What No One Tells You About Becoming a Certified Recovery Coach
While on Federal Probation for a Crime Most Relegate to State Prosecutors in a Local Office
In 2019, I was charged with possession of a weapon by a prohibited person — after acquiring a weapon following a personal assault:
No One Believed Me, But I Know the Truth
Author's Note: These are from events that transpired when I was barely 27, I wrote this two years ago. Content Warning: Shows Photos of Assault
I never used it, never had ammunition. But after a nearby municipal shooting, I was treated as an example. A Facebook post I had made was misinterpreted — it wasn't part of the final charge, but it shaped how I was seen.
That moment rewrote my life.
I received over five years of federal probation, a year of house arrest, and daily or twice-daily selfie check-ins. I paid over $200/month for an ankle monitor. Worse than the financial burden was the emotional toll — wearing that device made me a walking target. I was even preyed upon by someone I believe used the monitor to identify me.
Still, I kept going.
In 2021, I launched a photography business and worked hard — but just as I began gaining momentum, I failed a drug test due to secondhand marijuana exposure. My choice?
Jail time or rehab. I went to rehab.
From there, I became a Certified Recovery Coach, drawing from my degree in psychology to help others in ways I wish someone had helped me.
Since then, I’ve tried again and again to build a new life.
After transferring to Florida, I finally signed a lease, found stability, and started fresh. I lived there for 9 months until one day I received a heart dropping email: I was told to return to Virginia. All my efforts — three jobs, a new home, a new support network — were erased by someone who barely knew me. It felt cruel at best.
I came back.
I made a short film, Heroine, trying to process it all, but inside I felt shattered. Some of the people I encountered along the way helped, others caused more harm. It rocked my world and left me emotionally gutted.
In fall 2023, I filed a motion for early termination of my probation to accept a job at Eupepsia, a wellness retreat in Bland, Virginia. I believed in the opportunity and thought I’d be approved. I had no violations, was doing everything right. But the motion was denied.
A few months later — more bad news. I won’t even go into the details. But what’s clear is this: it’s nearly impossible to live freely or on your own terms when every decision, every breath, is scrutinized by people who don’t know you, don’t care to — and seem to want to break your spirit to keep their system intact.
There are layers to our justice system. And if you’re not someone important in their eyes, you’ll be reminded of that constantly.
Website source: https://neurodivergent.squarespace.com/blog/motion-to-file-for-early-termination-of-probation
Despite it all, I still choose to show up — for myself, and for others.
Because no one should be treated like they’re disposable while watching others do the same if not worse crimes and walk away completely free.
It wasn’t until last fall that I finally learned why Bonita decided to revoke my request to transfer supervision to Florida. I did everything I could to make it happen, but I was met with resistance at every turn. It reminded me of a similar situation—when I requested a male probation officer at the federal level due to a troubling experience in May 2023 during a degrading alcohol breathalyzer test. I filed a complaint about that incident but never received a response.
It truly reminds you of the ripple effect. Had American Addiction Centers (please sign Petition) treated me with more humanity and not expelled me at the last minute, that brief period of homelessness would never have ended up on my report—even though it wasn’t a major issue and I found a solution just a few days later.
In the fall of 2023, I even paid a lawyer $1,400 to file a termination request so I could work at a new job somewhere else, only to be denied for a random reason that made no sense whatsoever—another arbitrary block that kept me from moving forward.
Throughout this entire process, I have been treated less like a person and more like a thing.
Time and again, I’m reminded that once you're seen as being on the wrong side of the law, you're treated as little more than a number—if that.
P.S. Things they don’t tell you about training to become a CRA (Client Recovery Assistant) at Aware Recovery Care:
The sheer number of hours it takes just to get through the Relias modules—easily upwards of 90 hours.
Relias, a comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS), is widely used in addiction and mental health treatment settings to ensure staff meet rigorous training and compliance standards. While incredibly valuable, the training is intense. It includes evidence-based content like CBT, motivational interviewing, and the FIT program for co-occurring disorders—designed to build deep clinical understanding.
It’s a serious investment of time and energy, but it reflects the high standard of care Aware Recovery Care is committed to. For those stepping into this work: be ready. It’s more than a job—it’s a "journey".
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Sorry to hear your story. I have heard of Aware but volunteer with CCAR. You might want to check it out if you know people looking for RC cert. It's nationally recognized and takes less time.