.

and we're gonna keep that theme going this year 'cause we still need to do some work as a field becoming one. and I-- and we're doing something very special that I want to tell you about to help demonstrate we're coming together as one. but now it's about empowerment. How do we help individuals to feel and become more capable, more secure, more impactful in the current world?

and so we have a number of sessions with that in mind. Most of our keynotes have that in mind. Both what I call, loud power, in your face power, how do I become better at the job I do? How do I rock? But also what I call quiet power. We'll begin in a quiet way. We're bringing in a spoken word artist who will help us to reflect and slow down some, that's a part of power as well, recognizing the need to be still and silent contemplative.

So we'll do power from both ends. it's a great event, and I hope we have some time today to talk more about it.

[00:20:47] Chris Langley: Oh, absolutely. one, one of my next, one of my next questions is, you, tell us some examples of the training that'll be available to attendees and at the conference?

[00:20:58] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: all right, I'll start with the one I kinda, I teased a minute ago.

So among this-- Listen, we have a big field. NAADAC has, thirteen, fourteen thousand members, but we have more than a hundred thousand who get our emails, who are part of our world, who we support. And we don't really know how many addiction professionals are out there. We'll talk one day about why that is, how it's hard to track it.

But we know are tens and thousands of us, where the bulk of what we do is in this field. there's, there are lots of organizations, local, state, and federal, who are part of this work. there are two major organizations that both issue credentials nationally, and that is NAADAC. We have a credentialing arm, the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals.

We call it NCAP. That is a commission that's a part of NAADAC, but it has a separate independent commission that develops, exams and credentials, and their criteria for various credentials, including, the crème de la crème, Master Addiction Counselor. So we credential individuals, who are-- who have state license also to deliver addiction services.

there's another national organization, and that's ICNRC, that does the same thing. And listen, I, I've been around in the field a long time, but I wasn't around for some of the old rivalries between NAADAC and NCAP and ICNRC. but we recognize where we're coming from our field, is we need to come together as a field, including the two organizations operate these two national certification boards.

And so for the first time ever, on the last day of the conference, on that Monday, August thirty-first, I'll share a stage with the executive director of ICNRC. this will be done live. It'll also be live streamed. as a good portion of the conference is live streamed. We should talk about that.

We'll sit down together to give-- talk about our visions for the addiction field, and then we'll sit down face-to-face and talk through some tough issues. Listen, Chris, this is a big deal. we won't have any huge announcements to make, but it'll be, there'll be some surprises, and it'll represent what we believe, both NAADAC and ICNRC believe can be a way forward for bringing the field together with a united voice.

Because one of the things you'll hear at the conference is, if we don't find ways to unite, we will not have the impact and power we need. We won't be taken as seriously As the social workers and the mental health counselors, until we come together, we'll still be two organizations, but who align around common purpose.

So I'm really excited about that session because it's, never happened before. We're also happy to welcome to our stage in person, live and virtual, Stephanie Covington. she is, renowned in the field on many topics, including and especially those involving, treatment of, of, women and females in, in our programs.

she's, an author who, who's frequent on the bestseller list. joined us last year virtually. hoped to have her in person, it was a last minute issue. But this year she'll be on stage with us, bringing us a keynote session. I'm gonna look through my list here to see who else I should talk about.

There's so much happening this year. We're gonna open the conference and introduce many of you to an amazing woman named Tina Miller. she has, started in Florida, opening some-- a person in long-term recovery who opened a couple of recovery high schools in Florida and has now expanded that nationally.

She's an amazing woman who's been featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show and others, and she'll grace our stage and talk about her own journey out of addiction into recovery. and especially her recovery high schools that are now going all over the nation. looking forward to that. Oh, there's a-- we have-- oh, we got lots of important people.

We're gonna do a session, brought to us by the Legal Action Center. as there's lots of things happening in our landscape, including things related to Medicaid and, work requirements. They're going to join us, to give the latest information on what's happening in the legal landscape as it relates to federal funding, to unpack what these now enacted Medicaid work requirements mean to people receiving behavioral health services.

That'll be a fascinating session that we're looking forward to. We're bringing back to our stage Michael Clark, my good friend, who is the, the national expert on motivational interviewing with justice populations. They have a brand new edition of their book out. He'll be bringing that to us. And there's a whole lot more, but I can't talk about everybody.

we're, looking forward to seeing everyone there. our, final keynote will be called Be Great, by a preventions, expert- Who has written a book called Be Great, that's really about how to discover who you are meant to be and how to be that, across the board. So we're gonna have a great event.

