Description
FCD was founded in 1976 by Donald F. Cutler. The initial purpose of FCD, which stood for "Freedom from Chemical Dependency," was to teach the process of early intervention to families involved with alcoholics. Soon, however, the focus expanded to serving young people, with FCD offering its first Four-Day Course. Don passed away in 2002 at the age of 88, and FCD's new home has been named the Donald F. Cutler Prevention Center to honor the memory of FCD's founder and leader for the first two decades of service.
Today, FCD Educational Services, led by Alex J. Packer, Ph.D., educator, psychologist and author, is the world's leading nonprofit provider of kindergarten through college on-site substance abuse prevention services. During the past year, FCD's teachers carried the organization's message to nearly 400 schools, presenting programs to more than 65,000 students. Since 1976, we have served over a million students, teachers and parents in more than 25 countries, and provided countless school heads and administrators with the guidance and training necessary to plan and implement comprehensive, effective approaches to prevention. FCD's mission is to provide young people and the adults who work with them with the knowledge, skills and vision they need to make intelligent, healthy choices. FCD's health educators do this by offering the most up-to-date information on the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol and other drugs; promoting awareness of alcoholism and other chemical dependencies as a primary, progressive, chronic and often fatal disease; teaching children and adults how to recognize the early warning signs of substance abuse and to intervene appropriately; and encouraging and supporting the non-use of alcohol and other illegal or illicit drugs during the growing years.
The FCD Four-Day Course, with many enhancements over the years, remains FCD's core program. FCD's highly trained educators, having achieved long-term recovery from alcohol and/or other addictions, teach from an "I've-been-there" perspective. This not only enhances the credibility of FCD's message, but also provides students with role models for successful, healthy, drug-free living. FCD teachers view their work as not merely a job, but a calling of prime importance, carried out with honesty, compassion and care. It's no wonder that so many students and faculty view FCD teachers as trusted mentors and friends, and ask them to return year after year.
While FCD's teachers and consultants carry its message of prevention to hundreds of schools each year, FCD's long-term success could never have been achieved without the dedicated work and generosity of its loyal staff, trustees and donors. Along with FCD's teachers, they are the heart and soul of the organization. Together we can ensure that FCD's next 30 years will continue to build upon Don Cutler's legacy by bringing the world's finest substance abuse prevention programs and services to millions of children, schools and families around the world.
