Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell Legacy 

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The former Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell National Substance Abuse Conference which had its beginning in early 1987, exemplified the legacy and work of the late Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell, an esteemed educator, administrator, policy advisor and psychotherapist. After earning a BA degree from Lincoln University in 1950, Dr. Mitchell entered American University where he earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in clinical-social psychology. As a licensed clinical-social psychologist, Dr. Mitchell worked extensively in the areas of community mental health, human services, youth problems, anti-poverty work, and career development. His vitae contained an extensive list of lifetime accomplishments, among them, Deputy Director and Co-founder of the Area B Community Mental Health Center and Assistant Director and Co-founder of the Institute for Youth Studies, Howard University. In addition, he was the Director of the Center for Afro-American Studies, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York and was President of the Lonnie E. Mitchell Corporation, Inc., founded in 1971. 

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Dr. Mitchell also served as Chief of the Prevention and Education Branch, at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) where he helped to create, and later direct, the International Substance Abuse Training Program for the Department of State. Under his direction, the model for state drug abuse certification was also developed and implemented. Dr. Mitchell also served as Administrator of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Administration (ADASA), within the District of Columbia Department of Human Services. 

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At the time of his death, he was Professor of Applied Psychology and Rehabilitation Counseling at Coppin State College. While there, he created and directed numerous programs, including: 

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• The Early Intervention Substance Abuse Program for High Risk Youth Project. 

• Preventing AIDS in the IV Drug Use Community: A Program for The Training of Community 

• Health Agents and an Orientation to Community Health Outreach Project 

• The Coppin State College Annual Substance Abuse Educational Conference 

• The International Training Institute 

• The Certification Training Institute 

 

During his tenure at Coppin State College, technical assistance was also provided to more than seventy of the HBCUs in getting substance abuse information disseminated, raising awareness, and planning programs. Substance abuse conferences have been sponsored at Allen University, Lincoln University, Howard University, South Carolina State University, University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff, Grambling State University, and Bethune Cookman College. Dr. Mitchell also communicated his vision by establishing a national consortium for Historically Black Colleges and Universities designed to inform, educate and stimulate students, researchers, and faculty, on issues related to substance abuse.

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