Encinitas Therapist Named to National Certification Commission of Addiction Professionals

SAN DIEGO - Dec. 9, 2014 - PRLog -- A local leader in the treatment of substance use disorders has been called to serve at the highest levels of the profession.  Kansas Cafferty has been working in the field of alcohol and drug rehabilitation since 1997.  At that time he was only 19 years old and was merely a year clean and sober after his own bout with addiction as an teen.

     If you did not know how he found his passion so early on, one might be surprised at his recent appointment to the NAADAC National Certification Commission, an appointment typically reserved for those who have been in the field of addiction treatment sometimes upwards of 30-40 years or more.  Kansas says, "This position will provide me with the opportunity to protect addicts and their families nationwide through maintaining the highest standards for the profession, something I am committed to doing during my time as a Commissioner."

     Kansas has been involved with NAADAC since 2007 when he joined the Adolescent Specialty Leadership Committee.  From there he was instrumental in the development of the first national standard for drug and alcohol counselors who work with teens, a standard the state of California has yet to adopt.  According to Kansas, "The state of California is years behind most of the nation when it comes to addiction treatment standards, let alone specialized certifications like the Nationally Certified Adolescent Addiction Counselor.  The state's own reluctance early on to legislate the field was the origin of the trend, and the acceptance of ultra low standards, in the name of "protecting the workforce" has been unfortunate, espcially in a state that is such a hot bed for the addiction treatment industry."

     In San Diego County, Kansas is the Founder and Executive Director of True North Recovery Services, located in Encinitas, CA.  True North is considered one of the best intensive outpatient treatment programs in Southern California, and is often to looked to by nationally known treatment centers to be the receiving grounds for their patients as they return home to San Diego.  Patients often return from inpatient treatment with a dedicated heart, and little ability to implement many of the new strategies they have learned while in these highly structured and protected environments.  They often look to Kansas and his team at True North to learn how to put these strategies into practice in their day to day, real lives.

Kansas Cafferty can be reached for comments and/or questions by calling True North Recovery Services at 760-517-6544

http://www.sandiegoaddictions.com

http://www.naadac.org