Name and Position at Region Ten: Todd Ellis (aka Philip), Lead Substance Abuse Clinician
Where are you from? Born in New Mexico and have lived in Washington, Oregon, New York, California, North Carolina, Texas, Washington D.C., Virginia, South Dakota…and back to Virginia.
What drew you to the mental health field? I like the idea of helping others. My first assignment was in high school being a mentor to a young man diagnosed with a developmental disability. My passion for substance abuse came about with my own challenges – I am now 25+ years clean and sober and I enjoy helping others navigate through the therapeutic process. I love to do group therapy and believe I can offer some good insights into substance use disorders.
What are some of the highlights in your professional career? I have worked with various populations including children, adults, and seniors in developmental disability and mental health concerns. I also worked in a Psychosocial Rehab at another CSB. At Region Ten, some of my biggest highlights have been:
- Being hired knowing that I would have 8-10 weeks out for surgery and recuperation during my first year.
- Meeting my mentor and good friend Mary M. who taught me so much about substance use disorders and recovery.
- Reaching the 10-year milestone at Region Ten and having the sabbatical
- Returning to SA Adult Outpatient after a while of working in Crisis Stabilization and 4 months as a Mental Health Case Manager
- Being promoted to Lead SA Clinician within the department
- Completing my Masters of Public Administration
- Getting a credential as a Nationally Certified SA Counselor
- Meeting and working with wonderful staff and clients
- Learning about the Peer Recovery movement and realizing my first credential is being a peer.
What do you enjoy about your work at Region Ten? I like working in a field that I know something about, both professionally and personally. My job helps to keep me clean and sober, and I get paid for doing it. I also like that feeling you get when people change in front of your eyes and you get to watch the therapeutic process do its magic!
What does Alcohol Awareness Month mean to you? It is important for people to know about alcohol and that abusing it can cause a lot of problems. There are many assumptions about alcohol, and people need information and science to help them decide what role alcohol will play in their life. Even though only a small percentage of people will develop a dependency to chemicals, there are still many who regularly abuse alcohol and other substances. Alcohol Awareness is a concerted effort nationwide, by many agencies, to let people know that alcohol can cause problems and that there are people and agencies and peer support who can help them.