My name is Austin. I am a first generation college student. I struggle with mental health in a serious way. I have been voluntarily hospitalized 5 times to get my medicine right. I was benefitted greatly by doctors who were willing to keep trying and do their best to find out the issue and find what worked. I have a few disorders, my dad as well, and many of my other family members. My dad turned to opiates and alcohol with his challenges. I used to be addicted drugs, but I am three years clean! My family story—and getting effective treatment for my own challenges—has caused me to want to go to school to be a drug and alcohol rehab counselor. I am a sophomore at Idaho State. Even with all of the progress I have made, I still struggle. It takes me longer to do assignments, but I have A grades. I am with disability services with my school. I try to exercise and eat well to manage my energy and focus. I do self care daily, like visualization, and getting 8 hours of sleep. I struggle with my mood and focus constantly, and my anxiety is troublesome often. Without medicine, I would be unable to progress in learning the other skills to help me manage. I am so grateful every day for it. Learning how to support others in their struggle is the most rewarding thing. I found this out working in direct support, a job where you work with those with serious learning or other disabilities that prevent them from living on their own. I found how amazing it was to become their friend and help them rather than just babysit them. I now manage my symptoms and find joy in giving service. I am an Addiction Recovery Program Facilitator. I am a START Program Mentor, a volunteer position at Idaho State University, where I support others. I hold a volunteer part-time position for a local service organization, where we reach out to those who are struggling and provide support and various resources for them. I have a job as a certified Peer Support, and I have very, very little money. I get to care for a variety of “peers” for two hours at their home each week. They really need someone who has been where they are and can help them identify their goals and encourage them. I have experienced homelessness, addiction, suicidal ideation, parental trauma, and substance abuse in the home, so I am right there alongside them. This scholarship will let me pay rent, which I do not know how I am going to make happen. I can only work a few hours a week with all of my schooling and commitments. It is overwhelming sometimes even as it is. I see a counselor myself. I need help to be able to make it through school to be the counselor I can be. I want to specialize in family therapy and treatment centers. I want to help people piece their family back together during and after recovery. I was lucky to get to help bring my family together by bringing my dad back from alcoholism successfully (1 year sober!). This is my career path and hope for the future. I dream of being an CADC and helping others navigate mental health challenges and substance use disorders with research, confidence, patience, and success. I know that addiction can be overcome; it is not what defines us. Those of us overcoming great challenges need to support each other, do our self-care, and be hopeful.

My name is Austin, and I have mental health challenges. How has it affected my life? It threatens every day to crush my dreams, but I do not let it! I set goals, I build habits, and I get back up when I fall down, which happens often. I ask for help. I have been voluntarily hospitalized 5 times to get my medicine right, checking myself in. I was benefitted by doctors who were willing to keep trying and do their best to find out the issue, and they found what worked! I have a few disorders, my dad as well, and many of my other family members. My dad turned to opiates and alcohol with his challenges. That experience, and getting effective treatment for my own mental health and other challenges has inspired me to go to school to be a drug and alcohol rehab counselor. Even with all of the progress I have made, I still struggle. It takes me longer to do assignments, but I have solid A’s in all classes right now and have a good GPA. I am with disability services with my college. I do lots of self care daily. I struggle with my mood and focus constantly, and my anxiety often. Without medicine, I would be unable to progress in learning the other skills to help me succeed. I am grateful every day for it. Learning how to support others in their struggle is the most rewarding thing. I found this out working in direct support, a job where you work with disabilities that prevent them from living on their own. I found how amazing it was to become their friend and help them, rather than just babysit them. I am helping a friend I know, Alex, get support right now; he expresses ideation often. I have taken all of the action with giving him 988, alerting his parents, asking a professional how to help him, helping him create a safety plan with me, and checking in on him often and inviting him to do things. I give back and stay strong by giving as much service as I can. I am an Addiction Recovery Program Facilitator every week. I am a START Program Mentor, a volunteer position at Idaho State University where I support others. I hold a volunteer part-time position for a local service organization, where we reach out to those who are struggling and provide support and various resources for them. I just got a certification and job to be a professional Peer Support. I get to care for “peers” for two hours at their home each week; they really need someone who has been where they are and can help them identify their goals and brainstorm how to solve their problems (I have experienced homelessness, addiction, suicidal ideation, parental trauma, substance abuse in the home). I need as much help as I can get to be able to make it through school to be a drug and alcohol rehab counselor, as I am low income. I am on track to reach my goals, where I want to specialize in family therapy and treatment centers. I want to help others with mental health recovery. I yearn to help them piece their family back together during and after recovery. I was lucky to get to help bring my family together, and bring my dad back from alcoholism. This is my career path and hope for the future. I believe that life can be improved. It is not what defines us. We seek help and tools, support each other, and stay optimistic.

