Let us help you get right

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Before you go left

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Let us help you get right • Before you go left •

“Boy, you better get yourself a nap and a sandwich.”

These are the words I heard from a beloved friend when I was dirt broke and fucked up. I took those words to heart to mean that we often just need a break before that terminal threshold is reached.

Our Mission

Our mission at NAS is to end the “us vs. them” stigma by transforming addiction response from a war on people to a community of healing. Rooted in lived experience and shared purpose we equip individuals—especially those at greatest risk of desperation—with acceptance, consistent attention, practical support, and purpose-building tools that honor personal development, responsibility and honesty. We advocate alternatives to incarceration for simple possession, reduce recidivism through identity restoration and skill-building, and mobilize peers, families, veterans, faith and civic partners to create safe, accountable pathways home. Guided by the belief that trust is earned and love is unconditional, NAS exists to replace force with strength, alienation with reintegration, and policy with people— when we end the “us and them,” there can be Justice, for there will be  “Just Us”.

Our Philosophy

The goal of recovery is to rebuild a healthy, well-adjusted, and honorable life. However, you cannot attack someone's identity without promoting some quality in their character and expect them to listen to you. You cannot continue to point out their shortcomings without at least acknowledging their attributes and expect to win them over. You cannot compel someone to change without leading by example, and you cannot lead someone without first earning their respect and trust. Forcing growth and change can be done but it is highly ineffective, often counterproductive, and sometimes even dangerous.

FOR GROWTH TO TAKE HOLD, IT MUST BE INSPIRED- NOT COERCED.

To do this, you must first recognize and build on their virtues however misplaced you may consider them, while honestly addressing their shortcomings and admitting your own. For none are so pure that they are beyond reproach nor so stained that some good cannot be found within them.

Recovery and growth take courage, honesty, and a lot of hard work. Those in addiction often struggle to relinquish those outdated concepts, unrealistic assumptions, and distorted thought patterns that have been relied upon in the past. Inspiring someone to grow and change takes patience, integrity, and sacrifice; for you cannot ask someone to remove their mask and reveal their scars without first removing your own.

Our Principles

The code we followed on the street we now apply in our recovery.
We say what we mean and mean what we say.


If you maintained any credibility on the street, you handled your business honorably. People could trust what you said and knew that if shit got fucked up, you’d be the one to fix it. Recovery isn’t just sobriety! To be sustainable, we must also rebuild our character and deal with past traumas. To do this, we first need to be credible to ourselves. Being honest with ourselves and others, letting our actions match our words, owning our shit while taking responsibility for cleaning it up, and maintaining integrity—these are the cornerstones of our philosophy.

24 principles to live by

  • Adhering to moral and ethical principles, being honest, and acting with sincerity and truthfulness in all aspects of life.

  • Truthfulness and straightforwardness in actions and communication, without deception or misleading intentions.

  • Taking responsibility for one's actions, decisions, and their consequences, and being answerable to oneself and others.

  • Operating in a clear and open manner, providing information and sharing decisions openly to promote trust and understanding. 

  • Treating everyone impartially, without favoritism or bias, and ensuring equal opportunities and justice for all. 

  • Acknowledging and fulfilling one's duties and obligations towards oneself, others, and society.

  • Valuing and acknowledging the worth, dignity, and rights of all individuals, regardless of their differences or opinions. 

  • Understanding and sharing the feelings and experiences of others, showing compassion and sensitivity towards their emotions and perspectives. 

  • Being reliable, consistent, and dependable in actions and words, thereby earning the trust and confidence of others.

  • Acting in a steady and uniform manner, maintaining a sense of stability and predictability in behavior and decisions. 

  • Striving for the highest quality and performance, always seeking improvement and giving one's best effort. 

  • Working together with others to achieve a common goal, utilizing diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives.

  • Being receptive to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences, and being willing to consider alternative viewpoints. 

  • Being flexible and open to change, adjusting to new situations and environments with resilience and ease.

  • Creativity and the ability to develop new ideas, methods, or products that enhance and improve processes and outcomes.

  • Achieving maximum output with the least amount of resources, minimizing waste and optimizing productivity.

  • Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, considering environmental, social, and economic impacts.

  • Embracing and celebrating differences in culture, race, gender, background, perspectives, and ideas, and promoting inclusivity.

  • Ensuring that everyone is included and valued, regardless of their differences, and providing equal opportunities for participation and contribution.

  • Providing fair treatment and opportunities to all individuals, regardless of their differences, to ensure fairness and justice.

  • Ensuring that actions, decisions, and laws are fair and impartial, and that individuals are treated equitably under the law.

  • Encouraging and enabling individuals to take control of their lives, make choices, and act independently to achieve their goals. 

  • Demonstrating faithfulness, commitment, and allegiance to a person, group, or cause, even in challenging or difficult circumstances.

  • The ability to endure and remain calm in the face of delays, challenges, or difficulties, and to wait for the right moment or outcome without frustration.

Honesty

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Integrity

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Accountability

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Responsibility

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Honesty • Integrity • Accountability • Responsibility •

Don’t let the past steal your present.

— Terri Guillemets