Reaching New Heights Women’s Luncheon

The luncheon, to benefit the women’s programs, will be held on Thursdsay, March 29th, 2012 at Hillwood Country Club. This year’s event chairs are Marguerite Clayton and Monica McDougall.

This year’s speaker is renowned author and interventionist Joani Gammill. Joani is currently employed in a busy private practice doing alcohol and drug interventions for treatment centers around the country. Joani worked 19 years as a registered nurse in a busy hospital nursery and neonatal intensive care. After her personal struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction she became interested in chemical dependency nursing.

She worked seven years as a staff and supervising RN at a treament center. Her career and life took a dramatic turn after Dr. Phil McGraw did a televised intervention on her during a CBS prime time special, “Escaping Addiction.” As well as working as an interventionist, she frequently provides portrayals of addicts and alcoholics for the Dr. Phil Show documenting the hardships and heartaches this disease brings to the sufferer and their families.

She enjoys speaking about both her personal story of addiction and her career as an interventionist and field producer. She feels both luck and blessed to have found sobriety and a passion in her work. Her darkest past has become her largest asset. Her story is chronicled in the book, “The Interventionist,” 2011, Hazelden Publishing.

Joani now lives with her husband and two children. Both of her children are on the autism spectrum. As she frequently says, “On paper my life looks lousy, but in reality I feel lucky and blessed!”

If you have questions contact the Development Department at 615.432.3226.