Meet David Marlon

We recently connected with David Marlon and have shared our conversation below.

David, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I struggled with alcoholism for my first career. While I still achieved high marks in graduate school and became a CEO of a publicly traded company, alcohol and drugs progressively became a large part of my reward system. I also struggled with ADHD, have some narcissistic traits and some hypomanic periods. However, it was the alcohol and drug use which was my primary problem. In my early 40’s I sought help and through a rehabilitation process occurred a psychological change that I couldn’t imagine was even possible. I have now been clean and sober for 19 years, this is despite having the DNA of a party animal. Recovery is now the cornerstone of my life and it has opened many doors of awareness and spirituality that I couldn’t see when I was drinking. I returned as a CEO of a new publicly traded company, while in recovery and exceeded all goals the I had while I was using.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am the founder and CEO of Vegas Stronger, a nonprofit organization providing access to compassionate behavioral healthcare and working to end homelessness in Nevada by addressing the root causes: substance use and mental health. In 2005 I co-founded Solutions Recovery, Inc., serving as President and CEO. I effectuated a transaction selling the assets to American Addiction Centers (NYSE: AAC) in May 2016. I have also founded three non-profit organizations dedicated to alcohol and drug education and prevention and provide consultations within the healthcare, political, and nonprofit arenas. Before forming Solutions Recovery, I worked in the insurance industry and have more than 30 years of experience serving as the CEO, President, and COO in various healthcare companies. More recently, I earned my doctoral in psychology focused on addictive disorders and have a proven track record in healthcare and non-profit leadership. I am proud to say that I have been in recovery for 19 years.

Most recently my passion is in ending homelessness in the state of Nevada, and eventually throughout the whole of the United States, by providing free and compassionate mental and behavioral healthcare to our most vulnerable populations, as well as anyone who is in need of treatment. Vegas Stronger is a unique outcomes-focused Non-Profit Organization 501(c)(3) focused on reversing the devastation caused to our community by the addiction epidemic and mental illness. We are unique in our approach which focuses on treatment-firs and seeks to solve the issue of homelessness where there are close to 8,000 individuals experiencing homelessness (that we know of). My organization has a street team that goes out onto the streets to engage with individuals experiencing homelessness, we also ask the public to call Vegas sTRONGER instead of the police when they have an issue with someone experiencing homelessness, and we also partner with the local police for them to take us out on homeless-related calls and/or take people to our organization before taking them to the police station, as long as they are not in danger and/or a threat. We provide them with mental health treatment, behavioral health treatment, and when needed, medical treatment. This also means that they access free short-term housing, free transportation, free food, free sanitary items, free clothes, and so much more. They are assigned a case manager who helps them with things like getting documents like social security cards, get jobs, and find long-term housing. 98% of individuals experiencing homelessness who come through are doors and are assessed by a licensed professional are diagnosed with a substance use disorder and/or co-occurring mental illness. Of those who successfully complete treatment and opt to answer our post-treatment surveys (taken 6 months post), 82% are drug and alcohol-free. 93% are living independently. Overall well-being metrics for these graduated clients improve approximately 25%, and employment rates increase from 22% to 56%. Learn more at www.vegasstronger.org

I have also recently launched The Human Up podcast where I speak with guests from various backgrounds who share their personal journeys and we discuss what it means to “human up” – so far we’ve covered climate change with a Yale professor, pioneering AIDS/HIV treatment in the 80s, eating disorders, and of course, addiction! Listen and subscribe on Apple or Spotify or listen here: https://www.davidmarlon.com/podcast

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

First and most important is to Be Relentless – never give up. My determination is my greatest strength.
Managing by yellow legal pad, is a close second. Writing every commitment I make down, and leaving it on my desk until it is completed is a tool that helps me be true to my word and to manage large amounts of projects.
Physically train every day. The mind and body are part of the same system. Why not go through this spiritual human experience in a strong body?

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Big Book of AA. I thought it would be a book to help me cut down on my drinking. It ended up being a way of life. The first 164 pages of the Big Book and following 24 stories helped change my thinking. It changed me from a ‘how do I get more?’ frame of reference to ‘how can I help others?’ That frame of reference was a change I sought my whole life.

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Image Credits

All pics are mine.

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