Narconon Colorado Staff Member Highlight: Don B.

Don is highly dedicated to his job and has helped hundreds of people get through their programs. He is great at making people laugh and at helping to give perspective on things when going through a difficult time. Don is perhaps one of the most caring people I know and we are lucky to have him as a part of the team.

What is your job title and what tasks do you perform at work?

I am the Chief of Security so it is my job to make sure that the students, building, and staff are safe by screening everything that comes in for contraband. I am also a certified drug-detection dog handler and have been working with Delta our drug-detection dog for a little over two years.

As well, I am the graduate liaison so I do follow-up calls with graduates for the first six months after they complete their program to help them with their transition into their new life. If a graduate is having difficulty with something, they are able to call me for help and advice as well.

How long have you been working at Narconon?

I have been working at Narconon for a little over six years now.

How many people do you think you have worked with at Narconon now?

I have probably worked with between 600-700 people since I first started here.

What made you decide to work in the addiction field?

I volunteered here for a while and then I started to get a lot of wins working with people. I decided I wanted to keep working at Narconon because helping people overcome their addiction gave me a sense of purpose and drive that I have never had at any other job.

What have been some of your biggest successes working at Narconon?

It is really an amazing thing for me to see our graduates go on to do “normal things” like buying a house, getting married or having kids. That may not seem like a lot to someone who doesn’t understand addiction, but for someone who has gone through an addiction, these things are huge. It is also really rewarding to see tough cases get through their program and make genuinely positive changes.

What is your favorite thing about working at Narconon?

I would say helping people gives me a sense of purpose and a reason to be here. Seeing people get their lives back gives me the drive to live a more fulfilling life. What I have learned working here has also helped me to reestablish having a better relationship with my own family.

As someone who works in the addiction field, what are your thoughts on the current opioid crisis?

I think it is very sad. The ever-increasing deaths are having a major effect on our communities. Children and young adults are dying before they even get to experience what life is truly about.

I am glad that I have the opportunity to try and help people suffering from this. It makes me happy to be able to make a positive impact on the lives of people that are looking for a way out of their addiction and to help them do that.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone reading this who might be struggling with addiction what would it be?

Seek out help because what you are going through isn’t easy. Keep fighting and never lose hope.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone whose child is caught up in addiction what would it be?

Hate the addiction, not the child. Keep trying to help them but be sure not to enable them either. Stay strong and never give up.

What do you like to do with your free time outside of work?

I like to go out to eat, go to the spa and take long motorcycle trips.