Featured PRA Member: Sharon Young

PRA:  What's your educational background and why did you choose psychiatric rehabilitation as your field/profession?

Young:  I have a Liberal Arts degree, a Masters in General Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.  In graduate school I had the great privilege of receiving grants from the Ohio Department of Mental Health that were given out in order to actualize and further the exciting new recovery paradigm in the state of Ohio.  I find great meaning and fulfillment in psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery work.  It is not only about transforming individual lives, it is also a civil rights movement that is transforming society in crucial ways. . . just being a part of it is inspiring and  life affirming.  

PRA:  Tell us about the jobs you held before you were practicing psychiatric rehab and recovery.

Young:  Other than working in restaurants to earn money for college, pretty much all of my jobs have been in the mental health field and have incorporated some aspect of psych rehab and recovery.  Some of the early jobs I had were as a wilderness counselor for adolescents, a hot line worker and house manger for a program for domestic violence survivors, and a psych tech.  
I also volunteered for a few years in the Peace Corps in Guinea West Africa as a health education and community development volunteer.  

PRA:  Tell us what's unique about your organization program? 

Young:  A few colleagues in Hendersonville, NC and I have launched Full Circle Counseling and Wellness Center.  After having the privilege of developing programming for a holistic, recovery-based therapeutic community called CooperRiis  for 12 years, I decided to embrace the challenge of translating this model to a more accessible community wellness center setting.  We have created a unique hybrid of a community center, a wellness center and a counseling center that both fosters community and serves the community.  It is a special place where anyone from the community can offer and partake in a variety of activities and services including tai chi, therapy, mindfulness classes, a board game night, and a Strong Girls Movie night.  Although there are specialized services and supports related to emotional distress and substance use challenges, everyone is welcome. It it our belief that it is time to stop the process of wellness service segregations for individuals with emotional distress and substance use issues. 

Full Circle also offers consultation services related to program development and evaluation.  I recently finished a recovery oriented physical wellness program development project for a Peer Run Agency called Promise Resource Network in Charlotte, NC.  It has been tremendously fulfilling to see individuals who contend with poverty, emotional distress and substance use embrace these new opportunities. I also have provided consultation in New Mexico related to launching a new health farm community.  

I also work part time for a Peer Run Agency called Promise Resource Network in Charlotte, NC.  I am developing a Health and Wellness Program for them that serves exceptional individuals with MH and SA challenges who also tend to struggle with poverty and stigma.  It is tremendously fulfilling to see individuals embrace these new opportunities. 

PRA:  What's the greatest challenge you face in your role?

Young:  One ambitious goal is to make services accessible, and to do so mostly outside of the traditional system.  At Full Circle we offer a sliding fee scale of services and are exploring ways to provide scholarships and to generate other sources of revenue such as a micro-enterprise.  We also are in the formative stages of creating an Equal Opportunity Wellness Collective with like-minded organizations.  This is a creative and worthy challenge.

PRA:  What do you consider your greatest accomplishment in your role?

Young:  With both of my work settings, my colleagues and I are attempting to demonstrate a new way of approaching health, wellness , community building and recovery.  One of the most inspiring things to me has been the way local communities have responded with multiple offers of volunteerism and donations.  In Hendersonville, we were thrilled to discover that a third of the community members who filled out a needs and interest assessment expressed the desire to offer some sort of free class or service in multiple areas ranging from art classes to computer skills training to leadership development.  In Charlotte, local providers have volunteered free yoga classes and equipment, free cooking classes, and free massage therapy.  This is community at its best!  

PRA:  What keeps you in this field, despite the challenges in #4?

Young:  Doing this type of work and community service is my calling and my passion.  The courage, progress and healing of individuals and communities inspires me on a daily basis.  

PRA:  If you weren’t doing what you do, and making a living/salary were not a consideration, what would you be doing instead or what would you do in retirement?

Young:  Now that is a fun question!  I would love to travel the world to learn about different approaches to healing in different cultures and then to find a way to help various cultures learn from one another.  While traveling I would also like to do a lot of hiking and nature photography.  I have heard about retirees who volunteer and live at various National Parks.  That would be incredible!