CHRIS HERREN, former NBA Player Speaks Out on Addiction Surge During Pandemic
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Chris Herren went from NBA player to addict to recovery and opening the first addiction recovery center of its kind in the D.C. area
WARRENTON, Va., March 29, 2021—As COVID cases surged across the country so has the addiction crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has reported more overdose deaths during the pandemic than ever
before.
Former NBA player and recovery advocate, Chris Herren, recently opened a residential substance abuse recovery facility with health and wellness programs for men and women with the mission to provide holistic recovery services. Herren Wellness at Twin Oaks provides treatment, recovery and support for individuals and families impacted by addiction to help their guests lead healthy, substance-free lives. It is the first of its kind in the Washington, D.C. region and the second in the nation. It is unique in that it takes a holistic approach.
Herren is an author, motivational speaker and wellness advocate. He was a celebrated basketball star in high school, a McDonald’s All-American and top 25 national recruit in 1994. He began his collegiate career at Boston College before transferring to Fresno State, after several failed drug tests, to play for Hall of Fame coach Jerry Tarkanian. Drafted into the NBA in 1999, he played two seasons, his rookie year with the Denver Nuggets and then for his hometown team, the Boston Celtics. He went on to play in five countries before losing everything to the disease of addiction.
He worked his way to sobriety in 2008 and, one day at a time, has stayed there. Herren shares his story nationwide through Herren Talks, and in 2011 he established the Herren Project, a nonprofit foundation that provides treatment, recovery, and support for individuals and families impacted by addiction. On August 1, 2020, Chris celebrated 12 years of sobriety.
“Sharing my story on a national level, I saw first-hand the need for a different approach to the treatment of substance use disorder and emotional health with a focus on wellness,” stated Herren. “Our holistic approach to recovery focuses on the whole person; mind, body and spirit and we are grateful to partner with the PATH Foundation to strengthen the health and vitality of the counties they serve and beyond.”
“Now, we’re also seeing the impact of the pandemic on addiction and it is creating an even greater need for recovery services for the many suffering from mental health challenges and emotional crisis and turning to addiction. The pandemic has brought on such intense isolation for some and they’re experiencing issues they’ve never had before,” Herren explained.
Herren Wellness received support in securing and preparing the center from the PATH Foundation, a philanthropic foundation headquartered in Warrenton. This unique relationship will yield a charitable component for residents of Fauquier, Rappahannock and Culpeper Counties, including limited free or reduced-cost care, alongside private pay stays for other guests of the center. Herren Wellness at Twin Oaks is open to anyone regardless of location.
“Like the rest of the country, our area has seen troubling increases in substance use and addiction to drugs and alcohol,” explained Christy Connolly, PATH Foundation president and CEO. “The lack of recovery centers in our area is something we wanted to address, and in supporting the addition of Herren Wellness at Twin Oaks, we hope to offer a catalyst to families facing issues resulting from addiction.”
For more information on Herren Wellness, visit www.herrenwellness.com. For more information on the PATH Foundation, visit www.pathforyou.org.
About Herren Wellness
Founded by former professional basketball player and wellness advocate Chris Herren in 2018, Herren Wellness is a residential substance use, health, and wellness organization for men and women with the mission to provide holistic recovery services for substance use and emotional health at any stage. For more information, visit www.herrenwellness.com. Facebook: @HerrenWellness, Twitter/IG: @Herren_Wellness
About the PATH Foundation
With a legacy of community philanthropy stretching back to 1954, Piedmont Action to Health (PATH) Foundation was created in 2013, as the Fauquier Health Foundation, through a joint venture between Fauquier Health and LifePoint Hospitals. The resulting private foundation manages the assets of this multigenerational gift to promote healthy communities today and in stewardship for our children’s grandchildren. For more information,www.pathforyou.org. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @pathforyou