We were lucky to catch up with Leslie Dill recently and have shared our conversation below.

Leslie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

The most important lesson I learned, as a new professional, is that not all of the feedback you receive from a supervisor is constructive, beneficial, or requires change on your part.

I remember being a young professional at a local university… I was excited, unjaded, and ready to change the world for the better. I am often over-the-top, energetic, and excited. It is my sincere love and passion for the work shining through.

I remember attending a meeting with some of the higher-ups on campus. My supervisor was also in attendance. I greeted everyone in my usual way… a smile, a hug, an ask about something they mentioned the last time I saw them (ex. their kid’s dance recital), etc. I have always loved connecting with people and pride myself in my ability to cultivate and maintain relationships.

I remember, when we left that meeting, my supervisor told me that I can’t/shouldn’t talk to those people in that way. Translation: Don’t be yourself around the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, etc. Be more reserved, more quiet, less energetic. Don’t ask them “personal” questions. Don’t be yourself.

Although I know my supervisor’s intentions were good, I 1000% disagreed with their feedback. I’ve always said, “No one benefits from me being plastic”. Honestly, I feel like one of my professional strengths is my authenticity. People feel it when you are genuine and, maybe more importantly, they feel it when you are not.

I often wear a t-shirt that says, “You will be too much for some people. Those are not your people.” I feel that so hard.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Leslie and I was born and raised in Gastonia, NC. I currently live in Gastonia with my partner Corey, his two boys, my dog, and his cat! I went to East Carolina University for undergrad and grad school. I think one of my greatest strengths is my capacity to forgive and move forward.

I started my career as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at ECU and benefited from the mentorship I received from Dr. Charla Blumell. She taught me how to make learning fun for students and how to facilitate conversations about sexual health in a way that made students feel comfortable. I also learned to keep inclusivity at the forefront of any learning opportunity.

After leaving ECU, I taught for 12 years at UNC Charlotte as a Health Education Specialist with a focus on Sexual Health. Since leaving my role at the University, I have held positions with a for-profit company, a local health department, various contract roles, and my current role with a non-profit.

My current role is OPT Out Program Manager with Carolinas CARE Partnership (CCP) in Charlotte, NC. Although our building is located in Charlotte, we serve 8 counties in NC and 3 counties in SC. The mission of Carolinas CARE Partnership is short and sweet: Seeking justice through health and housing. Our organization provides various services including housing, HIV testing, mental health services, etc. for historically marginalized populations. The mission of OPT Out is to advocate for inclusive communities by providing education, outreach, prevention, and collaborative initiatives that improve overall wellness, promote dignity, and eradicate stigma related to substance use disorder (SUD) for the LGBTQ+ community and persons living with HIV/AIDS.

A couple of initiatives that I am most proud of are our Rainbow Campaign and our Inclusive Language Policy that was created to support organizations in their efforts to use more affirming language in their practice.

Rainbow Campaign – This is a unique campaign that aims to teach youth about the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose/poisoning. We used the rainbow as a pneumonic device to help youth remember and hopefully share this information with their peers. We created a unique image that has since been made into a button, decal, and handout. The handout also includes information about the Good Samaritan laws.

Inclusive Language Policy – This policy was written as a starting point for the work we are doing within our Person-Centered and Trauma-Informed Workgroup for the OPT Out Task Force. The “Show Us Your Intake” Campaign is looking at how the language that service providers use can pull people in to care or push them away. We have goals of expanding this initiative to include looking at intake forms and providing feedback for using neutral and inclusive language throughout. We have also provided many “Let’s Talk Language” presentations for law enforcement, first responders, and health department employees in several of our catchment counties.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

There is a quote that I always reference when someone asks me this question: “Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I facilitate a lot of conversations about inclusive language as it relates to historically marginalized populations. These conversations can be difficult for people and regularly encourage people to think in diverse ways that they may have never considered. It is important to realize that we all traveled a different path to get to where we are today. We all have a different lived experience and one person’s experience shouldn’t be valued over another’s. We have to meet people where they are.

I think something I am good at is never shutting people down – even if what they are saying is in direct opposition to what the research tells me is true. I can always find a way to validate that person and their experience. This is an important skill to have when you are talking about topics like substance use disorder, people living with HIV, and LGBTQ+ people.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I always say, I can’t expect others to come play in my sandbox if I am unwilling to play in their sandbox. Basically, if you aren’t there to support the work of your community partners, you can’t expect them to be there to support your efforts.

When I started in this role in August of 2020, my first 3 months were spent reaching out to people who were doing similar work in our catchment counties. I personally met with each person, via Zoom because of COVID, and committed to supporting their efforts. I joined their task forces, collaboratives, and coalitions. I joined workgroups and supported, and sometimes led, initiatives `in their county. I showed them that I would always do what I said I would do. I always responded to emails in a timely fashion, reached out to offer support for specific asks, and recognized their efforts whenever the opportunity presented itself.

My commitment, professionalism, organizational skills, and dependability is what has helped me build my reputation within my community. Community partners know that if I say I am going to do something, I will do it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carolinascare.org
• Instagram: @optoutprogram
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ldill2
• Linkedin: leslie-dill-1828b628
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0-fjbkmp8M&t=510s&pp=ygUQbGVzbGllIGRpbGwgdGVkeA%3D%3D

Image Credits
Stephanie C. Lane Photography (my headshot) Swikar Patel (group photo of CCP staff) I own the rights to my headshot and CCP owns the rights to our group photo.