The purpose of the Center on Parenting and Opioids (CPO) Lived Experience Community Board is to bring together people with substance use disorders who have pregnancy and parenting experiences to inform research through a community driven process. We supported members in crafting their bios and wish to acknowledge that people use their own self-defined terms to describe their recovery. We support people using their own words to describe themselves and their communities and also wish to acknowledge that words like addict and clean should not be used when talking about people with substances use disorders as referring to people as a group in this way perpetuates stigma.
The goals of the Lived Experience Community Board are to 1) provide feedback on new or ongoing research projects, 2) inform future research directions, 3) generate ideas for sharing research findings, and identify methods for improving implementation of evidence-based practices.
Abra is from Hawaii and now lives in Central Oregon. She is a mother of six beautiful children. She is a full-time lottery Cafe manager. In her spare time she enjoys hiking swimming and anything to do with planting. She is an avid gardener. She joined this wonderful community board in hopes of using her experience to make a difference in someone else's life.
Bradley is from Springfield, Oregon and is a devoted stay-at-home dad to a daughter. He entered treatment when finding out his partner was pregnant and now identifies as being clean for two years. He is a PC gaming and building enthusiast (not that he has much free time for it). He joined the Lived Experience Community Board to share his past mistakes and lessons learned in the hopes of helping people.
Bio coming soon.
Kami Pinedo is a 32-year-old female with two boys and two kittens. She is a recovering addict that has been clean for a year and a half. She loves to spend time with her boys, go to the park, and go on night walks. She strives for a better, more positive future and has chosen to join this group to learn more and become a member of something important.
Laura is a single parent and has raised her son by herself since day one. She wanted a better life for her and her son, so she went to school and became an accountant while also getting clean and sober. Being part of the Lived Experience Community Board gives Laura an opportunity to remember why she worked so hard to create a bright future for her family and she hopes to pass her experiences on to help someone that is struggling.
Bio coming soon.
Michaela grew up in North Carolina. She worked in restaurants for over a decade and is a proud mom in recovery as well. She really enjoys singing and spending time with her sweet babies, family, and friends. She loves being a part of the Lived Experience Community Board because she feels it helps others in recovery to feel seen and heard, which is a great feeling.
Rashelle grew up between the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Burns Paiute Tribe. She's a recovering mother of three boys. She enjoys working hard and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Her life is filled with new aspirations and gaining knowledge through on issues related to addiction with her fellow board members.
Raven is originally from the Southwest. She has twins. In her free time, she likes to create and sell digital art and go hunting for chanterelle and morel mushrooms in the lovely Pacific Northwest. She joined the Lived Experience Community Board because she wants to help others and herself to feel free from the shame towards oneself or from others that comes with the cycle of substance use. Raven acknowledges the strength it takes to show up and be honest, loving, responsible, and forgiving in one’s journey through the process of healing in recovery.
Raymond was born Eugene Oregon. He identifies as a recovering addict and father. Raymond decided to participate in the Lived Experience Community Board to help people going through what he went through. He has hopes of becoming a substance use counselor or peer support counselor.
Bio coming soon.
Trish is really proud of her recovery and at the moment she loves doing things for others who are homeless because she has been there. In Trish’s spare time, she loves hanging out with her family and dogs. She works for Saint Vincent de Paul. She wanted to be a part of the Lived Experience Community Board because she is very passionate about this work as someone who has been put down by others because of substance use.