Celebrating Our First Official Graduating Class!

April 20, 2013 marked an important milestone in the growth and scope of The Academy for Addiction Professionals. We marked the momentous occasion of graduating our first class of students with a celebration held at the Sheraton Suites in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Graduating students and family members alike celebrated the completion of up to 14 months of training and the beginning of their journey as clinicians in the addiction industry.

We were proud to welcome our guest speaker Neal McGarry, executive director of the Florida Certification Board – the licensing and regulatory body that oversees the ethics and competence of many addiction counselors throughout Florida. In attendance were Ben Brafman, CEO and Founder of the Academy, and Shira Ackerman, Director of the Academy, who presented students with their completion certificates and graduation gifts. Juanita McGhee and Andrew Merker, both Academy graduates, and now successful addiction industry professionals, were on hand to inspire students of the possibilities within addictions treatment.

Equally exciting was the celebration of our first online graduate, Kathy, who traveled from Tampa, Florida to mark her great achievement. She is the first of many online and distance learning students who will complete the required coursework through our internet-based classroom.

We wish all of our 2013 graduates the very best of luck in their endeavors in the addiction treatment industry and we look forward to hearing their success stories as they develop their experience.