Posted on: September 3, 2024Central California Leadership Corps
NHC Central California Member, Josune Menendez, spoke with a Substance Abuse Counselor at One Community Health. Details are below.
“As I was going into my fourth year of recovery, I found a vocational trade school that was for people who wanted to become substance abuse counselors. I received an education, then I interned, and then I followed through with my passion.”
2024 is Shalon’s 15th year as a substance abuse counselor. Here is her advice on addiction for those entering the medical field: “What I want people to know about the patients that I serve is that they are some of the most resilient, amazing, strong, intelligent, and vulnerable people that I’ve worked with. They deserve love and respect and to be treated like human beings. Substance use is just a tool that people use to cope with trauma, it doesn’t mean people are stupid, or no good. When people enter a substance use program, they learn new ways of coping.”
What Shalon stressed most of all, was the following “Listen, not with the ears of your own personal biases but with ears of compassion and even if you don’t like what they are doing get an understanding. Patients living with addiction are experts in their own lives, 9 times out of 10 they know what issues they have going on. It’s about listening, listening with compassion.”
Where are you from?: I was raised in both Sacramento, California, and Barcelona, Spain.
Why did you decide to join NHC?: I have an interest in public health and community health in particular.
What are you hoping to gain or learn during your service term?: I am hoping to learn more about what is involved in running a successful community health program.
