| Dan Martin |
Four Corner’s Community Behavioral Health center staff member, Dan Martin received an award for his years of dedicated service last week at the statewide fall conference on Substance Abuse.
Martin began as a railroad worker and had a full career prior to working in the field of addiction. According to his peers at Four Corner’s, “the world is a healthier and much more compassionate place because Dan Martin decided to take on this second career in the field of substance abuse.”
Dan began his tenure at Four Corner’s Mental Health Center in 1982, initially by volunteering his services. He was later hired by the agency. At this time, Four Corners was treating addicted individuals in weekly outpatient therapy and struggling to help them maintain any long-term sobriety.
Through research, community networking, agency lobbying, and a lot of diligence, Martin began building intensive outpatient programs. This was long before services like these were provided around the state. He also began doing interventions to help those in need enter treatment. Since these pioneering days, Martin helped to develop an adolescent substance abuse treatment program for Four Corners Mental Health.
Through sharing his incredible experience, strength and hope, he has shown countless men and women, that life can be lived fully and happily outside the confines of addiction.
For years Martin has served as the liaison between inpatient treatment facilities, and the residents of the Four Corners area. When the agency runs out of funds, he lobbies church groups, agencies or even private donations to help those in need enter treatment.
“Dan has the ability to build trust and mutual respect with others,” explains the director of Four Corners, adding, “he can be as gentle as a monk, or as persuasive as a Sunday morning TV preacher. He has worked with countless individuals, families, couples, and community leaders and is loved and respected by everyone he encounters.”
Martin has worked with doctors in the community helping them understand the dangers of long-term controlled substance prescription as well as recognizing the signs and symptoms of addiction.
He is an educator and has brought enlightenment to his colleagues as well as the community of both the dangers of addiction and the beauty of recovery. He demonstrates the same level of sensitivity and responsiveness whether he is working with a family member, judge, agency director or a person in the depths of addiction.
Martin’s life mission is to carry the message of recovery wherever he goes.”
He suffered a stroke in May and is currently in rehabilitation.
In summary the Four Corners director added, “he is working very hard at this recovery as well, primarily because he knows that here are still others suffering with addiction, and he is anxious to get back out to share the message of recovery.”