Thirty years ago, David Vartabedian was an alcoholic, drug addict and criminal who was in and out of the California prison and parole system from ages 13 to 33. After several false starts at sobriety, he embraced the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous 12-Step programs in the last year of a three-year sentence for armed robbery. He has been clean and sober since 1989. After his release, he studied psychology at Santa Barbara City College and worked as a laborer. From there, he became the assistant manager and then manager at the sober living house where he'd transitioned back into the community, His career as a youth substance abuse counselor included running a program for high-risk teenagers in Santa Barbara, where the County Sheriff's Department hired him to design and implement a treatment education program for county inmates, working with California's Drug Court diversion program. Though he first believed that his record as a felon would bar him from working in the state prison system, its officials became his advocates. His innovative recovery treatment program was so successful, he became a board member of the Santa Barbara County Criminal Justice Advisory Board and the National Council on Alcoholism. Currently, he is board vice president of Newhouse Sober Living in Santa Barbara, as well as president of the city's Alano Club for those in recovery. He is also certified in Smart Recovery, a non-profit recovery program. David is a state-licensed real estate broker, former owner of two day spas, and once co-owned a vegan hair care line inspired by his daughter, Maya. A rock music aficionado since childhood, he still plays guitar in classic rock and roll bands. In his three decades of sobriety, David has helped tens of thousands of alcoholics and addicts in theirs. A featured speaker at AA conventions, David has also carried the message to alcoholics and addicts at hospitals and institutions, as his first sponsors carried it to him, including giving the commencement address to graduates of the Lompoc, California federal facility's treatment program. He has blogged excerpts from his book at the popular sobriety website thefix.com. David lives in Santa Barbara County with his daughter.
