Michael J. Wilson Jr.

Michael Wilson was born in Brunswick, Maine in 1976 and grew up in Beverly, Massachusetts, where he still lives and works today. He spent many of his younger years in active addiction, struggling through repeated attempts at recovery. Those experiences, and the process that eventually led him to get well and change his life, became the foundation for everything he does now.

His service work in Beverly began in 2008 with various supportive and leadership roles in coalitions and a local substance abuse task force. His passion for helping families drove him to build a new set of services for families in his community, paving the way for more family-focused work to be available around addiction and recovery.

Michael found a way to bridge the gap between families in crisis and the professional support they needed. He offers his insights and experience through direct family services, professional training, support groups, and speaking engagements. He is always looking for new ways to be part of the solution.

After years of working directly with families in crisis, Michael saw a consistent problem: families were either being left out of the process entirely or being handed a one-size-fits-all approach that didn't account for the complexity of their situation. The intervention field was dominated by confrontational methods that often did more harm than good.

The CFI (Certified Family-Focused Interventions) model was born from the belief that the family system is central to lasting change. Instead of focusing solely on the individual with a substance use disorder, CFI works with the entire family: educating, organizing, and guiding them through a structured process that respects everyone's dignity and autonomy.

Since 2009, Michael has trained professionals across the country in this approach. The program integrates family systems theory, motivational interviewing, addiction education, and ethical professional practice into a comprehensive framework that professionals can apply immediately.