Encouraging Community Wellness for Behavioral Health including Addictions, Mental Health, and Disaster & Emotional Trauma.
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association – NADA
NADA Mission Statement
The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association trains people in the NADA protocol, an ear acupressure and acupuncture intervention for trauma, substance misuse, abuse, dependence and related behavioral and mental health conditions. Together we promote and advocate for access to holistic health as a right of all communities.
Vision
We envision a world where healthcare is people-centered, holistic, and accessible to the most vulnerable and underserved in our communities.
Principles of NADA
Spirit of NADA
All beings have a right to self-determination, the capacity to transform, and be part of transforming society. NADA changes the dominant paradigm.
Simplicity
The NADA protocol is easy to learn and to teach.
Trust
We trust that people are capable of learning and that everyone has the capacity to heal themselves.
Person-Centered
NADA is a non-verbal protocol that meets people where they are. Sharing the protocol bridges cultural divides.
Accessible & Barrier-free
Historically and in the present day there are many barriers to healthcare. Racism, casteism and all “isms” are healthcare matters. We work to make the NADA protocol barrier-free & available to all. We believe everyone should have access to receive and learn the NADA protocol.
Compassion
We bring an intention of healing to everyone with whom we share the NADA protocol.
Community
Healing & recovery happens in community and the NADA protocol is easily incorporated in diverse settings. We come together across disciplines to promote an integrated approach to healthcare.
NADA Does the following
Training
Trains health providers in the United States and Canada to use a simple, safe and standardized ear acupuncture protocol to treat addictions, behavioral health, trauma and disaster relief.
Education
Provides education, consultation and assistance in establishing and sustaining ear acupuncture services within behavioral health and addiction treatment programs.
Advocacy
Advocates for public policies in the United States and Canada that increase access to NADA ear acupuncture.
NADA’s History
Developed in the 1970s at Lincoln Detox (Bronx, N.Y.), the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol was originally used as a supportive component in drug and alcohol treatment settings. Learn more about Lincoln Detox & history of the NADA protocol.
The 3-5 point ear acupuncture formula controlled withdrawal symptoms and helped patients become more clear-headed and comfortable.
NADA was established as a North American organization to expand training capacity and awareness of the value of acupuncture as a tool of recovery.
Michael Smith
October 16, 1942 – December 24, 2017
Mike was a leader in the development of acupuncture in addiction treatment. He and the staff of Lincoln Detox figured out how to train lay people in five-point, ear acupuncture protocol and in the mid-1980s helped found NADA, which was incorporated in 1985.
Read more about Michael Smith
Incorporated in 1985 in the state of New York, the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association has helped spread acudetox far and wide, nationally and internationally.
NADA was established to enroll members, establish a collection of related reference materials, codify a training curriculum and develop a flexible system for registering qualified trainers and delivering trainings.
NADA has since trained more than 10,000 health professionals in North America to use the protocol, including
- counselors
- social workers
- nurses
- medical doctors
- psychologists
- acupuncturists
- chiropractors
- outreach workers
- drug court judges
- corrections officers
- family members
- and others.
FAQ’s
What is the mission of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA)?
The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association trains people in the NADA protocol, an ear acupressure and acupuncture intervention for trauma, substance misuse, abuse, dependence and related behavioral and mental health conditions. Together we promote and advocate for access to holistic health as a right of all communities.
Vision
We envision a world where healthcare is people-centered, holistic, and accessible to the most vulnerable and underserved in our communities.
How does NADA carry out its mission?
- Public education about acupuncture as a tool for recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, from trauma, and other behavioral health issues.
- Training health care workers in use of the NADA protocol.
- Offering consultation to local organizations in setting up or adapting treatment sites.
- Offering consultation to healthcare advocates in promoting polices and legislation which increase client access to NADA-style treatment.
- Distributing NADA-approved reference material.
- Publishing Guidepoints: News from NADA, a quarterly member newsletter that reports on current developments in the field.
What is the "NADA protocol"?
What is the “Spirit of NADA?”
How do state laws differ?
How does a person obtain NADA training?
Are people trained by acupuncturists?
Where does NADA operate?
- Emergency Medicine/Disaster Relief Firefighters
- First Responders Emergency Medical Technicians/Specialists
- Paramedics
- Nurses
- Doctor
- Addictions Treatment from harm reduction to 12-step
- From opiate maintenance to detox
- From abstinence based inpatient to outpatient
- Mental Health from psychiatric hospitals to outpatient mental health and dual diagnosis treatment
- Court Diversion from the first drug courts in the US, still providing acudetox today
- From jails to prisons to community re-entry
- Community Health from homeless shelters to refugee camp health promotion
- From musicians clinics to military bases
- From churches to farmer’s markets
- From HIV testing centers to HIV/AIDS clinics s From rape crisis centers to violent and sex offender programs
- From Employee Assistance Programs to senior centers to school teachers and counselors
- Self-Help and Peer Support Groups: sickle cell,breast cancer
- survivors of violence
- mental health consumer groups