‘On the Ground’ with Debbie Jackson
Why people in recovery should be proud of their achievements
Emerging Futures publishes regular blogs about all sorts of topical issues. Now, and throughout 2022, we are turning the spotlight onto the people who work most closely with our service users. Our ‘On the Ground’ feature will give readers an insight into the diversity of our work and the amazing people who make it happen.
First up is Debbie Jackson, Lead Network Coach for East Lancashire. Debbie, a self-confessed coffee snob, trains coaches to support individuals in recovery and families affected by a loved one’s addiction. Debbie talked to us about her passion to address the stigma around addiction and get family members and those in recovery to be proud of their achievements. Outside of work, Debbie loves to walk in the countryside and hit the gym, when she is not looking after her three children or indulging in long, luxurious soaks in the bath.
How did the pandemic change your working week?
We started working from home and rather than try to sit out the pandemic we immediately started providing daily training and support over Zoom. We rewrote our programmes for digital delivery and away we went. In that first year of working from home our referrals doubled! During the pandemic we took over 400 requests for support and the number wanting support continues to rise.
Face-to-face interactions are really important but as we cover a large geographical area working online helped us reach more people and become more accessible. It’s great to be back doing in-person sessions now but we have also continued our digital groups, especially in the evening as they are really convenient for family members who work. Hybrid groups where participants are either in the room or on Zoom are also great for peer support.
Where did your passion for supporting others/working for a non-profit organisation begin?
I’ve been very lucky to spend most of my career working with non-profit organisations. It was evident that such organisations believe in people – not products, or profit. Their passion is for supporting people to be the best they can be. The practice is one of acceptance and hope and these aspirations are central to my own value system. I am passionate about providing excellent services to everyone we meet and I’m at my best when supporting others.
What do you love most about your role?
It must be the work with family members – they are such an invisible part of addiction and often suffer in silence. Family work is challenging, but to see family members begin to laugh and enjoy life once more is the most rewarding thing ever. There is magic in families recovering and the knock-on for their loved ones is amazing – many coming into recovery as a direct result. I believe our model of family support is second to none and I’d like to see it replicated across the country.
As someone in recovery myself, I hope that doing this job gives out a positive message that people can and do recover and can give back to the very communities that supported them.
