Nick Griemsmann
Recovery Services Administrator
Recovery Innovations of Arizona
In my early 20’s, I found myself struggling with mental health challenges. I was experiencing many different things that I could not explain. After losing my job, friends, housing and finances due to my mental health and substance use challenges, I found myself in the mental health system. I was in and out of the hospital, struggled with homelessness, had no hope and couldn’t find myself. Until one day as I was on my way to take my regular two week medication shot from the nurse at the local mental health facility, I was introduced to a man who worked for Recovery Innovations. This man explained to me that recovery was possible and that there was great hope for my future. Before this time, I was told by many providers that I was never going to work again, go to school, have my own housing or be able to have my own family. I was also under the belief that mental challenges were incurable and that I was going to be on government assistance for the rest of my life.
After hearing the message of recovery and having that seed of hope sown into my heart, I started to pursue recovery. After a period of several months I went through different groups and classes and eventually went through Recovery Innovations Peer Employment Training. Soon after that I received a job as a Peer Support Specialist.
As I grew in my recovery, I moved into a leadership position as a Team Leader and now as a Recovery Services Administrator. I am so proud to say that ‘Recovery is Reality’ and that I truly believe it. Today, I am off of every form of government assistance, I am not case managed and over a period of time, I worked with my doctors to slowly discontinue my 8 medications that I was taking.
So now, I have a new life where my hope for the future is great. I live in the North Phoenix area by a beautiful mountain where I go hiking a lot. Every time I am on the mountain I think about how far I have come to overcome my challenges and how much hope there is for people to overcome the mountains in their lives. I am so thankful to have experienced recovery and without Recovery Innovations and the hope that I received from the recovery principles taught here, I do not know where I would be today. I look forward to creating new opportunities for people to recover and to find hope, meaning and purpose in their life and the lives of their loved ones. Recovery is possible, believe it!