My name is Austin Job, and I am a maverick. I feel it every time I wake up at 6:00 AM to run my morning routine. I feel it every time someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up. I feel it every time I invite someone new to get sober and stay on the path of recovery, and every time I bring someone to a support meeting. I feel it so strongly every time I remember what my past once looked like, and what it looks like now. I have taken a markedly different road from my peers. I engage in no video games. I watch no TV. I eat healthier than anyone I've ever met. I woke up this morning and ran a 5k up a mountain, somewhere new, and I brought one of my roommates along! (I have been helping him a lot in his recovery and in getting outside) I have no social media, except for a Facebook account to which I post uplifting messages once or twice a month. I organize outdoor adventures and I gather all walks of life to come with, friends I know and friends I don't--yet. This summer I have 2 planned already! One is a rock climbing trip to the red rock of Utah, and another is a 10-hour caving expedition with I guide I found, in Idaho (where I live). These are the things I choose to do for my "fun". I don't use any substances to artificially influence my mood. I don't buy fast food, I engineer new ways to eat healthy and do so efficiently. I don't go to bed late, I'm in bed at 10:00. I try and learn new things, like playing the piano nightly. I schedule my homework, I serve in my local church, I go to recovery meetings every week without fail, and I attend college with joy. I start and end every day with meditation. Then, in the mornings, I align myself with my values in spiritual studies for 45 min (which includes the time I dedicate to helping those I know in need), then I run or bike for 45 mins. I just today wrote a college paper (in a class I love), and in it, I illustrated why I do these things. "My current goals of being in-tune with my spirituality, enjoying a fresh, invigorated mind, keeping stress levels in the optimum range for performance and life satisfaction, being of quality service to others, having a strong capability to adventure physically into the beautiful world around me, maintaining a sustainable way of eating that meets my biological needs, and being prepared and scheduled to reach these and other peripheral goals—these are my motivating factors. These are also the factors that played a key role in my success" They say there is this thing called post-traumatic growth. It is when a person, after experiencing extreme hardship and challenges, sometimes grows remarkably rapidly after. I am this person. I was homeless, drug-addicted, and had no hopes of going to college. Then I found God, found hope, and found my passion--helping others get sober, too. My chosen career path is a CADC (certified drug and alcohol counselor). I get to practice with my friends and my dad...always in love. My dad has been through the two treatment centers I put him through, and almost has his life completely back from alcoholism! I was his main and almost only supporter. I am dedicated to giving my time to help others, and in pioneering health. Thank you for your consideration.

The outbreak and ensuing pandemic of COVID-19 majorly affected the availability of Substance Use Disorder treatment options, while simultaneously escalating the public health risks associated with addiction. People more stressed, according to research, are isolated and far less engaged in physical activities. According to the CDC and the American Medical Association, more Americans have reported starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to COVID-19. Overdoses have also spiked since the onset of the pandemic, and this dangerous trend has continued. (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/03/substance-use-pandemic). I can envision an ideal part of the response to this national issue, and it would be to capitalize on a support network that lies all around us—the internet. It has the potential to privately, safely, and reliably reach many affected individuals. It would have no location boundaries. It would not force those who wish to get treatment quietly to come out in full view. I strongly advocate that no matter where addiction treatment occurs, focusing on the implementation of supplemental healthy “biological support in addiction” programs would greatly contribute to the success of the organization. The mission of this recovery center would be: to create a support structure around an individual and then help them build a healthy lifestyle in pursuit of stable, prolonged remission of substance abuse. The biological health programs would include: balancing nutrition, regulating exercise, and a focus on the development of daily routines that include routine sleep/wake times. To illustrate: from Munis Topcuoglu at EHN Canada, “Eating a healthy diet helps you with addiction recovery in a number of specific ways such as stabilizing your mood, improving your focus, increasing your energy, and making you better at resisting cravings for addictive substances and behaviors.  Conversely, nutrient deficiencies can make addiction recovery more difficult by making you more susceptible to depression, distraction, fatigue, and cravings." (https://www.edgewoodhealthnetwork.com/resources/blog/how-healthy-eating-can-help-you-with-addiction-recovery/) More research shows how sleep, routine, and physical exercise (75-150 min of vigorous activity per week, or 3-5 hours of moderate intensity activity) is essential to health and a key component of recovery from SUD. I am of the firm opinion that these elements, paired with the skillsets of amazing counselors, would make the most impact on the greatest number of lives. This center would guide each person embarking on the journey of recovery to meet with people like nutritionists and time management specialists. They would attend classes on sleep, hygiene, meal preparation, and have qualified guest speakers present on the facets of building a healthy lifestyle to replace addiction. Innovative ways to use technology would mesh principles that have been proven with in-person support groups. Networking recovering people together provides peer support, accountability, and a place for those in treatment to present their progress and insight to other individuals or a group. Technology makes many other things possible that aren’t without it. Using apps would help clients set goals, share goals, and track goals. They would get social praise and badges for progress. Technology would provide them easy access to a relapse prevention plan, and an emergency call line for when the inevitable difficult times come. I use apps to help manage my recovery and my behavior. I set goals, have an accountability partner I meet with bi-weekly, and enjoy my weekly counseling visits. Routines, eating well, exercising, and sleeping regularly are the physical foundations of my personal life and recovery. I have been excited for a while to become a drug and alcohol rehab counselor, to be one of the individuals who makes it their main objective to grant an addict the framework to change their life. I believe in the power of a counselor who stands beside a recovering soul. I want to further this field, and innovate in the healing process. Like many of you, I had to find my way. I know the heartache of a crumbling life, the shame of relapse, and the trap of just making it to the next chemically-induced good time. I have lost jobs, places to live, and life aspirations to my drug-addicted years. I, too, have started from the very bottom a few times. My dad is currently starting over in rehab. I am committed to helping and supporting him.