Staff Feature Friday - Emily Kent, PRS

Meet Emily! Housing Coordinator and Office Administrator

Emily started with Common Ground in July of this year.  She is a certified peer recovery specialist which means she is a person living in long term recovery who encourages and helps navigate our clients in early recovery.  As the Housing Coordinator, she schedules intakes for the sober living homes and supervises peer recovery specialists who manage those homes.  Emily may also be the first person you talk to when calling any outpatient location and will walk individuals through the appointment process.

We sat down with Emily to learn more about her work and passion for the field:

What’s your favorite thing about Common Ground?

It’s hard to pick one favorite thing about Common Ground. I really love how passionate everyone is about their positions. Everyone I have been able to meet and work with so far truly care about their clients and are sure to go above and beyond helping them reach their goals, no matter what it takes. I really appreciate when people offer to find a client or potential client exactly what they need or are looking for in order to get the most out of their sobriety, even if that option may not be with Common Ground. I like that Common Ground offers sober living which provides clients a safe environment to work on their recovery. Having a safe home to learn how to be stable again is so important in the beginning of the client’s journey.

What advice would you give to someone struggling with addiction today?

Sobriety is possible! It is one of the best gifts you could ever give yourself. It’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be perfect but it is going to be beautiful. It is something you will cherish forever, once you have it.

Why are you passionate about working in the treatment environment?

The peer recovery specialist position gives me the opportunity to be exactly who I needed when I was going through early stages of recovery. I had an incredible support system that made staying clean feel like an easier task than if I was alone. Being able to be someone’s support could be the difference for them between their sobriety and returning to their addiction.

What are your hobbies?

One of my favorite things to do in my free time is to spend time with my family so on weekends we try including our families in most of our activities. I really enjoy being outside, as long as the weather is nice. My fiancé and I both have kayaks and we have a county park, Nugget Lake, which we often spend our time. If we are not kayaking we are usually fishing or hiking. I do not enjoy cold weather, so during the winter months, I spend a lot of time indoors, shopping. You could also find me cuddling on the couch with my Maine Coon, Monster, watching Netflix (probably Gilmore Girls).

Favorite words of wisdom?

“And if I asked you to name all the things that you love, how long would it take for you to name yourself?”

Common Ground offers outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), and sober housing in Rochester, Red Wing, and Winona, MN. To learn more or to schedule an intake, contact us today.