Rachael

Senior firsthand Guide
Nashville, TN

Rachael has a strong passion for helping others and has worked in many roles in homeless services and substance use treatment throughout her career. She started her own small nonprofit in Utah, which focused on harm reduction and meeting people where they are in active addiction to find and maintain recovery when they are ready. Rachael has personally struggled with addiction and has been sober since 2017.

Rachael has a unique approach to recovery, and created her own group for people who did not fit into traditional 12-step programs. She credits this group, along with a spiritual awakening and her desire to be a better mother to her children, as major factors in her recovery journey. 

Rachael began using drugs and alcohol at a young age and has a long history of addiction. She believes that mental health and substance use are closely intertwined and that addressing both is crucial for lasting recovery. In her journey, she has struggled with mental health issues, including major depression. In an attempt to feel better, she would use drugs, which worked for a time. Eventually they stopped working, but she continued to chase that feeling by using. 

Rachael has experienced incarceration and also has experience navigating the challenges of the healthcare system, including difficulty accessing therapy and other treatment options, especially while on Medicaid.

Rachael believes that being of service to others is crucial to her recovery, and she’s found her role at firsthand to be particularly fulfilling in that regard. She is able to support and advise people who are actively using, and is able to connect with and understand the needs of underserved and misunderstood populations. The individuals that Rachael works with often feel forgotten and that nobody cares about them. She loves being able to spend the necessary time to give individuals the care and services they truly deserve, and she’s committed to using her own experiences to make an impact in the lives of others.

Rachael enjoys spending time outdoors, particularly at the beach or camping. She is proud of her recovery and the relationships she has built with the individuals she has supported through her work at firsthand.