Frank Montesano 2.0
My name is Frankie and I have been in recovery for 4 ½ years.
First and foremost, I am proud of myself for maintaining my sobriety. During this time, I’ve completed all requirements for my probation sentence, and I will be able to have my record sealed in the near future. I decided to go back to school, and I am currently working on obtaining my undergraduate degree in human services with an emphasis on substance use and recovery. I started volunteering almost 2 years ago at SRC, and now I am happy to say that I am employed by SRC. I currently hold the titles of outplaced coach and group coordinator. This accomplishment has brought a lot of meaning into my life and has given me a sense of purpose that I did not have before. I have had the opportunity to further my education through training and on-the-job experience, which has afforded me the ability to obtain my state credential as a Colorado Peer and Family Specialist. In doing so, I have the motivation and drive to continue my career in this field and grow in my personal and professional life.
Pushing away supportive friends and family who cared about me and diminishing my own self-worth to where it was almost nonexistent were the lowest points in my life. I was not aware of the amount of harm and damage I caused to people close to me. I was not even aware of the damage I was doing to myself mentally and physically. I had lost a significant amount of weight along with many other health concerns due to my substance use, which did not convince me to make a lifestyle change. Ultimately, it took a push from the justice system with the possibility of a long prison sentence for me to realize the lifestyle I was living was not sustainable and that I wanted to better myself.
As the Outplaced Coach Coordinator at SRC, I work alongside other organizations to offer their participants peer coaching services. This includes helping them navigate community resources and remove barriers along their path to recovery. As the group coordinator at SRC, I do my best to get as many diverse pathways to recovery under one roof as possible. Everybody’s recovery is different, and I want to be able to support our participants in whichever pathway they believe is best for them.