We're gonna feature a screening, both in person and virtually, of the new documentary, THC Inc. It is, making a big splash all over the country as it takes a hard look at all aspects, in a very balanced way, of the THC marijuana discussion, including, what, the industry, intentions appear to be as it relates to, to marijuana.

So I could talk on and on, but you gotta be there.

[00:27:17] Chris Langley: Wow, absolutely. You've certainly gotta be there. And that's an incredible lineup, Terence. I'd just like to ask, if someone wants to attend the conference, how can they purchase tickets? And, are there any time-sensitive offers available at the moment?

[00:27:31] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: right now, depending on when you're watching this podcast,

right through the end of the month, right through the end of July, this is early bird. So there, there's significantly discounted registration fees during this period. Even after early bird, it's still, among the most affordable conferences, national conferences in our space.

so basically people can go to and NAADAC is N-A-A-D-A-C, two As in the middle. N-A-A-D-A-C.org, and you, as you might imagine on our homepage, there's a link right to Empower 2026. You can see the various categories there. It's, affordable. We also have group rates that give you discounts, and we want you there in person in Kansas City.

We have lots of offerings. At every breakout slot, we have 13 different you can choose from for every breakout. We have, six keynote slots, but it's really 12 keynotes because every keynote, every 90-minute keynote block has two different sessions in there. So you get 12 keynotes well as in every single block for those who are coming in person, you have 13 sessions to choose from on every imaginable topic important to our field.

When we have a large conference and a large call for presentations, we can choose the best of the best and go across the board, really leaving nothing out. So I encourage people to be in Kansas City. It's a great venue, Chris. It's a great location. know you're there for the conference, folks, and you're gonna be in sessions, but there's also a ton to do around for you and your families the conference day is over.

we're right in the entertainment district. There are live theater and movie theaters and things for kids. We're, in, restaurant central, free shuttle, a free trolley all over Kansas City, so it's a great place to go to learn and have fun. of connections and networking available as well.

We are in person, but we're also hybrid, and so every keynote, all the keynote slots, are live streamed, virtual attendees. you see it while it's happening right from the big stage in real time. And then at all of the thir- at all of the blocks for where there are breakouts, we've chosen one breakout, the one we believe has the broadest appeal, and the one we think will have the broadest interest, and we're live streaming that breakout from the big stage.

So a person can come to the conference Can attend virtually and get really as many hours, as those who are there in person. Those in person get more choices and they get the in-person connection. However, some can't come to Kansas City. As great as it is, we invite you to join us virtually where you'll get, again, you can earn just as many CEs, as a person who's, who's there in person

[00:30:38] Chris Langley: Yep, definitely. I'm, myself looking forward to coming to the conference, that's for sure, and to meeting,

[00:30:44] Terrence D. Walton, MSW: I haven't met you in person yet, and I'm looking forward to that. I want to meet all of these folks. One of the things I like about a conference, I've been to conferences, both when I was at All Rise, and, here for 15 years, and that is what energizes me.

Being around other professionals

[00:31:00] Terrence D. Walton: So I'm super glad that just, that you'll be there in person, Chris, and I wonder... Listen, if you're watching this podcast right now and you would be there in person, come up and let me know that you s- that, you enjoyed this podcast.

I'd like to meet you. For me, it is the in-person conference that, that energizes me, that reminds me that this work matters. I, lo- I'm always exhausted because it's, tough work, but it is so worth it. I'm looking forward to seeing folks there. And we're also gonna engage with those of you who are virtually.

We're gonna take you around and let you talk to some other folks that are here to give you a sense of also what it's like to be in person.

[00:31:38] Chris Langley: gonna be a great, three to five days, that's for sure, and, and down in Kansas City. Terrence, I'd like to just ask you a question about what advice would you give to anyone who's listening to this podcast who's maybe considering a career in the addiction profession? 'Cause, like, when you started.

What, would you like to say to someone?

[00:31:56] Terrence D. Walton: first of all, God bless you. This is really important work. I, wish I could say that there's a chance that, there won't be work for us to do, in the future. We know that's not true, that, that addiction has been a problem since the beginning of recorded history, and that's not changing, but we can make things better.

And what we most need are individuals, from various walks of life who care about this issue and wanna dedicate, some or all of their career to making a difference. And I encourage you. It's a broad field. there are people who delivering direct services. There are people doing the kind of work that I do.

