This blog post is the third in a series especially for Recovery Month, highlighting our staff members and their journey to recovery. The Council knows the road to recovery is not an easy one – and that journey is made all the more difficult when shame, stigma, and judgment get in the way. At The Council, we’ve been there. That’s why our team is committed to providing compassionate care, free of judgment and full of support.
My recovery journey began when the woman who would later be my supervisor walked into Plane State Jail and gave me the hope and courage to face the fear of change. My recovery coach, Cynthia Branch worked with me for three months preparing me for re-entry into citizenship. Then upon my release, she connected me with stage appropriate resources to help me build my recovery capital so I could enjoy and sustain long term recovery.
After two years of recovery, Cynthia trained me to be a recovery coach and I worked side by side with her, going into the prison and the very dorm I had been incarcerated in. She role-modeled recovery first, then recovery coaching. Now I am uniquely qualified to help others initiate and sustain long term recovery.
