Robert Raymond
Recovery Services Administrator
Recovery Innovations of Arizona
From an early age I learned what it was like to cope with challenges and, with the help of others, rise above them. I grew up in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where my early physical and emotional challenges made socialization and just “fitting-in” a difficult process. As I grew and developed, trial and error eventually allowed me to discover that just being myself gave me the opportunity to achieve and to excel in those things that became important to me. Most important are the relationships I have built with people throughout my life, and that I continue to build here at Recovery Innovations.
I received my Bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Providence College, with a dual major in Philosophy and Music. I then moved into the Master of Science program at the University of Rhode Island, majoring in Speech/Language Pathology. Then it was off to the University of Connecticut School of Law to get my Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. As you can see, I believe in a wide-ranging education!
It was after my graduation from law school and a few years into my practice when I developed the psychological challenges which would result in a sea change in my life. In a period of approximately six months, I went from having my own practice in Newport, RI, being happily married, and living in a happy home to losing my ability to earn an income, going bankrupt, getting divorced, and ending up homeless and on the streets. My old life stared me in the face each day, as the courthouse was just across the street from the homeless shelter. This downward spiral was followed by ten years in which my life consisted of constant visits to psychiatric hospitals, a never-ending rotation of psychiatric medications and treatments, and isolating in an apartment in Arizona paid for by Social Security Disability. It seemed to me that my life had sunk into a pit from which I would never be able to extract myself.
It was at this moment that Recovery Innovations, then known as META Services, first came into my life. It all started with a case manager sending me to WRAP classes taught by META peers, just to get me out of my house. Soon came the realization that if the peers that were teaching me had been able to recover, just maybe there was hope that I could recover as well. I finished the WRAP classes, went on to Peer Employment Training, and eventually got a job working for the company as a Peer Support Crisis Specialist. The ensuing years saw me taking on new responsibilities and gradually rising through the ranks as my confidence and competence improved. I’m currently proud to serve in a leadership role for Recovery Innovations, heading up the company’s Recovery Connections Line.
I feel honored to be able to give back to a company whose influence has meant so much to my recovery. The opportunity to “pay it forward” and show other people who may be experiencing challenges that there is hope for a brighter future makes each day a delight. Recovery Innovations is a place of transformation. I’m lucky in that I get to see others grow and transform each and every day. I look forward to helping people find that “meaning and purpose in life” that makes our individual journeys so uniquely special.