We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Billie Patinio a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Billie, appreciate you joining us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

My name is Billie and before I worked in this field of helping others I never really knew where I was going to end up. I worked in many jobs after high school. This included fast food, gas stations, hotel industry and many more. My last job before working in this field was a Hawaiian Bakeshop. There I worked with family and during this time frame my cousin that was employed there also, she worked for a treatment facility as her full-time job and had mentioned to me that she really believes that I would be good where she works. She then asked me if I ever thought of working in an addiction treatment facility. My response to her was “No, I only did drugs and wouldn’t even know how I could help others stay off of it.” At that point she said to me “and that’s why you would be great, cause you “did drugs” and no longer do drugs, so your story could help someone else.”
This is where my journey begins working with the people I help. In 2008 my first substance abuse treatment job was working at Westcare Nevada. I started off in the youth boy’s department, located in Mt Charleston, then moved over to the Young Faces department which was located in town in the Womans and Children building, after that I moved to the detox facility located on Washington St. I was a behavioral tech who helped guide, support and share my experience through my life and gave people hope that they do not have to live life like that no more. While working there I learned how to deal with individuals who struggle with addiction and how to help give them tools to help them overcome their addictions. I knew that the saying “easier said than done” is real, because I was once there. So, to judge someone who says they can’t and don’t know how to stay away or stop, I never made them feel like their feelings were not valid. I grew to love allowing them to express themselves in the way they needed and that made them feel “human and not like a outsider.” I believe that we are all human and treat everyone the way I wanted to be treated. So, I did my best to do just that.
Then I ended up leaving that job and started to work at Solutions Recovery in 2013. I was a BHT (behavioral tech) there and worked closer to individuals in not just the first stage of treatment but also got to work with them through their treatment. At this stage they go through the process of learning how to deal with their feelings and process through them. Spent more one on one time with them to create rapport and show them a different life of living. I then got an opportunity to get offered a job at Crossroads in 2019. At first, I was skeptical because I loved where I worked and what I was doing there. But God had different plans for me. I ended up leaving that job and starting to work with Crossroads. I started at Crossroads as a Mental Health Tech and started in the housing department. then went to work downstairs in the medical detox department. As I worked down there, I became a lead tech and then a supervisor. I enjoyed not only learning the different departments of the facility and working with the patients but also the staff I had grown great relationships with. It was like we all were a family. Then I became the tech manager and started to grow with the company even more. I ended up overseeing all BHTs and doing more leadership skills. My growth within the company did not stop there. I am now the Operations Manager. Which I oversee multiple departments within the company. I. truly enjoy working in this field. Bein able to help those that really need the help and watch them grow and have success stories and start living again for themselves and their families.

Billie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Billie. I am a mother of 3 beautiful girls and 1 handsome son. I was born in the beautiful island of Hawaii. My life in Hawaii was almost as anyone else’s life growing up. School, friends, family and the beach with lots of partying. I lived a pretty good life being raised by an average family in most people’s eyes. But the reality of it was my family was not just the average family. My family was mixed up with drugs and alcohol and lots of it. Went to school and made sure I got good grades though because I needed one good thing going for me. I left my senior year in high school to be told by my mother that I had to move to Las Vegas to help my grandparents. I had no choice. I moved up to Las Vegas in 1994 and ended up not graduating the year I was supposed to and got my GED. Still using and partying I went and got 2 full time jobs and that did not stop me from using. I lived a Las Vegas life of never sleeping and being in the fast lane. I then got pregnant with my first child. That as well did not stop me from using drugs and alcohol. Then had my second child and I still did not want to stop using drugs. A few years after I still could not stop using and my kids ended up being taken from me and put into the custody of Child protected services. You would think that would have opened my eyes in the moment, but it didn’t. I finally realized that I wanted my kids in my life and I was missing them like crazy. Thats when my life took a turn around for the better. I then went to court and the judge told me that they have a treatment plan set up for me that I would need to follow if I wanted my kids back in my life. I then took their treatment plan and did even more of what was expected of me and stopped using and partying. What really opened my eyes up to do for my kids was when one day I went to Child Haven for one of my visits with my kids and my youngest daughter said to me “Mommy, mommy you want to see my room?” She took me over to a cabin and we walked inside, she walked me all the way to the back and showed me an area that had several sheets and towels folded up nicely and said ” mommy that is where I sleep” In that moment my heart broke. I thought to myself this is where I put my kids. What have I done. Then she showed me 2 unicorn dolls and said to me “look mommy this is me and you and we are together, I sleep with us together here because I cannot sleep with you no more” At this point I knew this is not what I wanted for my kids, nor did I want to be without them no more. So I went to extra groups and classes, attended more AA/NA meetings and did double the one-on-one sessions with my therapist than asked of me. I ended up thankfully having my aunt foster my kids for 2 months and was able to impress the judges and courts that I meant business to make changes in my life for my kids. 2 months later I got granted my kids back. It was a moment in my life where I saw the brightest glow in my kids’ eyes that I will never forget.
I then was working at a Hawaiian bakeshop with my cousin, and she also worked for a Drug treatment center. She told me I should come work where she works because I would be great. In 2007 was the first job I worked in this field. I never thought I would ever see myself helping those that are going through the same type of troublesome lifestyle that I lived. Here I am 17 years later and still working in this field. I’ve started off as a BHT and then moved up into lead positions, to a supervisor, then a manager to now a Operations manager position in Addiction treatment facility. I love working with the individuals I have worked with throughout these 17 years. They all have taught me something different that I now share with others to be a great person. I enjoy being able to share my experience with those who are going through the same type of situation I have been in. I love being able to show someone that there is a different way of living and be able to relate to them and treat them like human beings.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe that it’s my authenticity. I treat every individual as a person and always do my best to meet them where they are at. This is about them and what works for them. I also believe that the people I work with (staff) needs to feel heard and appreciated. It takes a strong foundation to be able to make the top go smoothly. Everyone matters at a job.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

What keeps me going is my kids. While I was in my addiction my kids got taken away and got into the system of child protective system. When that had happened, I did what was need of me from the courts and more than they even asked of me to get my kids back into my life.
This is when I decided to change my lifestyle, that I was living. I went to get an assessment done and ended up having to do outpatient services and a couple of classes and random drug test for child protective services. I did not just do that I did more. I wanted my kids back in my life. I was only asked to do 2 classes a week and I did 5 classes a week. I went to extra AA/NA meetings and showed them how serious I was about changing my life for my kids. My kids were my motivation and during that time of change I realized that it was also for myself. I got my kids back within 2 months after my aunt had fostered them. The courts and CPS were impressed with my willingness. After getting my kids back life still had struggles and when I encountered them my kids continuously reminded me about the time, they had to live in child haven without me because of my bad choices I have made in my past and that they don’t ever want to go back there. Then my youngest son passed away in 2017, I felt the need to not want to feel or deal with the loss of my son and tried to go to my old dope dealers place and pickup drugs. I was lucky that one, they did not want to allow me in and told me to go away. I begged to let me in then in the back of my head I heard my daughters voice telling me “Mom I don’t want to go back to child haven,” I sat in my car for 4hrs just crying and just drove home and once I saw my kids I gave them a big hug and told them thank you. In 2021my oldest daughter passed away, she was in a car accident which was caused by a man who was not in the right state of mind. I am grateful for my kids being who they are because they hold me accountable. Today my now oldest daughter works in substance abuse treatment field and my youngest daughter works for the county with DFS. They took their experience and went the opposite way and are helping others that need help.

Contact Info:

• Other: [email protected]

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