There are those who develop resources. They develop, medications. There are those who, There, it's a broad... Those who, work in addiction studies programs in colleges and universities as a way of contributing. Today, in this, tech-centric world, there are people who are developing apps, to help men and women and youth in recovery, how to help maintain their recovery, and apps for addiction professionals.

So it's a broad field, and we need you. My advice is the advice that I give when I'm talking with, individuals who are trying to decide what to do is, figure out what you care about. Figure out what you love, And then learn as much as you can. be as good at as, good at it as you can, and there's a market for that.

That was... I was warned when I entered this field that I would, you know- would have to take a vow of poverty. I was never rich, but I, but I, did okay because I, was really committed to it. I, And even though I wasn't always the highest paid, the work I did was so rewarding.

And that's what I think you'll find as well. So don't give up. learn all that you can, and, and join us in the field. I think it's, We're seeing forcing our addiction studies programs are robust. younger students and young professionals are interested in learning more and bringing their perspective to these issues, to the world today, and that's so necessary

[00:34:20] Chris Langley: thank you for that message, Terrence. I think a lot of people that will be listening to that are gonna be quite inspired by your words then. it is a genuinely amazing career to enter. I did it myself in the UK for many years, and it was, it was, such an amazing experience for me.

It really was.

[00:34:37] Terrence D. Walton: Yeah. I'm a, I'm an MSW. I'm a... So I could have, as an MSW, I could have gone in all kind of directions. but I specifically, the reason why I ended up at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is I was looking for a school, an MSW program back then, that both had an admin track, an administrative track, and had a specialization in what we then called substance abuse.

And there weren't a ton of them, but the reason I ended up where I was is that was a priority for me. I needed to be a part of an, a program that would allow me to get an addiction studies background. It's the best, Chris, the... An early decision I made, 'cause I was in the field by then. it was one of the best decisions I made in my early career to, when I sought higher education, to be sure it would prepare me to do the kind of work I'm doing right now in this field.

I haven't regretted it one bit. It, is rewarding work. and it, and you don't have to be broke. You can find a way to make a living. And that's part of what NAADAC is about, Chris. We're about advocating to try and, get salary, salaries that are fair, trying to be sure that we can get reimbursed for our services just like our, colleagues can.

And so that's, part of why NAADAC matters. We're fighting, for folks while, while they are serving others.

[00:36:00] Chris Langley: Yep. Excellent. a question I always ask my guests, Terence, stigma of addiction and mental health is still problematic, I feel, wherever you are in the world. I come from the UK, it was exactly the same there as well. what can people do to help improve this? And how can we have an honest and open dis- conversation so as to help people access treatment without having any stigma whatsoever?

[00:36:26] Terrence D. Walton: Yeah. I think that's real and it, and things have improved, and there is still so much work to do.

I think part of why I appreciate the focus of podcasts like this, and quite frankly the focus overall on recovery- I, appreciate that because recovery and true recovery is the great equalizer. Because recovery means that no matter what walk of life I'm in, whether or not I'm living with addiction or not, there are certain things we all want.

We all want connection. We all wanna have a meaningful life. we, want to be able to have at least enough autonomy to be able to decide whether I'm going to do something or not. And so the focus of true recovery is about wellness and wellbeing, and we can all relate to that. I think we can also relate to the fact that in life, sometimes people want to escape, sometimes they want relief from what's happening inside of them.

Sometimes they just want to feel pleasure or feel stimulated and alive. Those are all normal things. And I think part of what has happened over time, and this is perhaps the result of the, the opioid epidemic and the overdose crisis, that many people are understanding that while no one would do this to themselves because they want to.

Recognizing this is a, a disorder, this is a disease, that can be helpful. I also think the fact that many individuals who are in long-term recovery are choosing, and this is up to them, to identify themselves that way, that they're doing really well. So we see all around us individuals who are working in all kinds of careers, who are excellent members of their community, who battled crippling addiction.

So those stories matter. We try to feature those stories at our conferences and in our educ- in our public relations for the general public. To let them people know that when our brothers and our sisters and our parents and our children and our neighbors and coworkers struggle, that there is a way out, and that, but by the grace of God, any of us could be in that situation.

So it hasn't been easy, but I think education matters, understanding what happens in the brain and the body in addiction, and mostly this fact that I think is really important, that individuals who, who- Suffer from addiction who find a path out, and for some of those that pathway involves treatment at other professional services or recovery support, some combination, who find a path out, research shows not only can they be well, they can be better than well.

