Edward Kovacs’ journey from addiction truly began with the simple act of picking up and throwing away a soda can. This ‘a-ha’ moment showed him that he can gain satisfaction and pride from doing the right thing and it began his path to recovery.

About Our Guest:

Edward J Kovacs III is a person in long term recovery since 5/27/2010 with a devoted passion both professionally and personally to the recovery community from selfless service to a career devoted to those in need. Edward has been in the substance use field since 2011 in multiple capacities from direct care to state director of care including a range of services from medical detox to prevention programs for various age groups and socio-economic backgrounds with an emphasis on engaging high-risk/high-needs clients and a specialization for gang and violent offender populations.

Currently Edward is providing independent consulting on developing and implementing effective treatment programs for specific populations while also acting as the State Director of Program Development for TrueCare. Edward prides himself in his specialization for implementing effective substance use programming specifically for the criminal justice and adolescent community one of which is presently being researched on a National Level with the OJJDP in conjunction with NADCP on the effectiveness of Juvenile Drug Court where the treatment model provided in the Las Vegas Juvenile Drug Court is the sole intellectual property of Edward Kovacs. In addition, Edward also has a passion for public speaking and staff development specifically speaking statewide and providing staff development for Mission High School and NPHY.

Outside of professional work Edward selflessly speaks to inmates in the Clark County Detention Center, Youth at Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, and a men’s group at Mission High School all on a weekly basis. Edward also serves on the Executive Board for Peer Recovery Support Services associated with IC&RC known as Nevada Certification Board, is on the advisory committee for Mission High School the Nation’s first publicly funded recovery High School as well as being a Board member for United Providers of Mental Health. 

About the Host:

Matthew Cox spent his elementary and middle school years thinking there was something wrong with his brain. For him, schoolwork was a daunting, frustrating, and often embarrassing challenge. He was the kid who never seemed to catch up with his classmates, no matter how hard he tried. “Growing up with a disability was like having an elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about,” Matthew explained. Being diagnosed with a learning disability during high school helped he finally put a name to the problem, and to begin his journey to personal and academic success. “I’ve learned to befriend my elephant, I’ve named him George,” Matthew said. “George is not going away but I can choose how I feel about him.”

Through his own experience, Matthew knows what it means to be a teenager in trouble as well as what it takes to run a business. Matthew brings inspiration, humor, and practical strategies during his speaking engagements, inspiring change to those he works with.

Thanks to family members and caring adults in his life, Matthew was able to overcome the hardship of his disability and has dedicated his life to helping others find their purpose and help families succeed.

Matthew offers a variety of training workshops and speaking engagements to fit your needs including:

* Effective Communication* Business personality profile (True Colors) based on the Myer Briggs.* Team Building.* Couples Retreats* Improving the relationships in your life* Red...