My name is Robert Shearon, I am a recovery and wellness coach at RECONNECTED Foundation with an emphasis on reintegration into higher education. Serving as RECONNECTED Foundation’s founder and Executive Director, I currently reside in my hometown of Vail, CO and have lived and established strong recovery communities in New York City, Boulder and Vail. I have been in continuous recovery from all mood-altering substances since 2013.
I helped develop and manage the collegiate recovery program at University of Colorado, Boulder from 2015-2022. I use my experience from working in higher education to help students navigate the university setting while building a recovery community around them.
I have a passion for combining the outdoors with people’s journeys in recovery. I have organized events from week-long camping trips to national skiathons where over 300 college students resulted in lifelong connections that have helped them to maintain their recovery. I help individuals create recovery plans for themselves where they are empowered to create SMART goals and be accountable to their plan.
During my time as a student at CU Boulder I found recovery and was able to have a “true” college experience that rivaled the stereotypical one in terms of having fun and creating friendships that are strong almost a decade later.
I make it my mission to help clients to realize that recovery can be fun and achievable. It is my purpose to provide opportunity for others by connecting them with like minded individuals which have the potential to be lifelong relationships. By stewarding healthy relationships with peers, clients can set and achieve realistic and attainable goals with someone that is dedicated to urging them in that direction.
My name is Jessica and I am RECONNECTED Foundation’s Director of Peer Support and Education. Originally from Tampa, Florida, I currently live in Vail, Colorado. I relocated to Vail in 2019 to continue my pursuit in behavioral health and further my yoga training education.
My recovery career began with a Yoga of Recovery certification in 2021. During this certification, I gained valuable insight and resources on a unique path of recovery. In 2022, I worked at a residential treatment facility that provided care for individuals struggling with mental health and substance use disorder. During my time there, I received a scholarship from Colorado Mountain College to complete all of the required education for my Certified Addiction Technician license. I provided peer support services, conducted intake assessments, and facilitated group therapy sessions.
Three months into my employment, I was appointed to develop a Mindfulness program and curated a 6-week curriculum that included science-based mindfulness education, trauma-informed approaches to recovery, and mindfulness-based experiential learning. I offered one-on-one meditation sessions with clients, breathing exercises, and breathwork sessions following Ketamine-assisted therapy. Additionally, I was selected to develop and facilitate Cultural Trauma educational sessions for staff and clients. This curriculum focused heavily on the impact of language, social equity, and the disparities that can exist in residential treatment settings.
I am deeply committed to being of service to individuals struggling with mental health and substance use disorder. During my recovery career, I have gained valuable skills in active listening, motivational interviewing, and compassionate connection. My approach to peer support is entirely informed by empathy and mindfulness. Based on my lived experience as a woman of color in recovery, I am equally passionate about making recovery accessible to communities of color. I believe that every single person deserves the opportunity to enjoy a life of recovery. It is my ultimate goal to de-stigmatize the conversation around substance use disorder and break down barriers to access for historically excluded communities.
During my teens, alcohol unknowingly became my medicine to cope with childhood trauma. Upon entering the technology field in 2014, my drinking grew significantly worse. Over the next 7 years, I found myself shackled to my substance abuse. It wasn’t until 2021 that I gained the courage to face my struggles head-on and seek support from my therapist for substance abuse.
Reconnected Foundation
PO Box 43
Avon, Colorado 81620