After years of drug and alcohol abuse, an employee at a rehabilitation facility told Chris Herren that the best thing he could do for his family was to never see them again.

Although he was kicked out of college, arrested several times and had been in and out of drug treatment programs, this was the moment, on Aug. 1, 2008, that the former NBA star finally sobered up.

Herren, originally from Fall River, now speaks at 250 schools a year through his foundation, The Herren Project. His goal is to prevent kids from going down the path of addiction that began for him as a middle school student, not only through speaking engagements, but through mentoring, treatment and other programs.

Herren made two appearances in Mattapoisett on Monday, speaking at the high school and junior high.

"This talk is not about drugs and alcohol. It's about self esteem and self confidence. It's about being able to be yourself," he said.

From his first sip of beer to shooting heroine, Herren said he always knew what he was doing was wrong, but he didn't have the confidence to be himself.

"We all want to pretend like it's cool, but it isn't. The kids who don't change, those are my heroes. Keep being you," he told the silent room full of students.

Herren has been sober for seven years and speaking at schools for five.

Before his first speaking engagement at a school, he prayed: "Please God let me make a difference in one kid's life."

That day he met a girl with a difficult home life who had been cutting herself. Frequently bullied at school, Herren's talk gave her the courage to confront the students who harassed her and to stop cutting. He still receives positive progress reports from the girl each month.

"It means more to me than anything I've ever accomplished as a basketball player," he said.

Originally, Herren focused on high school students. That was until a mayor convinced him to speak at a middle school.

Several students left the room in tears during his presentation, and he learned afterwards that an eighth grader at the school had died of an overdose five days earlier after being persuaded to take pills.

"Five years ago I believed you kids were too young. I'll never ever say no to a middle school," said Herren.

Herren said that is when many students break their commitments to themselves to not try alcohol or drugs. Seeing some students hang their heads at his comments, Herren said he knew many in the room had already taking the first sip or the first puff, and he encouraged students to confront their friends who were already trying alcohol and drugs.

In the long run, they'll thank you, said Herren. He told student he wished someone had stopped him and his high school teammates from going down that path.

Six members of his team became heroine addicts, Herren said.

He also said it's OK to tattletale. After all, faith, family and friends have kept him sober, he said.

"Pull an adult aside and bring an adult into it," he said.

He encouraged students to be themselves and to be strong even if they are picked on for not drinking, smoking or doing drugs.

"I wish I never had to change myself. You could take down every record I broke...if I could go back to being 14, 15, 16 years old to feel good enough about myself to not change."

Find more information on The Herren Project at www.theherrenproject.org.