Ring in 2023 with TeamARC!

Meet Trailblazer Brandy Anderson, Voyage ATL Interview

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Staff Spotlight: Jacqueline Adams

Jacqueline Adams (she/they) is a counselor, social worker, and grants specialist who works with people in recovery with diverse identities to address stigma, mindfulness, trauma(s), and oppressions. She identifies as a Southern, out pansexual queer person in long-term recovery. She currently serves Acceptance Recovery Center as the Special Populations Counselor and Grants Specialist. She offers trauma responsive and culturally affirming therapeutic services using client-centered and harm reduction approaches. Jacqueline has written grants and supported stigmatized and oppressed populations through her work with nonprofits, local government, and universities since 2012. She has taught Cultural Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Ethnic Studies at three universities. They have been awarded for their outstanding commitment to LGBTQIA+ communities in Ohio and Georgia. She holds master’s degrees in Social Work (UGA) and the arts (WKU) as well as a Substance Use Counseling Graduate Certificate from UGA. She is a doctoral candidate in American Culture Studies (BGSU) and has graduate certificates in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Ethnic Studies.

Throughout their journey with #TeamARC they have modeled our core values while bringing affirming education and counseling to our program. Jacqueline recently wrote an ACC grant for our program, and we were awarded the funds for our Prince location! This was an extremely competitive grant, and we are so excited that we were awarded with these funds.

Jacqueline brings so much to our team, and we are so grateful for them. Thank you for helping us give recovery a voice!

Jamie Tall: Recovery is Real | ARC Women’s Center

Goodbye Letter to Addiction

Dear Addiction,

I remember when you first came into my life. I thought you would ease the pain of my youth and make my present pain go away. I also thought that you could ease many of the struggles including issues I had in my personal and professional life. I believed that the more I poured into you, the less I would have to worry about my other problems. For a while, everything seemed fine. Seemed like you and I had a great relationship, but I was wrong.

You brought me more pain and suffering and became the neediest relationship I’ve ever had. All you ever did was take and take more than you gave. Then, you stopped giving it all.

You took almost everything away from me. You took away my job. You took away my family members and you took away my friends. Eventually, you took everything away from me. You became a nightmare. You made me do things I never thought I would be capable of doing. You made me what I hated the most.

It has become clear that everything is not okay. You were ruining me. You became incredibly cruel. You were constantly blocking me from doing any of the things I wanted to do. In that sense, you quickly became my worst nightmare.

Now, I am making the decision to leave you. I am deciding that I have had enough of you. You thought that you would be able to get rid of me. No, that will not happen. I will not let it, because I am stronger than you and I am saying goodbye. Without you, I am accomplishing more than I ever have. Without you, I am returning to the life and people I once loved because I know they still love me.

To my addiction, this is a goodbye. I never want to see you again. I am moving forward, I am a happier person without you, I am able to hold my children and watch them grow. My life is complete without you.

Demeika G.