Wisconsin Voices For Recovery Newsletter

Wisconsin Voices for Recovery is honored to welcome Jessica Geschke to our team as Program Coordinator of the new WI Voices for Recovery Hospital-based Recovery Coaching Network. In this role, she will oversee the Recovery Coach and Certified Peer Support Specialist statewide network for this exciting new program.

Jessica Geschke is certified by the State of Wisconsin as a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor. She received a Bachelors of Science in Human Services from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and an Associates Degree in AODA from Moraine Park Technical College. Her areas of focus are assessment and treatment of substance abuse in adolescents and adults. Jessica has over twelve years of experience providing individual, group and collateral AODA treatment services to adolescents and adults in residential, transitional, inpatient and outpatient settings. Jessica has been the Director of AODA services at Affiliated Clinical Services in West Bend, WI for the past eight years. Within those eight years, she had developed and implemented an Intensive Outpatient Program, working within and supervising medication assisted therapy programs, such as Suboxone and Vivitrol.

Jessica helps to bring a face and voice to recovery and end stigma with those affected by addiction through her community organization involvement. She is the President of Stop Heroin Now, Inc. Jessica co-founded Wisconsin Siblings United as she is the sister of a person struggling with the disease of addiction. Jessica also volunteers her time by holding positions as Advisory Board Member for Wisconsin Voices for Recovery, AODA advisory committee member for Moraine Park Technical College of Wisconsin, The Wisconsin State Representative and Advisory Board Member for The Nation Facing Addiction Organization, Heroin Task Force Treatment Sub-Committee Chair Leader for the Washington County Heroin Task Force, Community Organization Team Leader for Rise Together and committee member for The Wisconsin Coalition for Prescription Drug Abuse Reduction Collation.

Wisconsin Voices for Recovery will oversee the administration of a statewide Hospital-based Recovery Coaching program, which is a part of the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant recently awarded to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The ultimate aim of the program is to empower peers, either Recovery Coaches or Certified Peer Support Specialists, to share the hope of recovery with those who have recently survived an overdose and are seeking care in the Emergency Department setting. 
WI Voices will contract directly with Recovery Community Organizations and other organizations across the state to employ Recovery Coaches and Certified Peer Support Specialists, working with hospitals to increase awareness and education and increase the use of peer support services across systems. Additionally, WI Voices for Recovery will build an online learning community and provide free training across the state, along with increase the capacity of communities to address this important issue. If you would like more information about this or other WI Voices for Recovery projects, please contact our Director, Caroline Miller at cmmiller5@wisc.edu.