Did you or someone you know suffer from addiction? 

I grew up in a house with an alcoholic father, who passed away from the disease when I was 11 years old. I myself struggled from a young age until getting sober when I was 24. 

• How did this motivate you and the work you do? 

• Growing up in an alcoholic household, and having my own personal struggles has allowed me to really understand each vantage point of addiction, because it truly is a family disease. I saw what this disease did to me as a young girl with my fathers struggles, and how much agony I caused my mother while I was struggling. It’s a very helpless place to be in. I truly believe that no family should have to go through that alone, and I pride myself on being a resource to bridge the gap between that struggle and the solution.

What is your favorite part of the work you do?

It’s really hard to choose my favorite part of the work I do. I think my most favorite part is being able to see someone come in on their first day and watching the transformation happen while they’re in our care. Their cheeks get fuller, their eyes get brighter. They start talking to their families again and start having conversations that have hope. My second favorite would be staying in contact with clients after they leave and watching them not only survive but truly thrive in their lives

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to someone going through recovery?

“You can’t think your way into better actions, but you can act your way into better thinking. Move a muscle, change a thought”…It’s  something I still say to myself today.

How does Diamond strive to make a lasting impact on their patients?

We take a very strong interest in creating community from the time of admission. When a client leaves, they get connected to a weekly zoom meeting where they can talk about their struggles and accomplishments, and be a part of something greater.

How do you want to implement change in the treatment community?

I want to continue to recover out loud. I’ve been blessed and worked very hard to be employable, honest, hard-working and sober for some time now. I want that to also be what you think of when thinking of addiction. If I continue to tell my experience I think I can show people two important things; 1. Addiction isn’t just a homeless person under a bridge but can also be the high functioning individual that turns to a substance for comfort. 2. Recovery is possible for anyone that wants it.

Where have you seen the biggest change in the addiction treatment landscape over the last few years?

When I started in the industry six years ago, there was still a lot of stigma surrounding addiction and mental health. It’s been really cool the past couple of years to see more and more people, especially those with a social platform being vulnerable and sharing their struggles to shine a light on not having to struggle alone.

How do you implement the importance of mental health into the work you do?

Individuals with substance use disorders have a high prevalence of co-occurring mental health disorders. Very rarely do you get one without the other. Treating only the substance use is only half the battle. Each individual truly deserves a comprehensive treatment plan, which is what they get at Diamond Recovery.

What makes Diamond Recovery unique?

With most of our staff being in recovery, there is a level of compassion that is crucial, especially when dealing with individuals in the beginning stages of their recovery journey.