Helping Others See that Recovery is Possible

“I've just got a passion to help somebody and use my story in any way possible to help somebody else,” says Tristan, a Recovery Project Coordinator in Mason County, Illinois. “It has given me a purpose in life. If my vulnerability and transparency will help someone else, that is what I will do!”  

A New Purpose: Tristan’s Journey to Recovery Service

As a Recovery Project Coordinator, Tristan supports Chestnut Health Systems and Logan/Mason County Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care to build their capacity and support more residents. While the position doesn’t require that Tristan have lived experience with recovery, he does, and his success has reignited his long-standing desire to serve others in need. Tristan originally went to college for physical education and planned on becoming a coach. However, he ended up working in the local chapter of the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union before applying to Recovery Corps. Once he began his recovery journey, he wanted to use what he learned to show others that recovery is possible. 

In Tristan’s first year of service, he focused on supplying the community with harm reduction supplies like naloxone, a life-saving medicine that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. His service organization worked closely with local organizations to gather the medical goods, which Tristan then delivered to various sites to rural areas in Mason County. 

Breaking Stigma: Changing in Rural Communities

Not all encounters Tristan had were easy, but he was up for the challenge. One hurdle was destigmatizing recovery and raising awareness of the issue in his community. In one small town, Tristan engaged in a dialogue with local police about misconceptions around recovery. By making sure everyone felt heard and that their concerns were taken seriously, he was able to turn skepticism into positive partnership. 

“By the end of it, one of the officers said, ‘I appreciate what you're doing in the community. If I can help in any way, let me know.’”   

Because Tristan comes from a small community himself, many people remember him before he started his recovery, including some local police officers and judges. Seeing them under wildly different, and better, circumstances has helped him change minds in the community about what’s possible. Tristan is living proof that recovery is attainable. 

“A lot of folks think that we never recover,” he explains. “But to have somebody else come in who's been through it and can sit down and explain, ‘This is where I was,’ they can see somebody that has struggled for a long time and now got their life back.” 

Breaking the Silence: Advocating for Open Conversations on Recovery

Tristan also joined Recovery Corps because he knows what it’s like to feel the stigma of asking for help. He wants to do his part to change that and he’s already seeing that impact in Mason County. 

“The silence almost killed me, and that's what I see across the board,” he says. “Everybody is affected in one way or another. Breaking that stigma and recovering out loud is what I try to do. It's okay to talk about having a problem and getting the help you need!” 

Today, Tristan is eager to start his second year as a Recovery Project Coordinator. Serving with Recovery Corps has been a great opportunity for him to use his experience to support other people in recovery in their community! 

“To be able to have this chance to give back and also strengthen my recovery, it’s just been amazing,” he says. “It's nice to be able to share that with others: There is hope and there are ways to get your life back in order.” 

Now that he’s on track to launch a career in the recovery community, Tristan can’t help but think back to his work in the bricklayers union, where success was easy to see as the walls were built brick by brick. In his service now, progress isn’t always visible and some days it’s hard to see at all. However, Tristan says there are other days that make it all worthwhile. 

"When you hear 'we appreciate what you're doing for our community' or you see someone come out of the grips of addiction... it reminds us why we are doing what we're doing." 

Recovery Corps is looking for passionate people to serve in Illinois, Minnesota, and Virginia. If you care about recovery, please visit recoverycorps.us to learn more about opportunities to make a difference in a community near you!