We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Javier Alegre. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Javier below.

Hi Javier, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

There was definitely a defining moment. I remember going to college and picking an major, plans developed and ideas came to mind as to what I wanted to do with that major, Business and Finance by the way. I was excited, imagined myself working in a nice office, a big corporation where I could not only further develop my skills, but also grow and advance my career. I came from a family where everyone one had one job, and they stay there until retirement, certainly mother, my father, and my older sister all followed that path. I was imagining the same path for myself.
The dram came true, I graduated, I got a job at Intermountain Healthcare corporate office materials management department, office of purchasing. Exactly what I wanted to do, get paid to shop, right! I was over the moon, bought some suits, ties, shirts, shoes and I started my job/carrier at the largest healthcare corporation in Utah. It was a dream, my boss was awesome, my bosses boss were awesome, the people around me where helpful and very driven professionals which I helped me learn so much so fast. I moved up quick, my supervisor got a promotion, and I got her position, which came with an actual office, not a cubicle, with a big window and a nice view of downtown Salt Lake City and the mountain. I was, by all means, on track and living the dream
However, life had other plans for me, and as it often happens when you ignore or not listed to the universe messages, I was shoved into the right course or path.
I was depressed, I was unhappy still for some reason and did not why. I was looking for answers and relief in all the wrong places and it wasn’t long alcohol and drugs came into place.
Long story short, I became addicted to drugs and alcohol, I slowly started to show the signs in my personal life and, of course, at work. I continue to use for some time, thinking I could quit at any time, until the signs and my behavior became to much to bare for my loved ones, and my employer. I lost my job, I nearly lost my home, I lost my car, and I was struggling emotionally, mentally, and financially for some time before I took my life back.
From that moment, when I was able to stop, reclaim my freedom and will, I decided to not go back to the corporate world and since the year 2000 I have worked in the nonprofit sector. More specifically, in the treatment and recovery support services for persons struggling with mental health and substance use disorder. I never looked back, I am not the Director and a statewide agency and dedicate my efforts to ensure those most vulnerable have access to quality treatment and support that is culturally responsive, language specific and readily available no matter what your economic status is, or your hosing situation, or your legal and criminal justice involvement is.

Javier, 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?

I got into the industry as a volunteer first. I was living in South Dakota at the time and got a job in administration as Development Director. Wrote grants, fund proposals, develop partnership agreements, and negotiated contract services as required. I also work closely with accounting building budgets, billing, reconciling expenses, and ensuring that grant funded programs where on track with fund vs. deliverables. I learned so much, I was utilizing my business education and skills, but I was building something more, i was contributing to our community and helping make it better by bringing a number of programs and services with the funds i was raising and program we were creating. I continue to be in development until 2019 in various agencies, but it wasn’t until I landed in USARA that i found my true passion for helping the recovery community. while at USARA, I learned about the recovery movement, the lived experience world and how valuable it was for those struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. I learned that I own lived experience had power, and I could use it as a peer specialist to help other in the recovery path find their power, encourage them and share with them how challenging but possible it is. Now, I have been a Director at Jacky’s Recovery for six years and I love what I do, I love that fact that what we are building here is meaningful to our community, that saves lives, and that being togetherness to families and communtiies.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Absolutely, if I could go back I would not change a thing. I love who I am, what I do, and who I do it with and for. I would not be here today had it not been for the journey I traveled.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Persistently and consistently showing up. Asking questions, seeking answers even it didn’t make very popular. I was given opportunities to represent my community, and I took them seriously, I showed up, I asked the hard questions, I insisted in being acknowledge and never took no for an answer.
I must say, some feel I am a bit much, or feel I have no filter, or simple find me pushy. Truth be told, I embrace those comments and take them with grace. I feel I am person of integrity and honor, and in the position that i sit at the moment and fell a tremendous amount of responsibility to ensure the needs of my community are being discuss in spaces where decisions are made, and if I need to make others uncomfortable, or be a bit much or pushy, I am perfectly okay with that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jackyrecovery.org
• Instagram: @latinobehavioral
• Facebook: @latinobehaviora
• Youtube: @latinobehavioralhealthserv3265