Jeff’s Story | Biography
Jeff’s “Wolfie” early life reads like that of a typical teenager growing up in a middle class town in America. However, below the surface and behind the scenes, Jeff was coping with childhood abuse, a family member with bipolar condition, personal depression, and eventually addiction.
- Born in a small suburban town in Massachusetts;
- Boy’s State Representative, captain of numerous athletic teams, Class President, and voted “Best All-Around Student” by his classmates;
- Homeless and addicted to crack cocaine by the age of 23;
- Today, an internationally recognized expert and leader in school-based drug education, podcast host, and writer. Jeff’s articles and personal comments have appeared in NY Times, TIME Magazine, NPR, Independent School Magazine, the Educational Digest, Boston Globe, and The Boston Herald. Jeff is a blogger for The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and has been appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, ABC’s The View and is a regular contributor for FOX News in Boston.
Jeff’s personal story of resilience and continued struggle offers inspiration and guidance to students and families around the world struggling with addiction. Consider for a moment that most people with similar backgrounds are dead, in prison, or are in and out of treatment. Jeff’s story is compelling narrative to those interested in preventing addiction and the harmful use of alcohol or other drugs by teens and providing helpful drug education programs in schools.
Today, Jeff spends much of his time working with secondary schools and colleges around the world speaking about preventing and minimizing the harms associated with alcohol misuse and other drug use.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not to be used as an introduction of Mr. Wolfsberg at an event. Please follow this link to find Mr. Wolfsberg’s introduction for both adult and student audiences.
Jeff Wolfsberg and Associates, Inc. was established in 1999 to bring a new conversation about preventing and minimizing the harms associated with underage drinking and other drug use to secondary schools and colleges. Jeff works with and in partnership with secondary schools offering insights and presenting workshops to help schools realize their potential around creating safer and more proactive environments around alcohol and drug use, and mental health issues.
Prior to his work at JSW, Jeff worked with a non-profit in Boston, MA that offered drug education programs to secondary schools. Jeff is forever grateful to them for giving him his start and the opportunity to find his passion. Jeff also worked in the corporate world as a trainer in the finance and telecommunications industries.
Jeff has earned an international reputation as a leading authority in the world of school-based drug education and teens and substance use. With more than a decade of counseling and educational experience, Jeff has worked with hundreds of the world’s finest secondary schools, colleges, and universities in enhancing their response to underage drinking, alcohol misuse, teen drug use, and mental health.
Jeff has designed and presented programs to universities, Fortune 500 companies, educational conferences, and professional associations. Jeff’s articles and personal comments on adolescent substance abuse and personal development appear in many publications, including NY Times, TIME Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Educational Digest, and Independent School Magazine. He has appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, ABC’s The View, is a regular guest expert for FOX TV , and an expert blogger for The Partnership for a Drug-Free America. He is the author and narrator of the two-disc audio program “Mom, Did You Ever Try Drugs – Answers to the Most-Asked Questions about Parenting, Alcohol and Other Drugs” and “7 Mistakes Parents Make When Talking With Their Teen About Dating.”
