NCADD of the Central MS Area, Inc.

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of the Central Mississippi

NCADD is the leading advocacy organization in the world addressing alcoholism and drug dependence.  Since its founding in 1949, NCADD has raised public awareness about addiction throughout Mississippi and increasingly across the southern states.

Marty Mann, one of the first women to achieve sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous, organized the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA) in 1944, which later became the National Council on Alcoholism (NCA), and then the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) to address concern with other drugs.  Mississippi volunteers sought out for the recovery community organization by becoming affliliates.

Marty made two important policy decisions when she started NCADD:

For NCADD to be a credible agent for changing people’s attitude and understanding of alcoholism, it would need the involvement and support of the medical scientific community; and

To change people’s attitude and understanding meant changing people’s behavior, so NCADD must offer professionally trained counseling services at the local level where people live and need help.

Therefore, today NCADD of the Central MS Area continues to operate on two parallel tracks – the National level and the community level — and today NCADD continues to offers critical recovery support services and providing a powerful network of support for those suffering from alcoholism and addiction — friends and family members alike.

NCADD Services

NCADD provides education about alcoholism, tobacco and other drug addictions as treatable diseases; offers prevention programs for schools, organizations and communities; answers questions from the public, legislative bodies, and the media; and distributes a variety of publications. NCADD also offers information and referral services to children, teenagers, and adults seeking help with alcoholism, other drug dependencies and related problems. A majority of this information is available free of charge. Up-to-date information on both inpatient and outpatient treatment resources is provided on the community, state and national level.

Bookstore & Library

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of the Central Mississippi Area maintains a well-stocked bookstore and a library of materials on all 12 Step Recovery groups and also serves as an additional resource for children, adolescents, adults and families who suffer from the devastating effects of alcoholism and drug dependence.

Professional Development (onsite and offsite staff trainings)

Prevention Programs

Speakers and materials are made available to schools, churches, civic organizations, businesses and youth groups. These programs deal with the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions, its effects on the family, how to recognize symptoms of the disease and how to begin recovery.

Tobacco Program

This program is designed to prevent the initiation of tobacco use and end teenage addiction to tobacco by involving youth in tobacco awareness efforts in our state.

Life Skills Training Program

This program challenges the most important factors leading youth to use one or more drugs by teaching a combination of health information, general life skills and drug resistant skills.

Violence Prevention Program

This program gives a comprehensive look at the different ways each individual handles conflict and makes participants aware of the different styles of handling conflict.

Parenting Program

NCADD offers a variety of Parenting Programs designed to provide the tools necessary for raising confident, resilient young children and teens capable of meeting life’s challenges. They provide insight into why children and teens behave as they do and how to handle specific age groups and problem areas.

Youth Programs

These programs are designed for teens and/or pre-teens at risk or for children already involved in alcohol, tobacco and other drugs or those experiencing the consequences of a dysfunctional family environment. These skills are taught in a non-threatening way through the use of fictional stories, DVDs, and written materials followed by discussion and an activity such as drawing or writing.

RADAR Center

NCADD is a Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Center, sponsored by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). As a network member, NCADD has priority access to the latest prevention information, publications, and audio-visual materials.