Welcome

This is the informational website for Roland Williams, MA, NCACII, CADCII, ACRPS, SAP, addictions therapist, interventionist, trainer, teacher, author and consultant. If you or someone you know has a problem with drugs or alcohol, please contact me. I can help. And if you are a treatment provider and need staff training or program development consultation, I can help. If you are sponsoring a conference or workshop and need a knowledgeable, motivating and inspirational speaker, I can help.

Here is a brief overview of my qualifications; I have been in the field of substance abuse treatment non-stop and full time since 1986. I have provided counseling and consultation with individuals and treatment centers all over the US and internationally, including France, Italy, Holland, Thailand, Costa Rica, Argentina and Spain. I am the founder and CEO of VIP RECOVERY COACHING providing customized one on one addiction assessment, evaluation, case management, treatment planning and counseling services in the actual home environment of each client. I bring treatment to clients who either don't want to go to traditional residential substance abuse programs or have a hard time implementing their Recovery plan into their lifestyle after completing residential treatment. I am Founder and CEO of FREE LIFE RECOVERY CENTER, which is an Outpatient Substance Abuse Program in Petaluma, California. I was Clinical Director and co-founder of Bayside Marin, a Residential and Outpatient Substance Abuse Program in the hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. I was the Director of Good Samaritan Hospital's Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency Program in San Jose, CA., for 15 years. I am a consultant/trainer for several programs nationwide and I teach addiction studies at several universities. I specialize in teaching counselors, therapists and other providers the practical clinical skills that will help them to be more effective working with substance abusing clients and their families. I was the Chairman of the African American Constituency Committee for California's Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and have sat on several addiction related Advisory Committees. I've had three books published that deal with Relpase Prevention and cultural issues and I do Interventions and trainings all over the world. I have worked with many celebrities, health, legal and business professionals as well and inner city clients and those involved in the criminal justice system. As they say I can work with them, "from jail or from Yale".

I am a firm believer that addiction is treatable and I have had years of success helping clients achieve and maintain Recovery and helping treatment facilities run more effectively. Here are some of my beliefs about addiction treatment and Recovery:

The is no such thing as a hopeless addict, anyone can recover
Relapse does not indicate failure, it means that the persons Recovery Program needs a “Tune-Up”
The 12 Step Programs are effective, BUT not for everyone. We as a treatment industry should support alternatives to the 12 Step philosophy
One size does not fit all…. People of different cultures, vocations, sexuality and gender often have different issues that need to be honored and addressed in treatment and Recovery
There is a huge difference between substance abuse and substance dependence, often times abusers are misdiagnosed as dependent and treated accordingly
Way too many treatment facilities are understaffed with underpaid and under-trained staff members
You can’t relapse if you’ve never been in Recovery
Recovery plans need to be concrete, specific and measurable
You alone can do it, but you can’t do it alone
Pain is just as much of a threat to Recovery as pain medication
Addicts should be taught what do WHEN they have to take pain medications not what to do IF they have to take pain medications
Relapse is a process not an event, and it begins way before the addict picks up the first drink or drug
Abstinence is NOT Recovery, it’s a prerequisite for Recovery
Addiction counselors need to know when to refer a client to a private psycho-therapist
You don’t have to be one to help one. Being in Recovery is not a requirement to be effective as a clinician working with addictions
It’s not the messenger it’s the message, addicted people should not tune out those from different backgrounds, experiences, age, sex, etc. Anyone may carry the message that will turn a life around.
Addicts and alcoholics are not bad people trying to get good, but sick people trying to get well
Family involvement in treatment and recovery increase the likelihood of success
An untreated family can undo in 6 days what a treatment program took 6 months to put together
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink… but you can make him thirsty. We need to make Recovery appealing to the abuser
People are basically hedonistic, meaning that we do things that provide us with a payoff. We need to find out what the payoff is for drug and alcohol use, and help the abuser find safer ways to accomplish what they want
Addicts should quit nicotine at the same time they stop all other drug use. Nicotine is the most deadly drug in the country, and can contribute to a relapse, also if the addict gets into "relapse mode", they are more likely to pick up cigarettes before going back to their drug of choice
“Near-beer”, non-alcoholic wines, and virgin cocktails are “pretend” drinking and often contribute to relapse
The number one Relapse Warning Sign of all, "Overestimating your Recovery and underestimating the power of your Disease"