Have y'all talked about that better than well concept on this podcast? No. Better than well? No. that says that, this is research-based, that, for individuals who've bl- been in crippling addiction and who find a way out through whatever path, that research shows that not only, are they, citizens that contribute to their community like others, research shows that they're often likely to be, to volunteer more, to be more civically oriented, to be even better neighbors.

And that's not a mystery to me. Because when you've found your way out, that you are often filled with one big thing, and that's gratitude and the desire to give back. So as a larger community, recognizing that investing in treatment, supporting people's desire to get better while holding them accountable, that it can absolutely lead to not just people being well, but being better than well, being even more, civic-minded, even more empathetic, even less judgemental than the rest of us.

[00:40:34] Chris Langley: Yep. That's a great answer. Thank you, Terence. last question, and I ask my guests all this. do you have a message for anyone listening to this podcast who is currently going through an addiction? What would you like to say to them?

[00:40:48] Terrence D. Walton: wow. Thank you for asking that. I think about that a lot because even in my work today when I don't deliver direct services and I don't have the, really the honor of sitting across the table anymore, from individuals who are coming to me for help, I've never lost touch with men and women who are still in addiction.

and, a- and here's the message I have. That of all the things that matter in terms of you getting better or not, there are two things that I think matter most. And the first and foremost is hope. And if I had some kind of magic wand, I don't, and I could just give one thing to everybody out there who is struggling or who is trying to decide, what, I need to do to make my life better, if I could just tap a magic wand and give you hope, that would be what I would choose.

Because nothing happens without hope. And part of the gift that I have been given by my work over these more than three decades is that what I... Where I've seen people start and where, through a long journey sometimes, where they end up has given me hope. I've been able, frankly, to overcome some of my challenges because of the people I work with.

And so if you can hear this, and if you can process these thoughts, that means you're still breathing, you're still comprehending, no matter how impaired you might be right now, there is hope, and that matters, and I don't want you to ever forget that. Doesn't mean you have all the resources you need.

Doesn't mean it'll be easy, because it won't. It doesn't mean it'll feel good right away, because it probably won't. But stick with it. If there's hope, don't lose that. Find a way to get the help you need, whatever that looks like, to find your way out. So hope matters. And in fact, addiction professionals, part of what we do is we try to instill hope.

we may not have all the answers. We don't have all the answers. we can't guarantee that what worked for you will work for someone else, but we g- we'll stick with you though. if you don't give up, we won't. So hope matters. The second thing, Chris, the second thing- It's not even readiness, not even like being ready for help, because people get help when they're not ready, and readiness goes back and forth, where sometimes I'm ready, sometimes I'm not.

But to me, it's about willingness. Are you willing to be better? Even if you're not sure you can be, and even if you're not sure you're ready to make those choices, and not sure you wanna give up everything. That's not the question. But are you willing? whatever being right is for you, do you want to do right by yourself?

Do you wanna do right to yourself? Do you wanna do right to your family, to your community? Do you want to? Or if you don't want to yet, do you want to? There was an old preacher I heard that say one time, "You don't wanna do right, at least want to do right." I like that, because right means what it means to you, and willingness means I'm not sure I can, I'm not sure I'm ready, but I'm willing to be better.

Hope and willingness, that's the secret sauce, and in that case, when that happens, there's lots around you who will, help you. And even though you may not have everything you need, if you maintain your hope and your willingness and your openness, that's the path out. So don't give up, even when others have given up on you.

There's always someone out there, always someone out there, who will connect with you in a way and walk with you, along this journey. So don't give up

[00:44:56] Chris Langley: Terrence, I don't think there's a better way to end a podcast than that message you've just given. I think that's just, an amazing conclusion. thank you so much for your time today to speak to me. It's been a genuine honor and a privilege to, meet you and speak with you today, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to personally, myself and Maggie, coming down to, Empower 2026 in Kansas in five weeks' time and to, to meet everyone and to, to say hello and sa- tell everyone how much we appreciate the work that you're all doing at NAADAC as well

[00:45:26] Terrence D. Walton: we look forward to welcoming you and all of you to join us. Thanks for this invitation. Invite me back. There's lots more I'd

to talk about.

[00:45:33] Chris Langley: yeah. I will definitely be doing that, Terrence, that's for sure.

Good deal. Look forward to it. Thank you so much. Thank you much. Thank you.