Hope Lives Here. Meet our substance use recovery coaches.
At OneEighty, recovery coaches are familiar with recovery because they’ve had their own lived experience with substance use or mental health issues, and they’ve been successful in their recovery journey. “We’re living, breathing examples that recovery is possible,” OneEighty Recovery Coach, Lori Radakovich explained. She self-identifies as being in active substance use recovery from substance use. This is also what qualifies her to work alongside our clients as a mentor. Like the rest of our mental health and substance use recovery coaches, she’s also been certified by Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services. And like our clinical staff, OneEighty recovery coaches are required to obtain Continuing Education Credits.
They understand because they’ve been there.
“I went from the basement to the third floor and back again – that’s my story. I was really kind of lost on how to change my life and how to deal with being an alcoholic,” Lori offered. “I had already been through the Alcohol Education Program (AEP) class, and I had gone back to the AEP class after I got another DUI back in 2017. I really wanted to change my life but had no idea how to do that. So, I started going to Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) counseling and went through that AEP class again, for the second time.” This time it stuck. Lori ended up doing her community service work at Oasis Recovery Club (located at our main office). Then she stayed on as a volunteer. “As a recovery coach, I’m able to give back the same hope I was given. That’s rewarding,” Lori added.
“For me, it started because I didn’t want to go to prison. Something had to change, and I was finally ready for it,” OneEighty Recovery Coach Drew Sherwood reflected. “It wasn’t a single event. But it was definitely a spiritual experience for me. I began searching for meaning and purpose in earnest while I was in treatment. That was the beginning of my recovery journey.”
If they recover, so can you.
As substance use coaches Lori and Drew are available to listen, provide hands-on support, and offer practical coping strategies. “When you have legal consequences, when you have your license suspended, when you’re on probation, when you’re losing your kids, you’ll find plenty of advice from people,” Lori observed. “But I can tell you that I flock toward people who have the lived experience like I do. And if it can get better for me, it can get better for you.”
No two substance use recovery journeys are the same.
Whether its navigating troubled relationships, legal issues, employment challenges, or housing needs, our recovery coaches help connect clients with the programs, services, and community resources that can help. “It can be a challenge just to get clients to stay long enough to get to that next step,” Lori explained. “There are rehab clients we’ve seen from being on the on-call hotline through to detox, to residential, to transitional, to sober living, recovery housing, and beyond. Treatment is definitely client-specific though. Every client doesn’t need every program service or support.”
“It’s not a counseling session, but sometimes clients just need a person to bounce off ideas and validate the issues they’re struggling with and realize that everybody has their own set of challenges,” Drew Sherwood noted. “Witnessing a client even accomplish the smallest goal is inspiring, but seeing them get their kids back, that’s life changing.”
Our focus is on your recovery.
OneEighty recovery coaches offer services that are individualized, recovery-focused, and based on a relationship that supports the individual’s ability to promote their own recovery. They’re not only mentors in recovery, but a source of hope and inspiration. Finding support from someone who really gets it – because they’ve actually “been there” – is an important connection for clients who are struggling with sobriety. This is exactly what clients appreciate about Lori and Drew.
We’re here to support you.
We help people change direction with programs for addiction, domestic violence, rape crisis, mental health, housing, and prevention and education. OneEighty strives to offer a safe and welcoming environment to the LGBTQIA+ community – offering a counseling staff with a wide range of backgrounds and specialties, including those that work with the LGBT community. At OneEighty, we actively support an evidence-based approach to sustainable mental health and substance use recovery from trauma and addiction – restoring dignity and purpose, reimagining potential, and rebuilding lives.