David J. Sperling

David J. Sperling is a writer/filmmaker, chemical dependency instructor and custody officer.  He has worked in a jail for nearly 20 years and has been certified as a hostage/crisis negotiator by the FBI.  Sperling also has a teaching credential and a psychology degree.  He teaches suicide prevention, self esteem construction, and various other inter-related topics.  His compassion in places where it "doesn't belong" in conjunction with his "real world" approach to understanding people adds even more to his dynamic presentations.

Sperling is perhaps best know for his award-winning documentary film, "DRUNK IN PUBLIC" which chronicles the tragic last 15 years in the life of Mark David Allen, a man arrested nearly 500 times.  Sperling's post screening discussion is moving and inspiring.  His compassion is contagious and audience approval is off the charts.

There are many subjects that can be discussed regarding his film, which is used all over the country in recovery centers, hospitals, schools, jails & prisons.  Sperling has many humorous anecdotes as will as insights on system failure, addiction, human choices and "caring where it doesn't belong".  Sperling also touches on the process of goal achievement in a manner rarely discussed, such as, "What happens when you lose, fail, or burnout?"  Sperling knows this first hand from working within the system and seeing the daily exercises in futility.  "How do you pull merit and fruit from such situations?"

The film alone is remarkable, with nothing on record that shows the proggressive nature of addiction as well as it does.  But Sperling's decades of corrections insight, recovery success stories, crisis work, and education is the real key.  His skill set is extremely unusual and rewarding to those fortunate enough to hear him speak.