Staff Spotlight: Georgia Underwood - A Big Part of Recovery is Community
Georgia Underwood joined our Healthy Acadia team as Recovery Coach Coordinator for Piscataquis County in April 2021. Over the past several weeks, she has been busy connecting virtually with partners in the recovery community from across Maine - resource brokering and navigating available services in an effort to build a robust recovery network to serve the communities of Piscataquis County.
Georgia, who hails from the Moosehead Lake region of Piscataquis County, began studying to become an addictions specialist with the desire to have a career either in counseling or social work. Though her career path ultimately led her to study and work in the area of economic advisement., she remained a strong advocate for recovery. “One in 12 people in the U.S. is dealing with a substance use disorder. In every county in Maine, and in every state across the country, social stigma around substance use disorder presents a significant challenge for those seeking recovery. I have friends, family, and colleagues who have been deeply affected by addiction. It’s very rare that I go to another part of the country and find someone that hasn’t been affected.”
Georgia has been in long-term recovery herself for 13 years now and is keenly aware of the impact that addiction has on families as well as the communities in which we live. After nearly four years leading a substance use support group, she has learned that the paths of addiction and treatments are different for each affected individual. “My eyes were opened to a whole new world that I didn’t even know existed.”
Georgia hopes to remove this barrier and develop a supportive and understanding recovery community. “I am really hoping to start a movement toward a recovery-friendly community. If I can do that and get it moving forward, I can say my work is complete. A big part of recovery is community. There is so little knowledge about addiction and it is seen as such a bad word - people hide from it, and [from] the people it affects.”
“I want awareness that recovery is out there. I want to see a recovery-friendly community full of people that understand that those that are suffering are just people like you and me. It can happen!”
Addiction is hard, recovery is hard, but knowledge is key. Individuals living with a substance use disorder are everyday people with jobs, families, friends, and people that care about them. Building a community of hope and understanding is what we all wish to create. With Georgia’s help and advocacy, we are one step closer to that.